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Flats Technical Drawing for Fashion Basia Szkutnicka
Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Basia Szkutnicka
ISBN(s): 9781856696180, 1856696189
Edition: Pap/Cdr
File Details: PDF, 10.29 MB
Year: 2010
Language: english
FLATS:
TECHNICAL
DRAWING
FOR FASHION
Copyright © 2010 Central Saint
Martins College of Art & Design,
University of the Arts, London.
Published in 2010 by Laurence King
Publishing in association with Central
Saint Martins College of Art & Design

This book has been produced by

CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS
BOOK CREATION
Southampton Row, London,
WC1B 4AP, United Kingdom

LAURENCE KING PUBLISHING LTD

361–373 City Road, London,
EC1V 1LR, United Kingdom
T +44 20 7841 6900
F +44 20 7841 6910
[email protected]
www.laurenceking.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording,
or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978 1 85669 618 0

TEXT BY Basia Szkutnicka

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS BY
Ayako Koyama

DESIGN BY Melanie Mues,

Mues Design, London

MUSLINS CREATED BY Anne Stafford

SENIOR EDITOR Gaynor Sermon

US CONSULTANT EDITOR
Mary Ruppert-Stroescu
Author's dedication: to Mimi

Printed in China
FLATS:
TECHNICAL
DRAWING
FOR FASHION
BASIA SZKUTNICKA

LAURENCE KING PUBLISHING

CONTENTS

PART 1 TECHNICAL FASHION DRAWING

INTRODUCTION
ILLUSTRATION IN THE FASHION PROCESS
HOW AND WHEN ARE TECHNICAL DRAWINGS USED ?
HOW TO MAKE A TECHNICAL FASHION DRAWING
DRAWING FROM A GARMENT
TECHNICAL DRAWING BY HAND USING THE GENERIC TEMPLATE
TECHNICAL DRAWING FROM THE GENERIC TEMPLATE USING
ILLUSTRATOR
SPEED DESIGNING USING ILLUSTRATOR
HINTS AND TIPS
ADDING COLOUR, TEXTURE AND PATTERNS
DIFFERENT DRAWING STYLES
STYLING DETAILS

PART 2 VISUAL DIRECTORY OF GARMENTS AND DETAILS

GARMENTS
DRESES
SKIRTS
TROUSERS
TOPS
JACKETS
COATS
STYLING DETAILS
NECKLINES
COLLARS
SLEEVES
CUFFS
DETAILS
POCKETS
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
DESIGN DETAILS
DECORATIVE DESIGN DETAILS
PLEATS
SEAMS
STITCHES
FASTENINGS/HARDWARE
INDEX AND RESOURCES
PART 1
TECHNICAL FASHION
DRAWING
INTRODUCTION

The ability to produce technical drawings, or flats, is a necessary skill

in the fashion industry. Flats are used to convey a design idea and
all its construction details to anyone involved in the production
process. They are also an effective way of communicating silhouette,
proportion, and detail. Differently adapted flats are used on line
boards, costing sheets, specification sheets, on paper patterns, in
fashion forecasting publications, look books, sales books, and
catalogs.

With production services being sourced from a host of international

locations, any means that can be found to overcome language and
skill barriers can provide a very effective way of speeding up the
production process and eliminating errors caused by
misunderstandings. Drawing offers a universal means of
communication, a visual language to facilitate this.

In this book you will learn how to communicate your design ideas
using flats. The technique demonstrated starts with the creation of a
generic body template, which can then be adapted and used to
create the flats. This can be done by hand or using CAD, or a
combination of the two. Both hand-drawn and CAD methods are
shown in the book, the latter demonstrated using Adobe Illustrator.
The aim is to convey basic information and demonstrate a skill,
rather than to teach a drawing style. However, no two people’s flats
will be exactly alike and there is room to develop your own personal
style.

The techniques demonstrated in this book will result in flats that can
be used and understood across all branches/sectors/stages of the
fashion industry. In addition, the simple step-by-step method can
also be used as part of the creative design process. Using a process
called “speed designing” you will see how, once a garment template
has been drawn, it can be used as inspiration for an almost limitless
range of garment shapes and details.

A fundamental requirement for fashion design is a sound knowledge

of the basics: understanding key basic garment styles and their
construction will enable you to develop and design endless
variations. The second part of the book presents a visual directory of
classic garment shapes and their variations, key garment styling and
details, as well as the names by which each is most commonly
known. By presenting the basic styles as a muslin photographed on
a mannequin as well as in the form of a technical drawing, you will
be able to understand how to translate a three-dimensional shape
into a two-dimensional, or flat, drawing.

Armed with this basic information, and following the simple step-by-
step method, you will be able to create your own templates—or
utilize those provided—to produce your own finished garment
designs, while developing your own unique style of drawing.
ILLUSTRATION IN THE FASHION PROCESS

Technical drawing is one of the methods used in the fashion

design process to present a garment in a visual format. The
others are sketching and fashion illustration. Each has a
specific function and thus demands a specific set of drawing
requirements and techniques.

SKETCHING

A sketch is a rough, spontaneous drawing that is not necessarily

accurate or even in proportion. It is the beginning of an idea, the
inspiration. You can sketch from your imagination, from an existing
style or from reference. If you are producing store reports, or
gathering field information, the aim is to note down a rough
interpretation of a garment with key details that can be deciphered
easily at a later stage if required.

Part of design development, the sketching process is when you let

your imagination run riot, investigating sources of inspiration and
abstract themes. It is the stage when you can work freely and
experiment, thinking on paper. Usually produced by hand, the
sketches can be drawn using any media.

FASHION ILLUSTRATION

The aim of a fashion illustration is to seduce and enhance, rather

than provide technical information. Apparel is often illustrated on the
figure to give an idea of a garment’s proportions and how it will look
when worn. Fashion illustrations are used in advertising, in catalogs,
magazines, brochures, pattern books, and promotional material. A
successful illustration will show mood, attitude, silhouette, proportion,
and color to assist in the marketing of the garment. Its aim is to sell
garments or to promote a brand.
Containing emotion, energy, flair, creativity, and often movement, the
fashion illustration allows the illustrator artistic freedom to inject their
own personality and character into the drawing. With this freedom
comes the artistic license to alter the proportions of the female body.
Traditionally, the proportion of the female figure in fashion illustration
is measured in heads, where the height of the figure can be
calculated by dividing the height of the head into the length of the
body. Fashion illustration typically elongates the female form to a
proportion of nine to ten heads, resulting in a visually pleasing
slender image, in contrast to the true average female height of
approximately seven-and-a-half "heads."

