Grey cloth salesman?

[Vonny North West]

What exactly did a grey cloth salesman do? Yes, I know sell cloth, but why grey? I have tried to find an explanation but haven't. Was it cloth sold to a textile company before it was dyed? Or was it sold to the dying company to be dyed? Was it a certain type of cloth? Would the saleman have made a good living from it?
Only asking as it came up as an occupation on a census I was looking at.
Vonny.

[margaretmarch]

Found this answer to the same question on another well known genealogy site "Grey Cloth Dealer, Dealer in Grey Cloth - the unfinished product of the looms before bleaching, dyeing or printing. The term is still used in the trade"

Margaret

[Vonny North West]

Thanks Margaret, I wasn't that far out after all!
Vonny

[Elaine ..Spain]

Just a little plug ....

Don't forget to check our reference library.
There are a lot of occupations included in our A-Z Big Book of Genealogy, including a description of a "grey cloth dealer" on the G page.

http://www.familytreeforum.com/content.php/33-Big-Book-G

[Vonny North West]

Thanks Elaine, I should have known to look there first, instead I go off and search everywhere but the obvious! Some days I think I am "loosing it"!
Vonny