Preamble
For your convenience I have listed below other post in this series:
Silk Designs of the 18th Century
Woven Textile Designs In Britain (1750 to 1763)
Woven Textile Designs in Britain (1764 to 1789)
Woven Textile Designs in Britain (1790 to 1825)
19th Century Silk Shawls from Spitalfields
Silk Designs of Joseph Dandridge
Silk Designs of James Leman
Silk Designs of James Leman [1]
James Leman was born into a weaving family, of Huguenot descent. His father, Peter, had been admitted to the London Weavers' Company in 1674, and was described as 'natif de Cantorbury'; he may have been descended from the Leman family who are recorded as coming to Canterbury from Tourcoing to escape religious persecution in the late 16th century. James Leman was born ca. 1688, and apprenticed in 1702 to his father, the family by now living at Stewart Street, in Spitalfields.
Leman trained as a designer as well as a manufacturer, very unusual for the English industry. Smith's 'Laboratory or School of Arts' (1756 edition) records that every Lyon manufacturer thus qualified, as was the late ingenious Mr. Leman in this time.' The museum's earliest designs by him are dated 1765, just four years from the start of his apprenticeship. Some are inscribed, 'For my father, Peter Leman, by me, James Leman.' In 1711 he was admitted as 'For[eign] Master' to the Weavers' Company, and on his father's death in 1712 he took over the family business.
As well as producing his own accomplished silk designs, Leman engaged other designers to supply him, including Christopher Baudouin (see previous post) and Josephh Dandridge (see previous post), both well known in their day. The latest designs known to be by Leman are dated 1722, but there is no reason to believe he gave up this side of his profession after that time. Part of the canopy used at George II's Coronation in 1727, now in the Victoria and Albert's collection, was supplied by the mercer George Binckes, known to have bought designs from Leman; it is very similar in style to his work and may have been designed by him.
Leman rose to high office in the Weavers' Company, becoming a Liveryman and member of the Court of Assistants; in 1731 he was elected Renter Bailiff, second-in-command in the Company. He was clearly an energetic and capable man, actively involved on a number of Committees working for Weavers' Company interests, and in the year of his death, 1745, he helped organize the campaign being launched against the sellers and wearers of printed calico.
James Leman was talented in a number of fields, and the diversity of his interests is revealed by his will: '...my paintings, drawings and all my collection of prints, my reading books, my music and picture books and my collection of copy books, my musical and my mathematical instruments of all sorts, my collection of reptiles in spirits, my collection of medals and coins, with several odd things,' all to be distributed by his wife to his surviving children.
Silk design by James Leman (Dated: 1706/1707).
Silk design by James Leman for a flowered satin. It had two pattern wefts, 'one to continue the other to change.' (Dated: 1706/07).
Silk design by James Leman for a 'Flow: Satin with changing & Brocade.' (Dated: 1707).
Silk design by James Leman (Dated: 1708).
Chasuble, French Silks. These can be dated by comparison with designs by James Leman from 1707 and from 1708.
Silk design by James Leman (Dated: 1708).
Silk design by James Leman (Dated: 1708/09).
Silk design by James Leman (Dated: 1709).
Reference:
[1] Ed. C. Brown, Silk Designs of the Eighteenth Century, C. Browne, Thames and Huson, London (1996).
For your convenience I have listed below other post in this series:
Silk Designs of the 18th Century
Woven Textile Designs In Britain (1750 to 1763)
Woven Textile Designs in Britain (1764 to 1789)
Woven Textile Designs in Britain (1790 to 1825)
19th Century Silk Shawls from Spitalfields
Silk Designs of Joseph Dandridge
Silk Designs of James Leman
Silk Designs of James Leman [1]
James Leman was born into a weaving family, of Huguenot descent. His father, Peter, had been admitted to the London Weavers' Company in 1674, and was described as 'natif de Cantorbury'; he may have been descended from the Leman family who are recorded as coming to Canterbury from Tourcoing to escape religious persecution in the late 16th century. James Leman was born ca. 1688, and apprenticed in 1702 to his father, the family by now living at Stewart Street, in Spitalfields.
Leman trained as a designer as well as a manufacturer, very unusual for the English industry. Smith's 'Laboratory or School of Arts' (1756 edition) records that every Lyon manufacturer thus qualified, as was the late ingenious Mr. Leman in this time.' The museum's earliest designs by him are dated 1765, just four years from the start of his apprenticeship. Some are inscribed, 'For my father, Peter Leman, by me, James Leman.' In 1711 he was admitted as 'For[eign] Master' to the Weavers' Company, and on his father's death in 1712 he took over the family business.
As well as producing his own accomplished silk designs, Leman engaged other designers to supply him, including Christopher Baudouin (see previous post) and Josephh Dandridge (see previous post), both well known in their day. The latest designs known to be by Leman are dated 1722, but there is no reason to believe he gave up this side of his profession after that time. Part of the canopy used at George II's Coronation in 1727, now in the Victoria and Albert's collection, was supplied by the mercer George Binckes, known to have bought designs from Leman; it is very similar in style to his work and may have been designed by him.
Leman rose to high office in the Weavers' Company, becoming a Liveryman and member of the Court of Assistants; in 1731 he was elected Renter Bailiff, second-in-command in the Company. He was clearly an energetic and capable man, actively involved on a number of Committees working for Weavers' Company interests, and in the year of his death, 1745, he helped organize the campaign being launched against the sellers and wearers of printed calico.
James Leman was talented in a number of fields, and the diversity of his interests is revealed by his will: '...my paintings, drawings and all my collection of prints, my reading books, my music and picture books and my collection of copy books, my musical and my mathematical instruments of all sorts, my collection of reptiles in spirits, my collection of medals and coins, with several odd things,' all to be distributed by his wife to his surviving children.
Reference:
[1] Ed. C. Brown, Silk Designs of the Eighteenth Century, C. Browne, Thames and Huson, London (1996).
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