At the loss of the cloth trade Worcester looked for a new industry to take its place. It was thought that carpet weaving might fill the gap and for some time carpet weaving was considered set to form Worcester's most important industry. George 111 inspected the works in Lowesmoor in 1788, which became the Royal Carpet Factory, but there were obstacles. The Guilds were especially strong and the trade moved to Kidderminster where there were few obstacles.
Even so, for more than a century, the city boasted a prestigious carpet factory supplying floor coverings for shipping lines and railways throughout the world and even for 10 Downing Street. The Hair-cloth and Horsehair Carpet Manufactory, later Edward Webb & Sons, covered an extensive site in Birdport. It was the last of several carpet mills in the city.
In 1835, Edward Webb, then aged 27, brought a horsehair weaving factory in Copenhagen Street. The plant had 14 seating looms and two looms for cider cloth, several winches and machines for hot pressing and carding hair, a four storey weaving and dyeing building, with a dwelling.
By 1843, 29 Jacquard looms were weaving figured hair settings, fancy crinolines and carpets. By 1846, there were 70 weavers on the roll, and a further weaving shed was installed. In the 1850's, one of their special lines were the horsehair carpet foot rugs for the O.W. & W Railway Company, and for most every other railway company in Britain.
Steam power was introduced into the mill in 1854, a 6 h.p engine with a boiler 9 ft long was installed. A factory in Kidderminster was opened in 1856, which by 1860, was employing 40 weavers, while the Worcester mill employed 100, with a large number of children. Until 1914, women workers went to work at 6am, and at 8am, they came trooping out for breakfast in their clogs and shawls - as in Lancashire.
The firm supplied carpets for 10, Downing St, for Mr Gladstone's occupation in 1892, and 600 yards of 'grey Worcester' for a professional way at the wedding of the Duke of York (later George V) In 1893. In 1935, the dismal old factory in Birdport was required for a new Police Station, and the firm moved to Sherriff Street.
