MANUFACTURERS OF TRADITIONAL LEAVERS LACES SINCE 1845

The Mason family were already framework knitters and flax dressers by the 1730s and started making lace when this fabric was first produced by machines in the 1760s, at the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Throughout these two centuries close attention to detail has always brought the company to the forefront of new technology.

Giles Mason
Giles Mason
1688 - 1747
Moses Mason
Moses Mason
1710 - 1788
William Mason
William Mason
1840 - 1916
Frank Maltby Mason
Frank Maltby Mason
1878 - 1932
Charles G Mason
Charles G Mason
1905 - 1958
J B Mason
John B Mason
1934 - 2020
Charles Mason
Charles J. B. Mason
1965 -
Joanna Mason
Amanda Mason
1967 -
Joanna Mason
Joanna Mason
1969 -


Throughout the last one hundred and fifty years Cluny Lace has continued to build up a data bank of hundreds of lace patterns.

By combining the best of old traditions with new technology the firm is able to produce a wide range of exquisite designs of Leavers Cluny style lace allovers, edgings and insertions and Leavers Fine Cotton Valenciennes style lace allovers, edgings, galloons and insertions.

Many of the lace patterns still used today were designed and draughted by Frank Maltby Mason and Francis Bowler Mason, the sixth and seventh generations of the family.

No other manufacturer in the world produces the same range of patterns and these patterns are unique to Cluny Lace Company Limited



For those with a historic or mechanical interest a Leavers machine is in fact two machines; a wide machine working on the principle invented by Mr. John Leavers in 1813 twist together the threads to form a fast net, and a jacquard machine, adapted for use on the Leavers machines between 1836 and 1841, puts in the patterns.

The jacquard machine is attached to the Leavers machine by between 60 and 160 steel bars each 4/1000 of an inch in thickness and it is through these steel bars that the warp threads are threaded at intervals. Instructions as to the movement of the steel bars/warp threads are given by a pack of laced cardboard cards punched with holes which revolve around a cylinder, and whose concept were the inspiration of modern computer technology.

The lateral movement of these warp threads is held fast and twisted by the bobbin threads of the Leavers machine and turns the basic net into exquisite patterns.


Stocking Frame Machine
1729
1729
Stocking Frame Machine
Early Twist Net Frame
1810
1810
Heathcoat's Bobbin Net Frame Machine
Early Bobbin Net Frame
1813
1813
John Leaver's Frame Machine
Line drawing of the works
1890
1890
Line drawing of Cluny's works
Early Lace MAchine
1900
1900
Early Leavers Machine
early photograph of Leavers Lace workers
1910
1910
early photograph of Cluny's Leavers Lace workers
Man with Bowler operating machine
1920
1920
a Cluny machine being operated
Draft from 1934
1934
1934
detail from an original Cluny design draught
a machine being installed in the 1940s
1948
1948
a machine being installed at Cluny's works
the factory in 1930
1950
1950
Cluny's factory in the 1950s
ladies examining the lace
1955
1955
ladies examining Cluny's lace
Staff at Cluny's factory'
1975
1975
Staff at Cluny's factory
Princess Anne Factory visit
1979
1979
Princess Anne presented with a Cluny tablecloth
Prime Minister Thatcher visit
1980
1980
Prime Minister Thatcher examining Cluny's Lace
Jacquard Card reader
1988
1988
Jacquard Card reader at Cluny's factory
Machine delivery
1990
1990
Machine delivery to Cluny's works
2007 Magazine cover shoot
2007
2007
Marie Claire cover shoot
Man operating machine
2010
2010
Leavers machine in use in Cluny's factory
Royal Wedding dress with Cluny Lace inserts
2011
2011
Royal Wedding dress with Cluny Lace inserts
Vogue Japan cover feature
2014
2014
Vogue Japan cover feature
CLUNY LACE COMPANY LIMITED
Belper Street Works, Belper Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, United Kingdom