<P> In England, before canals, and before the turnpikes, the only way to transport goods such as calicos, broadcloth or cotton - wool was by packhorse . Strings of packhorses travelled along a network of bridle paths . A merchant would be away from home most of the year, carrying his takings in cash in his saddlebag . Later a series of chapmen would work for the merchant, taking wares to wholesalers and clients in other towns, with them would go sample books . </P> <P> Before 1720, the handloom weaver spent part of each day visiting neighbours buying any weft they had . Carding and spinning could be the only income for that household, or part of it . The family might farm a few acres and card, spin and weave wool and cotton . It took three carders to provide the roving for one spinner, and up to three spinners to provide the yarn for one weaver . The process was continuous, and done by both sexes, from the youngest to the oldest . The weaver would go once a week to the market with his wares and offer them for sale . </P> <P> A change came about 1740 when fustian masters gave out raw cotton and warps to the weavers and returned to collect the finished cloth (→ Putting - out system). The weaver organised the carding, spinning and weaving to the master's specification . The master then dyed or printed the grey cloth, and took it to shopkeepers . Ten years later this had changed and the fustian masters were middle men, who collected the grey cloth and took it to market in Manchester where it was sold to merchants who organised the finishing . </P> <P> To handweave a 12 - pound (5.4 kg) piece of eighteenpenny weft took 14 days and paid 36 shillings in all . Of this nine shillings was paid for spinning, and nine for carding . So by 1750, a rudimentary manufacturing system feeding into a marketing system emerged . </P>

Where did the spinning jenny get its name