David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

“ Besides his personal venture, Crommelin also had to devote himself to the National office of Overseer of the Royal Linen Manufacture of Ireland. His formal appointment took place in the end of 1703, after a representation as to his claims by the Irish Parliament. His private affairs he entrusted entirely to his son, that he himself might (to use his own words) “mind the public,” and “continue his care in promoting the good of the kingdom.” ”

“ Crommelin’s children were a daughter and a son. His son, also named Louis, was at this date only fifteen years of age, but evidently was well endowed with hereditary ability. The father and son came over to Ireland to select a place of settlement, and he chose as his headquarters the small town in the county of Antrim, then called Lisnagarvey, but afterwards Lisburn. ”

“ In these departments he found prevailing ignorance, and a want of anxiety, patience, perseverance, and zeal among the Irish employés. He had to direct the selection or reclamation of soil for the crop; to instruct them in the choice of seed, and in pulling flax and watering it in season and with judgment; to prevent their drying flax by fire-heat; to watch the reeling of yarn, so that an honest article, both as to quantity and quality, might be supplied to the dealers, &c. ”

“ His Majesty having referred to our consideration some proposals made by Mr Crommelin, a French refugee, long experienced in the linen manufacture, for the more effectual establishment and improvement of that manufacture in Ireland, we humbly offered our opinion that his Majesty would be pleased to allow £800 per annum for ten years, to pay the interest at eight per cent. ”

“ Catherine (born 20th June 1632) was married to Francis De Coninck of Antwerp; her daughter, Catherine, was the wife of John Camin of Rouen, and the mother of Captain Camin in the British army, and of Mrs Anselm Pigou (above-mentioned) ; her son, Frederick Coninck, married, in England, Mary Camin, daughter of Louis Camin of Abbeville. Rachel (born 21st July 1634) became, in 1656, the second wife of Pierre Testard, merchant in Saint-Quentin; her daughter, Susan, was married in 1686 to Daniel Robethon, a French refugee; and another daughter, Anne, was married in 1681 to Jean Benezet. ”

“ That his office under Government gave him a variety of occupation may be gathered from the contents of a book which he published in 1705, “An Essay towards the Improving of the Hempen and Flaxen Manufactures in the Kingdom of Ireland.” This book contained six chapters: I. Preparing ground, sowing, weeding, pulling, watering, and grassing flax. II. Dressing flax. III. Hemp. IV. Spinning and spinning-wheels. V. Preparing yarn and looms. ”