I think that mercerised cotton was cotton treated to become slightly silky and so easier to use when sewing. As mercers were often silk merchants, that makes sense. Audrey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ruth Barton" <mrgjb@sover.net> To: <OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 5:14 AM Subject: Re: [OEL] Mercium > Apropos nothing in particular. Many years ago, when I was young, spools > of > thread said "mercerized cotton" on them. I didn't know what that meant, > and still don't, I just remember seeing that. Ruth > > > At 11:09 PM +0000 3/14/09, A Lee wrote: >>Without a copy of Latham to hand, I cannot be sure, but I suggest it could >>be mercer, meaning a merchant who often specialised in the sale of silk >>cloth. The guild of mercers was a particularly influential guild in the >>city >>of London. >> >>Audrey > -- > Ruth Barton > mrgjb@sover.net > Dummerston, VT > > > ==================================== > WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.16/2005 - Release Date: 03/16/09 19:01:00