From: The History of the Woollen and Worsted Industries by Ephriam Lipsom "The clothier was a trading rather than an industrial capitalist. He was primarily concerned with buying and selling; he bought the raw material and sold the finished product; the actual details of the manufacture were left to the spinners, weavers, and cloth manufacturers. He was an employer of the various classes of artisans involved in the industry and was the most important employer in the woollen industry."