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Why did Spitalfields become a major centre for silk damasks and brocades?
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An annotated diagram showing how an operator uses a hand wheel, rollers, and spindles on a spinning jenny to draw and twist unspun fiber into thread.
Spitalfields became a major center for silk damasks and brocades primarily due to the arrival of French Huguenot refugees in the late 17th century.1
Following the 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which renewed the persecution of French Protestants, thousands of skilled weavers fled to England. A significant group of approximately 3,500 of these refugees settled in Spitalfields, London. These artisans were highly skilled in their craft, producing high-quality silk fabrics characterized by their sophisticated use of fancy weaves and textures, which established the area as the chief center for fine damasks and brocades.2