Also 6–7 factorie. [repr. med. L. factōria, f. factor: see FACTOR. The proximate source is uncertain: the word is found in several of the Romanic langs.: It. fattoria, Sp. factoría, Pg. feitoria (1551 in the original of our first quot.); Fr. has factorerie (Cotgr., 1611), f. as FACTOR + -erie -ERY; also, factorie app. adopted from some foreign lang. In senses 4–5 referred to the type of factōrium place or instrument of making (recorded in sense ‘oil-press’), f. facĕre to make.]
1. An establishment for traders carrying on business in a foreign country; a merchant company’s trading station.
1582. N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., xxi. 54 b. To the intent hee might remaine in the Factorye with the Factour, to whome hee gaue commaundement diligentlye to beware that there shoulde not come any Moores to kill him.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, VII. vii. § 3. 573. Here [Sofala] the Portugals haue … a Fort and Factorie of very rich Trade.
1682. Lond. Gaz., No. 1692/1. The total subversion of their Factory at Amoy.
1701. Charter Soc. Prop. Gospel. The maintenance of clergymen in the Plantations, Colonies and Factories of Great Britain.
1772. Mad. D’Arblay, Early Diary, 3 Feb. He is chaplain to the British factory at St. Petersburg.
1837. W. Irving, Capt. Bonneville, II. 84. Vancouver, on the Columbia, the main factory of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
1861. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 39–40. Long before the existence of the Hanse, long before they fixed their factories in Lisbon, Bergen, and Novogorod, a corporation of German merchants was established, with privileges on the Thames.
fig. 1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. 34. They stirre them up to persecute with hatred and contempt all those that seek to bear themselves uprightly in this their spiritual factory.
attrib. 1804. Ld. Valentia, Voy. & Trav. (1809), I. vii. 372. The factory-house is a chaste piece of architecture.
† 2. The body of factors in any one place. Obs.
1702. W. J., Bruyn’s Voy. Levant, vi. 18. The three Statues were … sent … by the French Factory to Paris.
1777. W. Dalrymple, Trav. Sp. & Port., cxxv. I feasted most voluptuously with the consul and factory, who were remarkably civil and attentive.
3. The employment, office, or position of a factor; factorship. (Chiefly Sc.: cf. FACTOR sb. 5.) Also, Letter of factory = 3 b.
1560. in Tytler, Hist. Scot., I. xx. (1864), III. 398. His lordship coming and adjoining him to the said lords, no disposition of factorie shall be made by [contrary to] his advice.
1594. Sc. Acts Jas. VI. (1816), 64. Diuers personis … hes maid dyuers bandis obligationis … lettres of factorie.
1631. T. Powell, Tom of All Trades, 35. I admit the Merchant Royall, that comes to his Profession by travaile and Factory, full fraught, and free adventure to be a profession worthy the seeking.
1752. G. Brown, in Scots Mag. (1753), Nov. 555/2. He … accepted the factory of the estate.
1869. Act 32–3 Vict., c. 116 § 3. A conveyance … for the purposes of such estate or trust, or factory.
b. A document investing another with the authority of a factor or agent.
1640–1. Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855), 134. The factorie granted be Gilbert Browne of Bagbie to Johne Browne, merchand.
1676. W. Row, Contn. Blair’s Autobiog., xii. (1848), 380. He not being able to go himself, gaue a factorie to his son-in-law, to go over with Forther and agent that business.
† 4. The action or process of making anything.
1664. Butler, Hud., II. iii. 864.
| These reasons … are far from satisfactory, | |
| T’ establish and keep up your Factory. | |
| Ibid. (1678), III. ii. 1446. | |
| For Gain has wonderful Effects, | |
| T’improve the Factory of Sects. |
5. A building or range of buildings with plant for the manufacture of goods; a manufactory, workshop; ‘works.’
1618. Ussher, Lett. to Camden, 8 June. The Company of Stationers in London are now erecting a Factory for Books and a Press among us here.
1832. G. R. Porter, Porcelain & Gl., 307. The process is identical, whether prosecuted in the attic of the artisan, or in the spacious factory of the manufacturer.
1878. Jevons, Prim. Pol. Econ., 63. Somebody must settle whether the factory is to work for twelve, or ten, or nine, or eight hours a day.
b. transf. and fig.
1618. Middleton, Peacemaker, Wks. 1886, VIII. 326. Come then to the factory of Peace, thou that desirest to have life.
1682. Sir T. Browme, Chr. Mor. (1716), 21. Our corrupted hearts are the Factories of the Devil, which may be at work without his presence.
1847. Emerson, Poems, Monadnoc, Wks. (Bohn), I. 433.
| Factory of river and of rain; | |
| Link in the alps’ globe-girding chain. |
1860. O. W. Holmes, Prof. Breakf-t., x. 216. This was no common miss, such as are turned out in scores from the young-lady-factories.
6. attrib. (sense 5), as factory-girl, -hand, -inspector, -man, -people, -spinner, -village. Also factory acts (earlier factories acts), the statutes 42 Geo. III. c. 73 (1802, 3 & 4 Will. IV. c. 103 (1833), and various later acts, passed for the regulation of factories in the interest of the health and morals of the persons employed in them; factory-cotton (U. S.), unbleached cotton cloth of home manufacture, as opposed to imported fabrics; also called factory and domestic.
1845. G. Murray, Islaford, etc., 143, ‘The Metamorphosis of a Scholar into a Book.’
| Far-shooting god! the favourite of all | |
| Things that upon this verdant carpet roll,— | |
| Of *factory-girl, who fron her savings small | |
| Contrives to sport a cotton parasol. |
1850. Lyell, 2nd Visit U. S., II. 300. I learnt that there had recently been a strike of the factory girls here for ten instead of twelve hours of daily labour. Their employers argue that they are competing with rivals who work their girls twelve or more hours per day, and the strike has failed.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Factory-hand, a manufactory workman; a person employed about a mill.
1846. M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 699. The appointment of *Factory Inspectors has been productive of the greatest advantage.
1845. Budd, Dis. Liver, 349. The patient, a *factory-man, forty-seven years of age, had good health till the beginning of the year 1842, when be became dyspeptic, complaining of the pain in the stomach, and in the back, below the right shoulder-blade.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Wealth, Wks. (Bohn), II. 71. Roberts destroyed the *factory spinner. Ibid. (1841–4), Ess., Poet, I. 161. Readers of poetry see the *factory-village and the railway.
Hence Factoryship = FACTORSHIP.
1836. Fraser’s Mag., XIV., Oct., 511/1. He who shot Sir Alexander Boswell is … duly fitted with a factoryship.