Fashion illustrations today are created using a wide variety of media,

ranging from traditional artistic materials to 2D and even 3D CAD
(computer-aided design) software.

FLATS

Flats are a form of visual communication and instruction between the

designer and the manufacturer, between the designer and buyer,
and between a designer and a lay person. They are widely used
throughout the apparel industry, in the design room (for design
development and on line boards), in production (on costing and on
specification sheets), and in marketing (in look books and on price
lists).

Also known as "working drawings" or "line drawings," technical

drawings are an accurate representation of a garment without a
figure, summarizing styling details and showing construction,
including construction lines, stitching, and decorative trims and
details. They are drawn to scale, are symmetrical, and in perfect
proportion. Accurate flats are usually produced once a design has
been finalized, and may be produced by hand or using CAD
software.
HOW AND WHEN ARE FLATS USED?

Flats, as already demonstrated, have a variety of uses. Both

students and designers in industry can use them in design
development, when they can be drawn by hand, while CAD
comes into its own for drawings destined for line boards and
display presentation. Noted on the following pages are their key
uses both within a learning environment and in industry.

Flats drawn for presentation sheets, development sheets, line boards

and sheets, look books, and price lists can be injected with the
illustrator’s personality. Different pen widths can be used and a
variety of line introduced to make them more interesting and
aesthetically appealing, though this must be done without
compromising on detail.

For specification sheets and costing sheets, however, the drawing

needs to be completely accurate and more diagrammatic in
character.

PRESENTATION SHETS AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT SHETS

(COLEGE)
At college, flats may be used alongside sketches and illustrations to
clarify construction information and to communicate proportion.
LINE BOARDS (COLEGE AND INDUSTRY)
Flats may be presented on line boards to give an idea of range co-
ordination showing individual styles and colorways. Boards produced
for industry (below, bottom), and used in presentations, are likely to
be much more extensive and detailed than those produced in college
(below), but the intention of both is to give an overall picture of a
collection of styles or a line.

Line boards, featuring working drawings and style colorways, may

also be developed to illustrate delivery "packs" within a seasonal
collection. A delivery pack is a specific combination of merchandise
that will be delivered to stores at a particular point in the season,
which may represent a key "look" that is relevant for that point in time.

The flat drawings from a line board can also be used by a catalog
planner or merchandiser to visualize the line in different store
classifications, allowing them to determine the size of the buy and to
imagine how much of a line will work in store.

LINE SHEETS (INDUSTRY)

A line sheet is usually produced in industry, rather than in college,

and includes miniature flats, often the same drawings as on the spec
sheet, showing all the styles in a line. It is presented in tabular form
with additional information, such as sales figures, order quantities,
delivery period, and manufacturing and selling price. An assistant
buyer or merchandiser may use this information to update critical
paths and delivery dates.
LOOK BOOKS (INDUSTRY)

Look books and price lists may sometimes contain flats alongside a
catwalk shot or illustration of a style to show the buyer an accurate
interpretation of the garment.
SIZE SPECIFICATION OR "SPEC" SHEETS (COLLEGE AND
INDUSTRY)

