The father of blanket

Did a Bristolian invent the blanket? Yes, the legend goes. Not only invented but also gave the world’s pre-duvet sleepers the name of their favourite winter bed-time warmer.



He was Ted Blanket who lived in the Temple district of the city in the 14th century when the area, near the present day Temple Meads station, was an important weaving centre.



One bitterly cold night in 1343 Ted ran out of firewood, his home was freezing so he took some soft, unfinished, loosely woven woollen cloth which he had brought home to experiment with, and laid it on his bed. Despite the freezing temperatures, he and Mrs Blanket had a remarkably warm night’s sleep.



News of this new-fangled invention travelled fast and folk queued up to buy the very latest in household aids.



It’s said that no less a person than King Edward III ordered two of Mr Blanket’s remarkable woollen novelties, and that at that point Ted’s fortune was made.



Fact or fiction? There was a notable weaver in Temple called Ted Blanket, he did make a fortune and he did become a bailiff of the city and a Member of Parliament.



Ted lies buried in St Stephen’s Church, just off the city centre. Wrapped in a blanket? Perhaps.