Textiles - domestic

It's not known for sure what type of tailoring the women in Cottingham were involved in at the turn of the Century. However, in the early 1800s, dressmakers and tailors mainly produced made-to-order clothes.  By the 1830s and 40s, the growing middle class had created a new demand for cheap ready-made men's clothing. To serve this growing market, women worked at home sewing ready-made clothing (also called "slop" or "slop-work") for very low piece-rates. The women who sewed slop could be young, but they were sometimes older and widowed with children and other relatives to support. Source: The Victorian Web

Shoemaking became a widespread occupation in Rockingham Forest villages during the mid 1700s. Despite competition from the industrial shoemaking operations in Kettering, which built up from 1776, many village shoemakers managed to survive and thrive, mainly by repairing boots and shoes.