A specification sheet, or "spec" includes a flat (with front and back

views and, if necessary, a side view and internal views), plus all
detailed measurements required to produce the garment (length,
width, spacing, as well as indicators of stitch types, sewing
operations, fabric, trims, hardware, and special treatments).
Enlargements of small details may also be used to highlight important
features. These details provide a list of "instructions." The sheets are
used to ensure accurate fit.
Other documents randomly have
different content
houses were ornamented with an abundance of my rude
productions, at a very cheap rate. These chiefly consisted of
particular hunting scenes, in which the portraits of the hunters, the
horses, and of every dog in the pack, were, in their opinion, as well
as my own, faithfully delineated. But while I was proceeding in this
way, I was at the same time deeply engaged in matters nearly allied
to this propensity for drawing; for I early became acquainted, not
only with the history and the character of the domestic animals, but
also with those which roamed at large.
The conversations of the Nimrods of that day, in which the
instincts and peculiar properties of the various wild animals were
described in glowing terms, attracted my keenest attention; and to
their rude and lengthened narratives I listened with extreme delight.
With me they made a winter’s evening fly fast away. At holiday
times,—and at other times when prevented by the floods of the Tyne
from getting across to school,—I was sure, with the most ardent
glee, to make one of the number in the hunting parties which
frequently took place at that time; whether it might be in the chase
of the fox or the hare, or in tracing the foumart in the snow, or
hunting the badger at midnight. The pursuing, bating, or killing,
these animals, never at that time struck me as being cruel. The mind
had not as yet been impressed with the feelings of humanity. This,
however, came upon me at last; and the first time I felt the change
happened by my having (in hunting) caught the hare in my arms,
while surrounded by the dogs and the hunters, when the poor,
terrified creature screamed out so piteously,—like a child,—that I
would have given anything to have saved its life. In this, however, I
was prevented; for a farmer well known to me, who stood close by,
pressed upon me, and desired I would “give her to him;” and, from
his being better able (as I thought) to save its life, I complied with
his wish. This was no sooner done than he proposed to those about
him, “to have a bit more sport with her,” and this was to be done by
first breaking one of its legs, and then again setting the poor animal
off a little before the dogs. I wandered away to a little distance,
oppressed by my own feelings, and could not join the crew again,
but learned with pleasure that their intended victim had made its
escape.
The “musical din” of the hounds still continued to have its charms,
and I still continued to follow them; but from that day forward, I
have ever wished that this poor, persecuted, innocent creature might
escape with its life. The worrying of foxes, the baiting of foumarts,
otters, badgers, &c., did not awaken in me similar feelings; for in the
fierce conflicts between them and the dogs, there was something
like an exchange of retaliation, and not unfrequently the aggressors
were beaten; and I have with pleasure seen that wonderfully
courageous animal, the badger (with fair play), beat the dogs of a
whole neighbourhood, one after another, completely off.
In the vermin-hunting excursions in the depth of winter, while the
whole face of nature was bound in frost and covered with deep
snow, in traversing through bogs, amidst reeds and rushes, I have
often felt charmed with the sight of birds,—flushed, and sometimes
caught, by the terrier dogs,—which I had never seen or heard of
before; and I am still in doubt whether some of them have not
escaped being noticed as British birds.
These were the diversions of the winter months, which I enjoyed
in an extreme degree, amidst the storm and the tempest. In that
season I was also sometimes better employed in looking after a
small flock of sheep on the fell, a part of which was my own.[3] The
extremity of the weather had taught them to seek a place of shelter
under a steep but low “brae,” overhung with whins, under which, in
such weather, I was almost certain to find them and their associates
all huddled together. To this place, through wreaths of snow, I early
bent my way, with a bundle of hay on my back, and my pockets
sometimes filled with oats, which I distributed amongst them. Upon
these occasions, though at other times extremely wild, they were
quite tame, and seemed to know me.
From my sheep thus drawing into shelter, gave rise to an opinion I
formed, and which has been confirmed by long reflection, that much
may yet be done to protect the larger flocks from being over-blown
and lost on the bleak moors, in great snow storms. Were long
avenues made by double rows of whin hedges, planted parallel to
each other at about six feet asunder, and continued in the form of
two sides of a square, with the whins of each side drawn together,
and to grow interplatted at the tops, so as to form an arched kind of
roof, the sheep would, on instinctively seeing the coming storm,
immediately avail themselves of such asylums, and particularly in the
lambing season. In the corner of the angle of this square, the
shepherd might have his hovel, thatched with heather and ling, and
his beds for himself and his dogs, made of the same materials; and
the whole of this “bield” might be rendered so snug as greatly to
defy the severity of the winter’s drifting blasts and wreaths of snow.
At that time of life, every season had its charms; and I recollect
well of listening with delight, from the little window at my bed-head,
to the murmuring of the flooded burn which passed my father’s
house, and sometimes roused me from my bed, to see what it was
like. After this, my first and common employment was to “muck” the
byer; and, when the servant girl did not come soon enough, I
frequently tried my hand at milking the cows; and I was always
particularly keen of being there in snow storms. When this was the
case, within the byer door, I snugly watched the appearance of
various birds, which passed the little dean below, and which the
severity of the weather drove from place to place, in search of
shelter. With the sight of my intimate acquaintances, the robins,
wrens, blackbirds, sparrows, a solitary crow, and some others, I was
not much attracted, but always felt an extreme pleasure and
curiosity in seeing the more rare visitants,—such as the woodcock,
the snipe, and other waders, with the red wings, fieldfares, &c.,—
make their appearance.
The winter evenings were often spent in listening to the
traditionary tales and songs, relating to men who had been eminent
for their prowess and bravery in the border wars, and of others who
had been esteemed for better and milder qualities, such as their
having been good landlords, kind neighbours, and otherwise in every
respect bold, independent, and honest men. I used to be particularly
affected with the warlike music, and with the songs relative to the
former description of characters; but with the songs regarding the
latter, a different kind of feeling was drawn forth, and I was greatly
distressed, and often gave vent to it in tears. These songs and
“laments” were commemorative of many worthies; but the most
particular ones that I now remember were those respecting the Earl
of Derwentwater, who was beheaded in the year 1715, and was
looked upon as having been a victim to the cruelty of the reigning
family, and who was venerated as a saint upon earth. It was said
that the light from Heaven attended his corpse to the vault at Dilston
Hall, and that prosperity would shine no more upon Tyneside. Then
followed the sorrowful remembrances of those that were dead and
gone. To sigh over them was unavailing; they had filled the space
allotted to them on this side of Time, and the winds had blown over
their silent graves for ages past. The predictions that the mansions
of those that remained would soon, for want of heirs, become
desolate—these and such like melancholy reflections made a deep
impression on my mind; and I have often since, with feelings of
extreme regret, beheld these mansions, once the seats of hospitality,
dilapidated, and the families which once occupied them extinct and
forgotten.
When the winter began somewhat to abate of its rigours, or in the
early spring, it was a common job for me, before setting off to
school, to rise betimes in the morning,—as indeed I was always
accustomed to do,—and equipt with an apron, an old dyking mitten,
and a sharpened broken sickle, to set off amongst the whin bushes,
which were near at hand, to cut off their last year’s sprouts. These
were laid into a corner till the evening, when I stript, and fell to work
to “cree” them with a wooden “mell,” in a stone trough, till the tops
of the whins were beaten to the consistency of soft, wet grass; and,
with this mess, I fed the horses before I went to bed, or in the
morning as occasion might require. They were shy about eating this
kind of provender at first, and I was obliged to mix oats with it; but
they soon became so fond of it, alone, that there was no need of
any mixture. I know not whether a scarcity of fodder first gave rise
to the suggestion of using this expedient, or it was tried as an
experiment; but certain it is that this kind of food agreed so well
with the horses that they became soon very sleek, and cast their
winter coats of hair long before other horses that were fed in the
common way. Cows would not eat the whin tops thus prepared, but,
in a winter of scarcity, I have known all hands at work in cutting ivy
from the trees, and even small ash twigs, to be given to the cattle as
fodder.
 CHAPTER II.

