Tenterground
Encyclopedia
A tenterground or tenter ground was an area used for drying newly manufactured cloth after fulling
. The wet cloth was hooked onto frames called tenters and stretched taut so that the cloth would dry flat and square.
It is from this process that we have the expression “on tenterhooks”, meaning in a state of nervous tension.
There were tentergrounds wherever cloth was made, and as a result the word tenter is evident in place names throughout the UK, including a street in Spitalfields
, London
.
refugees fleeing religious persecution
. Their weaving
industry led to the area becoming a centre of the garment industry (the rag trade as it became known colloquially), with names such as Fashion Street
and Petticoat Lane still extant.
It was originally an area of open ground about 150 yards square, surrounded by the weavers’ houses and workshops in White’s Row, Wentworth Street, Bell Lane and Rose Lane (the last of which no longer exists).
By the 19th century, the Flemish weavers had dispersed and in 1829, the Tenterground was developed for housing. From about 1850, it was populated by Dutch Jews (see Chuts
), to be joined later by Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in eastern Europe
(see pogroms).
During the early part of the 20th century, the Tenterground was largely demolished for redevelopment, but some old buildings remain in and around the area, including Flemish weavers’ houses and an early Dutch
synagogue
which was formerly a Huguenot chapel
. Another former Huguenot chapel is now a mosque
.
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
. The wet cloth was hooked onto frames called tenters and stretched taut so that the cloth would dry flat and square.
It is from this process that we have the expression “on tenterhooks”, meaning in a state of nervous tension.
There were tentergrounds wherever cloth was made, and as a result the word tenter is evident in place names throughout the UK, including a street in Spitalfields
Spitalfields
Spitalfields is a former parish in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane. The area straddles Commercial Street and is home to many markets, including the historic Old Spitalfields Market, founded in the 17th century, Sunday...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Tenterground in Spitalfields
The Spitalfields Tenterground was established in the 17th century by Flemish weavers, who were HuguenotHuguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
refugees fleeing religious persecution
Religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof....
. Their weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
industry led to the area becoming a centre of the garment industry (the rag trade as it became known colloquially), with names such as Fashion Street
Fashion Street
Fashion Street refers to a cluster of about 130 to 140 clothing shops on MG Road in South Mumbai, India. Besides clothing, there are also several shoe and jewellery shops....
and Petticoat Lane still extant.
It was originally an area of open ground about 150 yards square, surrounded by the weavers’ houses and workshops in White’s Row, Wentworth Street, Bell Lane and Rose Lane (the last of which no longer exists).
By the 19th century, the Flemish weavers had dispersed and in 1829, the Tenterground was developed for housing. From about 1850, it was populated by Dutch Jews (see Chuts
Chuts
Chuts is the name applied to Jews who immigrated to London from the Netherlands during the latter part of the 19th century. They typically came from Amsterdam and practised trades they had already learned there, most notably cigar, cap and slipper making....
), to be joined later by Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
(see pogroms).
During the early part of the 20th century, the Tenterground was largely demolished for redevelopment, but some old buildings remain in and around the area, including Flemish weavers’ houses and an early Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
which was formerly a Huguenot chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. Another former Huguenot chapel is now a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
.