FELT HATTERS
By the time that the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers (which included hatters) in London was granted its Charter of Incorporation in 1604, Great Britain’s beaver population had been hunted to extinction. Beaver fur, especially the back, was prized for hard-wearing hats, so quality hatting was largely confined to ports where the fur was imported, such as Bristol, Exeter, Liverpool and of course the capital.
By 1750 the worldwide supply of beaver was virtually exhausted, so hatters resorted to rabbit and hare fur. Cheaper hats were produced from wool (occasionally rat!).
Until the factory system was established in the early 19th century, hatters usually worked in small, two-storey workshops. These could be found in places like Stockport in Cheshire and Denton in