From the little window at my bed-head, I noticed all the varying

seasons of the year; and, when the spring put in, I felt charmed with
the music of birds, which strained their little throats to proclaim it.
The chief business imposed upon me as a task, at this season, was
my being set to work to “scale” the pastures and meadows; that is,
to spread the mole-hills over the surface of the ground. This, with
gardening, and such like jobs, was very hungry work, and often
made me think dinner was long in coming; and, when at last it was
sent to me, be it what it might, I sat down on the “lown” side of a
hedge and eat it with a relish that needed no sauce.
As soon as the bushes and trees began to put forth their buds,
and make the face of nature look gay—this was the signal for the
angler to prepare his fishing tackle. In doing this I was not behind
hand. Fishing rods, set gads, and night lines were all soon made fit
for use, and with them, late and early, I had a busy time of it, during
the summer months, until the frosts of autumn forbid me to
proceed. The uneasiness which my late evening wadings by the
waterside gave to my father and mother, I have often since reflected
upon with regret. They could not go to bed with the hopes of getting
to sleep, while haunted with the apprehension of my being drowned;
and well do I remember to this day my father’s well-known whistle,
which called me home. He went to a little distance from the house,
where nothing obstructed the sound, and whistled so loud, through
his finger and thumb, that in the still hours of evening it might be
heard echoing up the vale of the Tyne, to a very great distance. This
whistle I learned to imitate, and answered it as well as I could, and
then posted home.
 From early in the morning till night, I was scarcely ever out of an
action either good or bad; or, when not kept close at school, or in
doing jobs such as those I have described, I was almost constantly
engaged in some mischievous prank or other; but with a detail of
these it would be wearisome to load my narrative: they were
occasioned by the overflowings of an active, wild disposition. At one
time, in imitation of the savages described in “Robinson Crusoe,”—or
some other savages,—I often, in a morning, set off stark naked
across the fell, where I was joined by some associates, who, in like
manner, ran about like mad things, or like Bedlamites who had
escaped. Climbing the tall trees at Eltringham for rook nests, at the
hazard of breaking our necks or our bones, was another piece of
business which employed our attention. I was also engaged in
another equally dangerous. Having formed the resolution of curing a
vicious, “runaway” horse belonging to my father, which no one durst
mount, I, however, took the opportunity, when out of sight of any of
the family, to do so. With my hand entwined in his mane, and bare-
backed, I set him a-going, and let him run over “sykes” and burns,
up hill and down hill, until he was quite spent. In a short time I
discovered that, to make him run at all, he must be whipt to it. At
other times I swam him in the river. This, and such like treatment,
made him look ill, and quite tamed him.
I have often since shuddered at the thoughts of doing these and
such like desperate acts, and wondered how I escaped; but neither
caution nor fear had at that time taken a place in the mind; on the
contrary, any uncommon or frightful exploit had charms in it that I
could not resist. One of these pranks, however, attracted the
attention of the neighbourhood, brought me into a great dilemma,
and occasioned me a severe beating. I engaged a constant
associate, who was ever ready at my command to help me, as soon
as I communicated any design to him. I had discovered two oxen in
a little savannah, or bit of grazing ground, surrounded with hazel
and other bushes, near the brink of the river. Thither we went in
order to enjoy so tempting a sight as to see them plunge overhead
into the flood. When all was ready, we suddenly, with long branches
in our hands, sprang upon them from the bushes overhanging the
precipice, the danger of which they did not see; and they were
plunged, with such a delightful dash, overhead into the river! They,
however, happened to be no worse for it; for they were driven down
by the rapid current of the flood, and landed safely at a distance
below. This exploit, happening on a Sunday forenoon, was an
aggravation of the crime.
After this my father mostly took me with him to church, where I
frequently employed myself in drawing figures upon the soft, painted
book-board with a pin. In doing this, no one noticed me, especially
as I held down my head; and, having got the church service off, I
repeated it the same as the congregation. This apparently regular
behaviour was not, however, of long duration, and was broken in
upon at last. Sunday after Sunday a clownish fellow had obtruded
himself into our pew. I did not think this quite right, and wished to
put an end to it; and this happened in a very rude way in the end. A
dumb man (“Dummy, of Wylam”), a constant church-goer, had a
seat in a pew before ours, where, regularly during the service, he
fell fast asleep. When in that state, and sitting right before our
obtruder, I reached aside, and gave “Dummy” a smart blow on the
head, and instantly, as if I knew nothing of the matter, I seemed to
be quite grave, and intent on looking on my prayer book, while the
obtruder was putting on a broad grin. At this poor Dummy was
enraged, and with a distorted countenance, he kept thumping the
man on the face and head, at the same time making a hideous
noise, which was heightened by the fellow’s shouting, and calling
him “fool,” at the same time assuring him that it was I who gave the
blow, and not he. To the deaf man this was a waste of words. It
need not be added that the congregation was greatly disturbed,
while perhaps none knew or suspected the cause except my father
and my preceptor in the pulpit.
Sometimes the lads in the same class I belonged to, when we had
been doing amiss, were sent to cut birch rods to whip us with. At
other times we were locked into the belfry, where we often amused
ourselves by drawing each other up by the bell ropes to the first
floor; but one of our comrades having (by the rope slipping through
the hands of those who held it), been precipitated to the ground, by
which he was a good deal hurt, that mode of punishment was
altogether dropped. The parson, poor man, had a troublesome time
of it with one or other of us; and I remember, once in particular, of
putting him into very great pain and distress of mind. After a great
flood, a large piece of ice, about the size of the floor of a room, had
been left in a place called “Ned’s Hole,” by the side of the river. This
I got upon, and persuaded several others to do the same, and we
then set to work with a “boat stower” to push it off shore; and, in
this manner, we got some distance up the river, opposite to the
parsonage garden, where our master happened to be, and saw us. I
could see by his agitated motions, and his uplifted hands, that he
was put into a state much easier to be felt than described. After
having been guilty of misdemeanors of this kind, I did not go back to
school for the remainder of the day; but waded, or otherwise
crossed, the river, and sat down or amused myself among the
bushes, on the water banks, until the rest of the scholars left school,
when I joined them and went home. But as it would not have been
safe for me to go to bed (if conscious of guilt, or if otherwise
betrayed) for fear of a visit from my father, I always took up my
abode for the night in the byer loft, among the hay or straw,
knowing well that, when his passion subsided, I should escape a
beating from his hands.
The first cause of my preceptor beginning a severe system of
flogging (beside the quantum I received for mischievous acts), was
for not getting off my Latin tasks. When this was not done to his
mind, he, by way of punishment, gave me another still worse to do,
and still longer, till at length I gave up even attempting to get
through them at all, and began to stand a flogging without being
much put about by it. I think (at this day) my very worthy preceptor,
