Circa 1870 – The inventor of the circular ribbed knitting machine revolutionized the hosiery industry recounts efforts by his employers and competitors to cheat him from money due and steal his patents
Lake Village, New Hampshire: Pepper’s Hosiery Mill, Circa 1870. Unbound.
In this unsigned 12-page summary on stationery headed “Office of J. Pepper’s Hosiery Mill, / Lake Village, N. H. 187 “, John Pepper claims that employers and competitors cheated him, infringing upon his patents. In nice shape. A transcript will be provided.
John Pepper invented the first successful ribbed knitting machine in 1852 which revolutionized the hosiery industry, but his ownership of the patent was clouded by agreements and partnerships made with employers and competitors. Hosiery was big business in New England, and by 1860, Pepper was making 72,000 pair of socks annually. This summary provides Pepper’s case against industry kingpins including Henry Hastings, Henry Marchant, John Nesmith, and the Aikens family.
“When I invented the Circular Ribb Machine . . . I shew . . . the work to a Mr Marchant [who] told me to beware of [Hastings] as he had found him a great rascal. . .. I was poor [with] no learning and Hasting being [an] agent of the mill [I} put confidence in him. . .. Nesmith came down to the mill [and] I was . . . told they were going to move the machiney to Franklin [including my] Ribb machine They offered not only to buy the invention but to [make] me superintendent of the mill at the salary of one thousand dollars [and there] was also a clause . . . giving the patent back to me if the Co failed to use the invention for six months in succession. . ..
"I took the job [but] lost my house which I mortgaged [to put] my money into supplies . . . and come out . . . $4,000 in debt . . .. The Mill afterwards burnt [and] the patent was not used [and] Aikens began to build machines and sell them and there was no one to stop them. . .. I went to Nesmith who was president . .. . and told him the six months was out and I wanted the patent [back, and] I tried from time to time to get possession of it [until] in despair I applied to Hastings [who] said if he got it I should have it – but found afterwards it [was] put into a Co and he [was] one third owner . . . but made him promise to let me [own] all the machines This he agreed to at once [but I] now find . . . the other members . . . pay in nothing. . .. There have been constant infringement of [my patents and copies of my machines] have been made openly. . .. I improved the machine [and this] stopt the sale of the Aikens machine . . . then Derby Ribb goods were called for and I got up an improvement whereby [other kinds] could be made. . . I patented this invention. . ..
“The company never paid me for anything from first to last for building machines [so] my only chance to be paid was to sell the machines and take my pay as the Co from the first had no working capital. . ..” In the summary, Pepper suggests that he was being sued by the company for doing so, but I have been unable to find the case or any reference to its resolution.
. Very good. Item #010007(For more information, see Lehman’s “Socks and Stockings, Shirts, Drawers, and Sashes,” and Candee’s “Portsmouth! N.H. and New England's Knitting Industry! 1832 – 1875”, both available online.)
A unique first-hand record of the industrial revolution in New England’s 19th century textile mills. At the time of listing, nothing similar is for sale in the trade, and the Rare Book Hub shows nothing similar has ever been listed at auction. OCLC shows that the Pepper Company’s later records from 1880 to 1906 are held by the American Textile Museum Library.
.Price: $500.00