Serge is a durable, woollen, quilted fabric manufactured (woven) on a loom with four treadles, after the manner of rateens. Historically there were various varieties of serge denominated either from their quality or from the place where they were made, and in the 18th century the most esteemed serge was London serge, made in London, which was particularly popular in France, so much so that it was replicated and manufactured in France.
A description of the manufacture of London Serge from an 18th century source reveals the lengthy and intricate process involved in its manufacture:
For wool, the longest is chosen for the warp, and the shortest for the weft. Before either kind is used, it is first scoured, by putting it in a copper of liquor, somewhat more than lukewarm, composed of three parts of fair water and one of urine. After having stayed long enough therein for the liquor to dissolve, and take off the grease, &c. it is stirred briskly about with a wooden peel; taken out of the liquor, drained, and washed in a running water, dried in the shade, beaten with sticks on wooden rack to drive out the coarser dirt and filth, and then picked clean with the hands. Thus far prepared, it is greased with oil of olives, and the longest part, destined for the warp, is combed with large combs, heated in a little furnace for the purpose. To clear off the oil again, the wool is put in a liquor composed of hot water, with soap melted therein: whence being taken out, wrung and dried, it is spun on the wheel.
As to the shorter wool, intended for the weft, it is only carded on the knee with small cards, and then spun on the wheel, without being scoured of its oil. It must be remarked, that the thread for the warp is always to be spun much finer, and better twisted than that of the weft. The wool both for the warp and the weft being spun, and the thread divided into skeins, that of the weft is put on spools (unless it has been spun upon them) fit for the cavity or eye of the shuttle; and that for the warp is wound on a kind of wooden bobbin to fit it for warping. When warped, it is stiffened with a kind of size [some sticky substance used for stiffening fabric], whereof that made of the shreds of parchment is held the best; and when dry is put on the loom.
When mounted on the loom, the workman raising and lowering the threads (which are passed through a reed), by means of four treadles placed underneath the loom which he makes to act transversely, equally, and alternately, one after another, with his feet, in proportion as the threads are raised and lowered, throws the shuttle across from one side to the other; and each time that the shuttle is thrown, and the thread of the weft is crossed between those of the warp, strikes it with the frame to which the reed is fastened, through those teeth the threads of the warp pass; and this stroke he repeats twice or thrice, or even more, till he judges the crossing of the serge sufficiently close: thus he proceeds till the warp is all filled with weft.
The serge now taken off the loom is carried to the fuller, who scours it in the trough of his mill with a kind of fat earth, called fuller's earth, first purged of all stones and filth. After three or four hours scouring, the fuller's earth is washed out in fair water, brought by little and little into the trough, out of which it is taken when all the earth is cleared; then, with a kind of iron pincers or pliers, they pull off all the knots, ends, straws, &c. sticking out on the surface on either side; and then returning it into the fulling trough, where it is worked with water somewhat more than lukewarm, with soap dissolved therein for near two hours: it is then washed out till such time as the water becomes quite clear, and there be no signs of soap left; then it is taken out of the trough, the knots, &c. again pulled off, and then put on the tenter to dry, taking care as fast as it dries to stretch it out both in length and breadth till it be brought to its just dimensions. When well dried, it is taken off the tenter, and dyed, shorn, and pressed. Research Serge
Abbreviations
Costume
Research Serge