in following this rather indiscriminate system of severe punishments,
was wrong. He often beat his own son,[4] a youth of an uncommonly
mild, kind, and cheerful disposition, whom I felt more distressed at
seeing punished than if it had been myself; for I mostly considered
that I richly deserved the stripes inflicted upon me, and that he did
not.
There was a misdemeanor for which, above all the rest, I was
more severely punished, both at school and at home, than for any
other fault; and that was for fighting with other boys. To put a stop
to this practice, was the particular request of my mother. To her it
was odious in the extreme. Her reasons I do not forget. She quoted
Scripture in support of them. Therein, she said, we were directed “if
we were struck on one cheek, to turn the other also,” (I forget the
exact words): it is a portion of Scripture I did not obey. She also
maintained that the business of fighting was degrading to human
nature, and put a man that practised it on a level with dogs. I am
conscious that I never sought a quarrel with any one; but I found an
insult very bad to bear, and generally in the most secret manner
contrived “to fight it out.”
When the floggings inflicted upon me had in a great measure
begun to lose their effect, another mode of punishment was fallen
upon; and that was, after the school hours were over, to lock me
into the church, where I was kept till the dusk of the evening. This
solitary confinement was very irksome to me; as I had not at that
time got over a belief in ghosts and boggles, for the sight of which I
was constantly upon the look out. Oppressed with fear, I peeped
here and there into every corner, in dread of seeing some terrible
spirit. In time, however, this abated, and I amused myself, as well as
I could, in surveying the surrounding objects, and in climbing up the
pillars, with the help of a rope or a handkerchief, as I used to do in
getting up large trees. It happened one evening, when my master,
as usual, came to let me out, that I was sitting astride upon the
capital of one of the pillars, where he did not see me. He called on
me, but I made no answer, and he then posted off to see if the door
was fast, and having ascertained that it was, he marched along the
aisles in great perturbation of mind, frequently exclaiming “God bless
me!” &c. When he was gone, I slipped down, and found the choir
door only bolted on the inside, so I waded the river and posted
home, and slept in my old asylum the hay loft. I have frequently
bitterly repented of having given a man I afterwards so highly
respected through life so much pain and trouble.
I have before noticed that the first time I felt compassion for a
dumb animal, was upon my having caught a hare in my arms. The
next occurrence of the kind happened with a bird. I had no doubt
knocked many down with stones before, but they had escaped being
taken. This time, however, the little victim dropped from the tree,
and I picked it up. It was alive, and looked me piteously in the face;
and, as I thought, could it have spoken, it would have asked me why
I had taken away its life. I felt greatly hurt at what I had done, and
did not quit it all the afternoon. I turned it over and over, admiring
its plumage, its feet, its bill, and every part of it. It was a bullfinch. I
did not then know its name, but I was told it was a “little Matthew
Martin.” This was the last bird I killed; but many, indeed, have been
killed since on my account.
I had been at man-fights, dog-fights, and cock-fights, without
feeling much compassion. Indeed, with the last of these exhibitions,
I was more entertained at seeing the wry faces, contortions, and
agitations of the clowns who surrounded the cock-pit, or circle, than
I was with the cocks fighting. It was long before I felt disgusted at
seeing men fight. This, however, happened at last. A travelling
merchant, or respectable pedlar,—a slim-made, genteel-looking man,
—had perhaps forgotten himself over a glass, and not minded what
company he was in. He could not, however, be long in such society
without being insulted; but, be that as it might, a fight ensued, in
which the stranger was over-matched. I saw only the concluding
part, and was extremely shocked; for the stranger was sitting
propped up with his arms behind him, quite spent and speechless,
and looked like a corpse. After sitting a short time in this helpless
state, his opponent walked coolly up to him, and with a blow on the
face or head laid him flat on the ground. I thought he was killed, at
which I became so frantic with rage and indignation, that I believe,
at the moment, if I had had a pistol at hand, I would have shot the
sturdy barbarian.
 In going along with my narrative, I have noticed some of the first
impressions which produced a change, and left a strong effect on my
mind. In some of these, the change was quick and decisive; in
others of a more tardy nature; and prejudices which were early
rooted were not easily removed. Among the worst, was that of a
belief in ghosts, boggles, apparitions, &c. These wrought powerfully
upon the fears of the great bulk of the people at that time, and, with
many, these fears are not rooted out even at this day. The stories so
circumstantially told respecting these phantoms and supernatural
things, I listened to with the dread they inspired, and it took many
an effort, and I suffered much, before it could be removed. What
helped me greatly to conquer fears of that kind was my knowing
that my father constantly scouted such idle, or, indeed, such
pernicious tales. He would not allow me to plead fear as any excuse,
when he had to send me an errand at night; and, perhaps, my being
frequently alone in the dark might have the effect of enabling me
greatly to rise superior to such weakness.
I have known men, both old and young, who dared to encounter
almost any danger, yet were afraid of their own shadows; and I
remember well of trying the experiment, one night, upon a servant
man of my father’s, who was a kind of village Cæsar, and feared not
to stand the most desperate battles with others of the same cast,
upon any occasion. I began by sneering at his courage, and then bet
him a penny that I durst do what he dared not. All I intended to do I
set about rather deliberately, and then rose to perform my feat,
which was to walk along the dark passage to the back door, and to
repeat something (rather ominous, indeed) about “Silky” and
“Hedley Kow.” After performing my task, I returned with apparent
agitation and fear, and sat down in silence close beside him for some
time, and then asked him if he durst do the like. I, however, saw, by
his hesitation, that the performance by him was given up, and he
only remarked that “one may soon get what one’ll never cast.”
At another time, in broad day light, I took it into my head to make
another trial of this kind upon my father’s pitmen. For this purpose I
detained our cur dog, until I buckled him up in a pair of old “sods,”
which covered him beyond both head and tail, and set him off to the
pit, knowing well that he would go straight there; for he was
accustomed every day to leave the pit lodge, and go home, where
he waited until he saw that dinner was ready, and then his
reappearance at the pit was as good as telling my father and his
servants to come home. I durst not have thus amused myself if I
had not known that my father was out of the way. I set off on the
inside of the hedge, keeping pace with the dog all the way up to the
pit heap, near which I stopped, and peeped to see the effect that
would be produced; and this was really curious. One of the men,
seeing the odd appearance of something alive, with a long body,
without either legs, head, or tail, moving straight forward towards
him, knew not what to make of it; and, after rubbing his eyes, he
ran off to his companions, who, when they had taken a peep, all set
off, with speed, on their way home.
In a business of a similar kind, which happened not long after, it
was my lot to be the sufferer. A few companions used to come at
nights to our house to play at cards with me, and I, in turn, visited
them for the same purpose. We were, however, taken to task by a
bigotted old woman in the neighbourhood, who called the cards the
