[Ads-l] barathea (cloth), antedating OED 1862 9origin unknown

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Stephen: The word "Baratheas" does appear in an advertisement for
fabrics in 1752. See the link further below to see a scan.

Date: November 6, 1752
Newspaper: The Caledonian Mercury
Newspaper County: Midlothian, Scotland
Section: Advertisements
Note: Advertisement from David Inglis
Quote Page 4, Column 2
Database: British Newspaper Archive

[Begin excerpt - please double-check for typos]
ADVERTISEMENTS

On Tuesday the 14th of November instant, will be sold
off at prime Cost, for ready Money, by DAVID INGLIS, at
his Shop opposite to the Cross, an Assortment of superfine,
middling and coarse Cloths, Forrest Cloths, German Searges,
Devonshire Kerteys, Barrogans, Baratheas, Plain and Corded
Druggets, Camblets, Single and Double Alapeens, Hair and
Worsted Plushes, Cotton Velvets, and Manchester Goods;
[End excerpt]

Here is a link to an x-tweet that displays a scan of the advertisment:
https://x.com/QuoteResearch/status/2049260219390140758

Garson

On Tue, Apr 28, 2026 at 10:23 AM Stephen Goranson
<00001dd3d6fc15d3-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> Wikipedia may be mistaken on the 1840s origin of barathea. The Times
> [London] Friday, August 9, 1793, page 4, column 4, bottom announces a
> bankruptcy sale of stock from a “Mercer and Button Seller” listing many
> kinds of cloth including “Baratheas.”
>
> The Observer [London] May 20, 1838 1/5 “….received from his Agent in
> Paris…Baratheas….”
>
> British Newspaper Archive–messy non-subscription preview only–Nov. 6, 1752
> [?], Caledonian Mercury [Midlothian, Scotland] “…Cloths…Baratheas…”
>
> Gale [more reliable than the above preview], Caledonian Mercury [Edinburgh,
> Scotland], June 27, 1808, “…Barathea…Silk…”
>
> OED “Of unknown origin."
>
> "A cloth of a fine texture composed of a silk warp and woollen weft, also
> of cotton and wool and entirely of wool."
>
> Any subscriber care to check British Newspaper Archive?
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org