Victorian straw splitter, 19th century.

Social History (Museum of St Albans)

Victorian straw splitter, 19th century, from the St Albans Museums teaching collection. The end of this straw splitter would be pushed down the hollow shaft of a piece of straw to produce six flat lengths of straw ready for plaiting. The split straw was then plaited into various patterns to make a wide ribbon around 20 yards/18 metres long. Straw plaiting for the hat making industry was the most widespread cottage industry in nineteenth century Hertfordshire. Plaiting had been taking place for hundreds of years but at this time the plait was in great demand and different people were involved in each stage of the process; the harvest of local straw, sorting into sizes, splitting, plaiting and dyeing. Many women and children from poor families plaited straw at every possible moment as working class men often did not earn enough to support their family. The women sold the finished plait to buyers for the hat industry at the weekly St Albans plait market. Some women sold the plait to agents who came to their homes. The straw plait was sewn into hats at one of the many hat factories in St Albans. These factories were mostly around Victoria Street and Marlborough Road. By the 1930s most of the factories had closed down due to foriegn competition and changes in fashion.

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Digital Camera

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25/06/2007