“devil’s books.” She told me one night before setting off to play with
my companions, as usual, that, if I looked under the table, I would
see the devil; and I recollect that I several times peeped to see if he
were indeed there. When we were done playing, two of the
gamesters, as was customary, set me across part of the fell towards
home. I was, however, much surprised at their suddenly leaving me
without saying good night, or making any reply to my shouting after
them, and they were soon out of sight. This was at a place called
the “Sand Holes,” which I then left, and was turning towards home,
when, behold! to my utter amazement, I saw the devil! It was a
clear moonlight night; I could not be mistaken—his horns—his great
white, goggle eyes, and teeth, and tail—his whole person stood fairly
before me! As I gazed, I thought the hair lifted the hat on my head.
He stood, and I stood, for some time; and, I believe, if he had then
come up to me, I must have dropped down. Certain it is, however,
that desperation succeeded fear. I moved aside, and he did the
same. I involuntarily got my “jackleg knife,” and, if he had then
approached me, he to a certainty would have been stabbed. I
slipped off my clogs, made a start in a bending direction, and at full
speed ran home. He pursued me nearly to the door, but I beat him
in the race. I had always understood that any person who had seen
a ghost, or evil spirit, would faint on coming into a house with a fire
in it. I feared this, but I fainted none! and when my father asked me
what was the matter, I told him I had seen the devil. He, perhaps
without thinking, gave me a slap on the head. It was not long,
however, till the following affair transpired. The man who personated
the devil, when he met me, had been on his way to a “kirn supper,”
and was going “a guising.” When my father heard the whole
transaction, he wrought himself up into a great rage; and very
shortly after, meeting the man, in the street at Corbridge, who had
frightened me, he instantly paid him off by giving him a sound
beating. When the people, who always considered my father as a
remarkably peaceable man, saw him thus engaged, they expressed
their surprise; but, as soon as they heard the reason for what had
been done, they were also exasperated, and, I was given to
understand, the man was obliged to leave the village.
The first time I took notice of any of my female school-fellows
arose from a reproof I met with, and the manner it was given, from
one of them. The amiable person alluded to, was Miss Betty
Gregson, my preceptor’s daughter, and somewhere about my own
age. She kept a messet dog, and the sleek, fat, useless animal was
much disliked by me as well as by some of the other boys. When it
made its appearance in the churchyard, which it sometimes did, we
set about frightening it; and, for this purpose, some of us met it at
every gate and outlet, and stopped its retreat till it became quite
distressed. The last time that this kind of sport was practised on her
little dog, I happened to be the only actor. Having met with it at a
little distance from its home, I had stopped it from entering the
house, and had pursued it about and about, or met it at the end of
every avenue, till it was put into great “bodily fear!” This behaviour
towards her little favourite, was very offensive to Miss Gregson. She
could endure it no longer, and she called me to account for it. I can
never forget her looks upon the occasion. She no doubt intended to
scold me, but the natural sweetness of her disposition soon showed
itself in its true colours. She did not know how to scold; for, after
some embarrassing attempts at it, and some hesitation, she put me
in mind of my being related to her, and of her uniform kindness to
me, and with irresistible arguments and persuasions made me see
the impropriety of my conduct. With me this left its mark; for from
that time forward I never plagued any of the girls at school, nor did
any thing that might give them offence; nor has this impression ever
been effaced from my mind, but has been there fostered through life
and settled into a fixed respect and tender regard for the whole sex.
Hitherto my life at school and at home might be considered as a
life of warfare, and punishments of various kinds had been inflicted
upon me apparently with little effect. As a cure for my misdeeds, my
worthy master, however, at length found out a better and more
effectual way. He one day invited me to dine with him, and after
showing me the greatest kindness, he followed this up in a friendly,
plain, and open way, by remonstrating with me on the impropriety of
my past conduct, the evil tendency of it, and the pain and trouble it
had given him; urging me, at the same time, in such a persuasive
tone, instantly to desist from it, that I felt quite overpowered with
his discourse, and fell into a flood of tears. The result was, I never
dared to encounter another of these friendly meetings; and, while I
remained at his school, he never again had occasion to find fault
with me.
The transactions in which I afterwards became engaged, afforded
me more real enjoyment. As silent time stole away, in the varied
seasons of the long-measured years, changes gradually took place in
many of the erroneous notions I had formed of things. As the mind
became more expanded, curiosity led me to enquire into the nature
of the objects which attracted my attention. Among the first was
that of birds, their nests, their eggs, and their young. These to me
were long a source of great delight, and many a spring morning I
watched and looked after them. I also spent many a summer
evening, on my way home from school, lost in wonder in examining
the works going forward among a nation of ants. The place they
occupied was on the top of the “Boat Hill,” near Eltringham, and the
colony was the largest I had ever seen. From it their narrow roads,
through the grass, radiated in various directions to a great distance.
These were like as many turnpike roads, and as busily crowded as
any among men, leading to or from a great fair. I have sometimes
with a stick overturned their accumulated gatherings, when it was
curious to observe the effect produced. The greatest bustle and
confusion ensued; and yet I have observed with surprise, that next
morning every thing was restored to the same order as before. I
noticed that they had other enemies that broke in upon them, and
which perhaps injured them more than I did; and these were the
turkeys from the village, where great numbers were bred every year.
As soon as the young brood were able to walk abroad, the mother
led them every day to this great ant hill, were they no doubt made
terrible havoc among the inhabitants and their works.[5]
Bees also attracted much of my attention. I could not see into the
interior of their works, but I made every inquiry of those who had
long kept them, and gathered, in this way, as good a knowledge of
their history and economy as I could. One of my morning jobs was
to sit before the hives, with a stick like a spatula, to kill the wasps as
they alighted to enter and rob them. I could see the bees enter,
loaded with what they had culled from every flower, but never could
see them attack or repel their enemies.
I frequently amused myself in observing the murders of a large
spider, which had placed its web in a corner of the little window at
my bed head. Being wishful to see how it managed its affairs, I
prevented the servant girl from brushing the web away. Its
proceedings did not excite in me any favourable opinion. Having
seen it seize every innocent fly that set foot upon its snares, I had a
mind to try how it would conduct itself towards a more powerful
opponent. For this purpose, I caught a wasp, which I held by its
wings upon the web until its feet got entangled, when out came the
hitherto unthwarted tyrant; and, after some apparent hesitation, it at
length was tempted to pounce upon the obtruder. The struggle was,
however, very short. I soon perceived the wasp double itself up and
dart its sting into the body of its enemy, which instantly retired, and
never afterwards returned. This is only one experiment, but further
trials of the kind might be made to come at truth.
 CHAPTER III.

