[Appendix B(92) 1792 Report of Commissioners of Inquiry]

APPENDIX (B.) N° 92.

PETITION of ABRAHAM DE LA PRYME, dated 21st of October 1791 ; and the CERTIFICATE of the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, dated 22d of October 1791.

To the Honorable His Majesty’s Commissioners of Enquiry in the Isle of Man.

The humble Petition of ABRAHAM DE LA PRYME,

Sheweth,

THAT your Petitioner, in the Year 1779, removed with his Family from England to the Isle of Man for the Conveniency of Water and the low Price of Labour to carry on the Manufacture of Spinning and Weaving Cotton, and at a very great Expence erected there a Mill and other Buildings ; has ever since employed a great Number of the Inhabitants in the said Manufacture. which Employment is their whole Support ; has always imported Cotton from Liverpool of the Growth of the British Plantations, and regularly for ten Years exported the Manufacture of the said Cotton, either in Cloth or Yarn, from the said Isle by proper Certificate to Liverpool, free from Duty bring the Manufacture of the said Isle.

That last Month your Petitioner imported into Liverpool, by proper Certificate, three Packs containing six hundred and thirty Pounds Yarn, and six Pieces Cloth in the Grey, manufactured in the said Island from the said Cotton ; which said Packs are detained in the Custom-house for the Payment of the Duty, which is next to a Prohibition; and if not speedily redressed, the Erection of the Mill and other Building will he nearly a total Loss to your Petitioner, and he will be under the disagreeable Necessity of removing with his Family out of this Isle. How far his Removal will be a general Loss thereto, your Petitioner must submit to your judicious Consideration.

Your Petitioner begs Leave to observe, that he did not apprehend that Cotton Wool of the Growth of His Majesty’s Plantations, and spun by your Petitioner, should be deemed foreign Growth.

Your Petitioner also begs Leave to observe, that by a late Act of Parliament Cotton Yarn spun in Ireland from Cotton of foreign Growth may be imported into Great Britain Duty free, and that a like Indulgence might have been obtained for the isle of Man if it had been mentioned at the Time.

Your Petitioner prayeth that the Honourable Commissioners of Enquiry may be pleased to take his Case into Consideration, and, reporting the same to Government, obtain for him such Relief as he trusts it will be found to merit ; and your Petitioner will ever pray.

Isle Man, ABRAHAM DELA PRYME.

21st October 1791.

I hereby certify, that the above Petitioner is a worthy and industrious Man, much respected in the Isle ; that, to the best of my Knowledge and Belief, his Petition contains a just Statement of Facts ; and I earnestly beg Leave accordingly to recommend his Case (a very hard one) to the humane and speedy Consideration of His Majesty’s Commissioners.

Castle Rushen, ALEXANDER SHAW.

22d October 1791,

Notes - fpc:

A brief description is given by David Robertson - the works however closed because of the imposed duties. In 1798 Feltham noted that it was no longer in operation but that net-making was being experimented with.