‘On the 28th ult. was try’d a cause between the Company of Fanmakers, incorporated by Charter for the Cities of London, Westminster, and twenty miles round, plaintiffs, and one Wagstaffe, defendant, for quarterage due to them, who was ordered to pay it with costs.’
‘On the 28th ult. was a tryal in the Court of Requests, Westminster, between the Company of Fanmakers, plaintiffs, and some fan-painters, defendants, for non-payment of quarterage, which was determined for the defendants, it appearing that they were not legal members of the said Company.’
The two following items will serve to show the extent of the fan industry in the middle of the eighteenth century, and the adverse conditions under which it laboured.
‘A writer in the _Westminster Journal_ for February 23, 1751 (quoted by the _Gentleman’s Magazine_ for the same year), proposes a tax upon plain and printed fan mounts. Painted ones not coloured to pass free as before. A sixpenny stamp to be affixed in the midst of a plain or printed paper fan mount, and a shilling stamp on a leather one. This may produce a revenue of ten, twenty, or thirty thousand pounds per annum, encourage a very ingenious branch of business, and only hurt about half-a-dozen paultry plate printers, who are enriching themselves and starving of hundreds.’
[Illustration: English Fan, ivory, finely painted with medallions in the style of Cosway
The _Gentleman’s Magazine_ for November 1752 quotes an advertisement which appeared in the _Daily Advertiser_, ‘from the poor unfortunate artificers in the several branches of the fan trade, whose number is nearly 1000; returning thanks to the Company of Fanmakers for petitioning the E. India directors to discontinue the importation of fans. To excite the regard and compassion of the ladies, it asserts that the home-made fans are in every way preferable to foreign; and that by discouraging the latter, they will relieve a number of unfortunate families from the most grievous distress and despair.’[122]
‘On the 7th February’ (_Gentleman’s Magazine_, March 1753), ‘the journeymen fanmakers presented the Princess Dowager of Wales with a beautiful and elegant fan, far superior to Indian fans, which was most graciously received.’ This, doubtless, with the idea of obtaining patronage and support for the home-made article.