Framework Knitting Industry

Machine-made hosiery and knitwear have been manufactured in Surrey for over 300 years.

From the late 18th century the industry has been concentrated in Godalming but it was formerly more widespread in the villages of southwest Surrey and parts of Hampshire and Berkshire. The early industry was known as framework knitting and it began with the invention of the stocking frame by William Lee in 1589.

In the 1660's about three fifths of the country's frames were engaged on silk goods but the manufacture of wool stockings became increasingly important later.
George Holland patented a method of working unspun fleece into knitting, producing a fleecy coating on one side in 1788 and the Holland family set up their fleecy hosiery manufactory in Godalming 1790.

A second hosiery factory was started in Godalming in 1860 by Allen & Solly in Farndens Yard near the junction of Bridge Street and the High Street but in 1873 moved into a purpose built factory in Mill Lane.

Meanwhile Neville & Co had succeeded the Holland family at the Langham factory.
In 1883 Allen & Solley left Godalming and moved to a new factory in Nottingham. The Neville's factory closed a few years later.

As the hosiery factories were leaving a new phase of the knitwear industry was beginning.     William Thomas Pitchers who had a tailoring business in the High Street began to manufacture sports sweaters for clubs and schools.  The knitting side of the business was started by William Pitchers’ wife.  The family had a factory at Rock Place, which was started by William’s sons Robert James and Archibald Reginald Pitchers.  Knitting at the factory was by Dubied V bed hand flat machines. not framework machines, and a number of more modern automatic power machines were added later on.  The factory at Rock Place closed in 1970.

A second knitwear business was started in 1907 by William Frederick Paine.

After the First World War the two Godalming firms found an expanding market both home and abroad and both established new factories. Alan Paine Ltd's factory in Brighton Road continued to expand and in 1965 they opened a new factory at The Wharf where it stayed until the early 1990's.