Mercery

"Mercery (from French mercerie, the notions trade) initially referred to silk, linen, and fustian textiles among various other piece goods imported to England in the 12th century.

Mercery has a rich and complex interwoven history in London dating over 700 years. London was the major trade centre in England for silk during the Middle Ages and the trade enjoyed a special position in the economy amongst the wealthy. The meaning of the term mercery later expanded to include goods made of these textiles and the sellers of such goods.

The basic operation was run most commonly by a family unit, consisted of the mercer, wife, family, servants, and apprentices. The husband was tasked with the duty of marketing and selling their wares to the public in places such as their small storefronts and in public fairs. The wife´s duty in the workshop was to use her skills as a silk woman to buy the materials for their mercery trade and make the various silk cloths and piece goods; she was also in charge of the workshop alongside her husband and often would be expected to train the apprentices and children to contribute to the household income." - (en.wikipedia.org 28.05.2021)