Also many of the "farmers" held so little land that it couldn't have supported a family. And round there, it often wasn't good land in any case, often, but sheep could be farmed on it.
Unfortunately the staple (fibre length) from the sort of tough sheep that could cope p there was not good to weave. I believe it was about only good for carpets.
Setting up a handloom (that's why so many upper rooms have several windows, to give light for the weaving) was a sensible move. The "piece" of cloth woven on the handloom would on completion be taken to a Piece Hall (there's still one that can give you a good idea of what one was like, with rooms for each merchant, at Halifax) and sold, and yarn brought back to the house, to weave more.
You'll find often in later generations the daughters are often factory workers, that it, power loom weavers, whilst Dad at home is still farmer/weaver at home.
Sometimes the whole family including children are in linked occupations - spinning, heald making, and other things that keep the fabric coming. The same happens as the power looms and factories/mills take over - whole families all work at different aspects of the job.
They almost certainly will be the same family, just adapting to change.
