Candlewick (no space in the word) spinning had nothing to do with candles except that the spun yarn was coarser than the normal yarn and perhaps resembled the wick of a candle.. Candlewick textiles were, and still are, used for bedcovers. There were several candlewick spinning mills in Stockport which is where Jan Fortado's family were based notably Pear Mill and Carr Mill. Jan's family is related to my own family and I too have some candlewick spinners in my line including my maternal grandfather. This was certainly not a manual trade but was caerried out on a large scale in the cotton mills. I think Jan's ancestors emigrated to Fall River, MA which also had a major textile industry and probably included candlewick spinning. Today candlewick bedspreads are much more upmarket than they would have been in the 19th century. Eriic Millward ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4354 / Virus Database: 3722/7269 - Release Date: 03/29/14