1) The unwoven ends of the warp threads; short pieces or remnants of thread or yarn. In some sources thrums are referred to as ‘waste’ but they had many uses and a clear market value.
1401 ‘9 stone of thrommes, val. 20s’, Hull
1576 Collered Woll, more certeyne thrumes, Leeds
1628 woollen yarne, thrums & cardes, Pudsey
1668 Woolle yearne throomes & Nisbetts Ł2, Salterforth
1760 the low warp is lin the higher woollen so the are cut about one inch assunder for to make the thrums stick up, Wakefield
1823 paid for some thrums for mops, Meltham. They were in early use to make a kind of hat: 1453 35 duss’ thrumhattes Ł15 0 0, Hull
1540 my silke thrummede hate, Rotsea. In 1559, one qwyssin thrommed in Hipswell was probably fringed with thrums. Typical of later spellings are: 1690 15 pounds of thrumbs, Lingards and 1700 j thrombs basket, Holmfirth. Thrum Hall occurs twice as a place-name in the Halifax area and is likely to be a humorous name of the Mouldwarp Hall type: the by-name seems likely to have been derogatory: 1338 John Thrum’, Wakefield.