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The Earl of Pembroke's French weavers at Wilton: 1721 or 1741? (and the 'wine cask' story)

Research finding · not yet checked at the source

Made by: 9th Earl of Pembroke (Henry Herbert); weavers named as Anthony Defussy/Dufossy/Defosse and Peter Jemaule
Date: 1721 or 1741 (conflict)
Place: Wilton, Wiltshire
Themes: Woven carpet

View at the source Cited in chapter 3, note 20

Cite this source

“The Earl of Pembroke’s French weavers at Wilton: 1721 or 1741? (and the 'wine cask' story).” Research note. wiltontowncouncil.gov.uk/heritage-trail.

Research notes

All sources credit the 9th Earl of Pembroke with bringing French weavers to Wilton; they disagree on when. Wilton Town Council's Heritage Trail: in 1741 Henry, 9th Earl, brought two French carpet weavers, smuggled in wine barrels. Wiltshire Council community history and Wikipedia also say 1741. Wilton Carpets (the firm) says 1721 and keeps 1741 for the loom patent. A 1920s industrial book (Britain at Work) tells the legend of a Frenchman smuggled across the Channel in a cask. The names Anthony Defussy and Peter Jemaule appear only in a dealer's archive (Nazmiyal); the firm spells one 'Defosse'. The VCH (see woven-wilton-1741-patent-moccadoes) names different men on the 1741 patent. Treat the names and the cask story as tradition. Extends existing record wilton-1741. Sources: https://www.wiltontowncouncil.gov.uk/heritage-trail/ · https://wiltoncarpets.com/about-us/our-heritage/ · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilton,_Wiltshire · https://nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/vintage-art-nouveau-scandinavian-swedish-rug-48330/ · https://tekniskkulturarv.dk/book/9ed6a0c7-3d5b-4bef-b920-e3a87a3a9e6e?page=335 Research note (Oct 2026): from search results; pages not opened.