Boat shuttle containing a pirn or bobbin and used on the witch looms.

John Kay (1704–1779) patented the flying shuttle in 1733. The weaver held a picking stick that was attached by cords to a device at both ends of the shed. With a flick of the wrist, one cord was pulled and the shuttle was propelled through the shed to the other end with considerable force, speed and efficiency. A flick in the opposite direction and the shuttle was propelled back. A single weaver had control of this motion but the flying shuttle could weave much wider fabric than an arm's length at much greater speeds than had been achieved with the hand thrown shuttleS

Loom number 2 is a Witch Handloom with a maker’s plate on it saying ‘J Stansfield & Son, Makers, Almondbury, Huddersfield”. It was originally built in about 1900 for Josiah France Ltd. Paul France was a Trustee of the museum and kindly donated the loom.

It is a large loom weaving 36” wide cloth. The Witch Handloom operates in a similar way to a Jacquard loom but works on a system of wooden pegs on a roller which lifts and pushes metal hooks forward. The hooks are tied onto the shafts and so the order in which the shafts are lifted can be controlled.