Mary Hindles’ bit of skirt 1826

Plain hand weave using Vintage ‘Luz’ cotton thread which has been stained with ink, slashed, sanded, distressed. Placed in a vintage museum archive glass lidded box. Work made in responce to the unjust, tragic, true personal story of a young wife, mother and textile worker Mary Hindle. Mary Hindle was a Haslingden women, who was wrongly accused of ‘’shouting encouragement to the rioters” during the Lancashire Power Loom protest riots of 1826. Hindle was found guilty and for punishment was deported for life to New South Wales, Australia, leaving behind her husband, George and her six year old daughter Elizabeth. The evidence which got Mary convicted was a piece of skirt. Witnesses, possibly employees of Middle Mill, said that they saw Mary inside the Mill where 106 power looms were destroyed on 25th April 1826. Mary also worked at Middle Mill. A piece of a ‘dress’ of what Mary had been wearing, was produced in evidence apparently found inside the mill. Mary had been there, but OUTSIDE, watching the Rioters, looking for her daughter who had wandered off in the crowds. Others were also trialled and convicted but only a few received the unjust transportation to Australia for life. After fifteen years of immoral imprisonment Mary Hindle took her own life while working as a Laundress in the female factory at Paramatta, Australia. In the spirit of the second wave feminist slogan ‘The Personal is Political’, Lucy has forged the ‘dress’ evidence that wrongly convicted Mary. This fake bit of skirt acknowledges Mary Hindle’s heartbreak, loss, pain and death caused by the failing of the 1820’s English justice system. (All discolouring on work is intentional) Mary Hindle Story research from; https://haslingdens.blogspot.com/2017/02/mary-hindle-story-by-lorraine-hooper.html https://www.lancastercastle.com/history-heritage/further-articles/the-lancashire-riots/