John Millward's House, the third Point of Interest.
Having stopped at Number 51 High Street, opposite the United Reformed Church, look across the street at the small house (Number 44) situated between the United Reformed Church and the Hairdressing Salon. See photograph.
Number 44 was the home of John Millward, a famous lace designer, who specialised in designs for the crowns of baby's caps during the first quarter of the 1800s. Around this time the local lace makers were feeling the effects of the competition from the machine made lace in Nottingham. However at first, the machines couldn’t copy anything with a round shape such as baby's caps. See image. So many of these baby's caps were hand made and many exported to America.
John Millward also gave evidence to Parliament of the piracy of lace pattern designs. He was still winning awards for his designs at the time of the Great Exhibition in 1851. An image of John Millward and his friends is included. This image shows John, the tall gentleman, wearing a high ‘stove-pipe’ hat, and the cut-away tailed coat of the day. He had some sort of foot disability and was nicknamed ‘Dabfoot’ in the town!
The entry alongside his house, which goes through to East Street, is still known as ‘Mill’ards Entry’. Over the years, Olneyites have dropped the ‘w’ in ‘Millward’.
Next, walk another 75 metres further along the High Street until you reach Number 55, where 'The Lace Factory', the next Point of Interest, is clearly visible, on the other side of the Street.
