Ethel Mairet

Born Ethel Mary Partridge in Barnstaple, Devon, on 17 February 1872, she became one of the most important British hand-loom weavers of her time. She is closely associated with the revival of hand weaving and natural dyeing in the first half of the 20th century, and sources describe her as a self-taught weaver, spinner, and dyer.

Her career grew after travels in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), which deepened her interest in weaving traditions. She later established her workshop, Gospels, in Ditchling, East Sussex, where she taught and influenced a generation of handweavers. Her book A Book on Vegetable Dyes became especially well known and helped spread practical knowledge of dyeing.

Mairet was also recognized in her own lifetime: she was awarded the title Royal Designer for Industry, and museum and archive sources continue to treat her as a pioneer of modern British craft. She died in Ditchling on 18 November 1952.