Cherryburn House, the place of my nativity, and which for many

years my eyes beheld with cherished delight, is situated on the
south side of the Tyne, in the county of Northumberland, a short
distance from the river. The house, stables, &c., stand on the west
side of a little dean, at the foot of which runs a burn.[6] The dean
was embellished with a number of cherry and plumb trees, which
were terminated by a garden on the north. Near the house, were
two large ash trees growing from one root; and, at a little distance,
stood another of the same kind. At the south end of the premises,
was a spring well, overhung by a large hawthorn bush, behind which
was a holly hedge; and further away was a little boggy dean, with
underwood and trees of different kinds. Near the termination of this
dean, towards the river, were a good many remarkably tall ash trees,
and one of oak, supposed to be one of the tallest and straightest in
the kingdom. On the tops of these was a rookery, the sable
inhabitants of which, by their consultations and cawings, and the
bustle they made when building their nests, were among the first of
the feathered race to proclaim the approaching spring. The corn-
fields and pastures to the eastward were surrounded with very large
oak and ash trees. Indeed, at that time, the country between Wylam
and Bywell was beautified with a great deal of wood, which
presented the appearance of a continued forest; but these are long
since stubbed up. Needy gentry care little about the beauty of a
country, and part of it is now, comparatively, as bare as a mole-hill.
To the westward, adjoining the house, lay the common or fell,
which extended some few miles in length, and was of various
breadths. It was mostly fine, green sward or pasturage, broken or
divided, indeed, with clumps of “blossom’d whins,” foxglove, fern,
and some junipers, and with heather in profusion, sufficient to scent
the whole air. Near the burns, which guttered its sides, were to be
seen the remains of old oaks, hollowed out by Time, with alders,
willows, and birch, which were often to be met with in the same
state; and these seemed to me to point out the length of time that
these domains had belonged to no one. On this common,—the poor
man’s heritage for ages past, where he kept a few sheep, or a Kyloe
cow, perhaps a flock of geese, and mostly a stock of bee-hives,—it
was with infinite pleasure that I long beheld the beautiful wild
scenery which was there exhibited, and it is with the opposite
feelings of regret that I now find all swept away.[7] Here and there
on this common were to be seen the cottage, or rather hovel, of
some labouring man, built at his own expense, and mostly with his
own hands; and to this he always added a garth and a garden, upon
which great pains and labour were bestowed to make both
productive; and for this purpose not a bit of manure was suffered to
be wasted away on the “lonnings” or public roads. These various
concerns excited the attention and industry of the hardy occupants,
which enabled them to prosper, and made them despise being ever
numbered with the parish poor. These men, whose children were
neither pampered nor spoiled, might truly be called—
“A bold peasantry, their country’s pride;”

