Rosemary Lee

Rosemary was one of the children of the blanket maker James Harold Early. She was brought up in Newland House next to Early's Newland Warehouse and factory. She recalls that she had a very happy and prosperous upbringing; the family had a nanny, parlour maid and cook to help run the house. As a girl Rosemary was allowed to play in the factory and knew most of the workers by name, though she had to keep away from the upper floors where dangerous machines were being operated.

The family were very often joined at mealtimes by buyers or sellers who had come to Witney on blanket connected business; she remembers that many of them were disappointed at being offered no alcoholic refreshments with their meal, as her father held strong Methodist beliefs and had signed the pledge to be teetotal.

A recorded interview with Rosemary is available from Oxfordshire Studies - details are available on the Search the Collections page (search for her name).