and to this day I think I see their broad shoulders and their hardy
sun-burnt looks, which altogether bespoke the vigour of their
constitutions.
These cottagers (at least those of them I knew) were of an honest
and independent character, while at the same time they held the
neighbouring gentry in the greatest estimation and respect; and
these, again, in return, did not overlook them, but were interested in
knowing that they were happy and well. Most of these poor men,
from their having little intercourse with the world, were in all their
actions and behaviour truly original; and, except reading the Bible,
local histories, and old ballads, their knowledge was generally
limited. And yet one of these—“Will Bewick”—from being much
struck with my performances, which he called pictures, became
exceedingly kind to me, and was the first person from whom I
gathered a sort of general knowledge of astronomy and of the
magnitude of the universe. He had, the year through, noticed the
appearances of the stars and the planets, and would discourse
“largely” on the subject. I think I see him yet, sitting on a mound, or
seat, by the hedge of his garden, regardless of the cold, and intent
upon viewing the heavenly bodies; pointing to them with his large
hands, and eagerly imparting his knowledge to me with a strong
voice such as one now seldom hears. I well remember being much
struck with his appearance—his stern-looking brows, high cheek
bones, quick eye, and longish visage; and at his resolution (upon
another occasion) when he determined upon risking his own life to
save that of another man. The latter, in the employ of my father,
while at work as a pitman, had lost his way in the coal workings, and
was missing for perhaps a day or two, (my father being from home),
when our old neighbour, just described, who was also a pitman and
knew the workings, equipped himself with everything he thought
necessary for so hazardous an undertaking; and, when he was about
to go down the pit shaft, I felt much distressed at seeing my mother
trembling in great agitation of mind for his safety and that of his lost
associate. After traversing through the old workings of the colliery
for a long time,—so long, indeed, that it was feared he had also lost
himself,—he found the man alive, when, with his well-known
thundering voice, he called from the bottom of the shaft, “all’s well,”
to the inexpressible joy of all who crowded the pit’s mouth.
Another of our fell-side neighbours, Anthony Liddell, was a man of
a very singular character, and was noticed as such by the whole
neighbourhood; but a full account of him would far exceed the
bounds I wish to set to my narrative. He might, indeed, be called the
“village Hampden.” The whole cast of his character was formed by
the Bible, which he had read with attention, through and through.
Acts of Parliament which appeared to him to clash with the laws laid
down in it, as the Word of God, he treated with contempt. He
maintained that the fowls of the air and the fish of the sea were free
for all men; consequently, game laws, or laws to protect the
fisheries, had no weight with him. He would not, indeed, take a
salmon out of the locks on any account, but what he could catch
with his “click-hook,” in the river, he deemed his own. As to what he
could do in shooting game, he was so inexpert, that he afforded to
sportsmen many a hearty laugh at his awkwardness; for he could
shoot none till he fixed a hay-fork in the ground to rest his piece
upon. Indeed, the very birds themselves might, by a stretch of
imagination, be supposed also to laugh at him; but his deficiencies
did not deter him from traversing over the country-side as eagerly as
other sportsmen, notwithstanding his want of success. Whatever he
did was always done in open day; for, as he feared no man, he
scorned to skulk or to do anything by stealth. The gaol had no
terrors for him, for he lived better there than he did at home; and,
on one occasion of his being confined, when he returned home he
expressed his surprise to his neighbours, that all the time “he had
not had a single hand’s turn to do,” and exulted not a little that the
opportunity had thus been given him of again reading the Bible
through. He was a great reader of history, especially those parts
where wars and battles were described; and, in any meetings with
his neighbours, he took the lead in discourses founded on
knowledge of that kind. After the Bible, “Josephus” was his favourite
author, next the “Holy Wars”—these and “Bishop Taylor’s Sermons”
composed his whole library; and his memory enabled him nearly to
repeat whatever he had read. His deportment and behaviour were
generally the reverse of anything like sauciness; but, except in ability
and acquirements,—which, indeed, commanded his respect,—he
treated all men as equals. When full-dressed, he wore a rusty black
coat. In other respects he was like no other person. In what king’s
reign his hat had been made was only to be guessed at, but the
flipes of it were very large. His wig was of the large curled kind, such
as was worn about the period of the revolution. His waistcoat, or
doublet, was made of the skin of some animal. His buckskin
breeches were black and glossy with long wear, and of the same
antiquated fashion as the rest of his apparel. Thus equipt, and with
his fierce look, he made a curious figure when taken before the
justices of the peace; and this, together with his always—when
summoned before them—undauntedly pleading his own cause, often
afforded them so much amusement that it was difficult for them to
keep their gravity.
Thomas Forster was a man of a different character from the last,
but singular enough in his way. He was distinguished for his frugality
and industry, and always showed a wish to be looked upon in a
respectable light. He used to call at our house on a Sunday
afternoon, for the purpose of having a bit of chat with my father and
mother. He took a liking to me, and would observe that, though I
was mischievous enough, yet he never could find that I was
“parrentory,”—that is, impudent or saucy with any one. Besides this
part of the good opinion he had formed, he must have had
confidence as to my keeping any secrets he might impart to me. He
kept a few sheep on the fell; but his secret and main business there
was looking after his bees. He had a great number of hives placed in
very hidden and curious situations. Some of them were concealed
under the boundary hedge of the common, and were surrounded by
a great extent of whin bushes. Other hives were sheltered under the
branches of old thorns, and almost covered or overhung by
brambles, woodbine, and hip briars, which, when in blossom, looked
beautifully picturesque, while at the same time they served to keep
the eye from viewing the treasures thus concealed beneath. Others,
again, were placed in the midst of a “whin rush”—that is, a great
extent of old whins, the stems of which were about the thickness of
a man’s arm. The entrance to these last was always by a “smout
hole,” or small opening, through which we crept on hands and knees
to the hives, and which, on leaving, was stopped up by a bushy-
topped whin. By way of taking off the attention of the “over-
inquisitive” as to his stock of honey, he kept hives in his garden at
home, and sold the produce of these to his neighbours; but the
greater part of his stock was sold at distant parts of the country. In
this way, and by his industry and good management, he became
what was accounted very rich; and, as prosperity excites envy, some
people, in a kind of derision (his mother being a midwife), called him
“Tom Howdy.”
I might swell the list of such like characters (among the unnoticed
poor) as those I have described, but it would perhaps be tedious,
although, I think it is to be regretted that they are not better known
to some of the unthinking great; as it might serve to take off the
hauteur, which is too often shown towards them.
Another of these uncultivated, singular characters which exhibit
human nature left to the guidance of its uncontrolled will, but which,
sometimes, may be found—from the force of innate natural pride—
to soar above every meanness, was John Chapman. This man,
though clothed in rags, was noticed for his honour and integrity; and
his word was considered to be as good as one thousand pounds
bond. He was one of my father’s workmen,—either as a pitman, a
labourer, or a sinker,—and was of so strong a constitution that he
thought it no hardship, on a cold, frosty morning, to be let down to
the bottom of a sinking pit, where he was to be up to the middle, or
perhaps to the breast, in water, which he was to lave into buckets,
to be drawn up to the top. He endured the labour of every job he
undertook without grumbling or thinking it hard. His living was of
the poorest kind. Bread, potatoes, and oatmeal, was the only
provender he kept by him; and with milk or water he finished his
repasts. When, by this mode of living, he had saved the overplus
money of his wages for a month or six weeks, he then posted off to
Newcastle to spend it in beer; and this he called “lowsening his
skin.” I was at this time located in Newcastle, and when the
misguided man had spent all his money, he commonly borrowed two
shillings of me to set him home again. In this irrational way of life he
continued for many years. On one occasion, when changing his beer
house, and taking up his quarters in another, he had made no
stipulation with his new landlord as to the place where he was to
sleep at night; and, judging from his ragged appearance, he was
thought unfit to be trusted as an inmate without inquiry being made
into his character. I was, therefore, applied to by the landlord, whom
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