SCO TL AN D. 



Statistics. 



Commerce 

 and manu- 

 factures. 

 AVeaving. 



Carpets. 



Knitting. 



Stockings. 



Messrs. Hadden and Company at Aberdeen, which 

 extends to twenty machines, wrought by two powerful 

 steam engines. 



2. Weaving. In Scotland, the manufacture of wool- 

 len cloth was formerly confined to coarse fabrics, every 

 attempt to produce a fine quality on equal terms with 

 the English having failed ; and as far back as 150 years 

 ago, a species of cloth termed fingrams, was made at 

 Aberdeen for the foreign market ; but the general ma- 

 nufacture of the country were seys and serges for home 

 consumption. Since the introduction of machinery, 

 however, superfine broad cloths, equal to the best made 

 in England, are manufactured in Scotland, particular- 

 ly at Cothal Mills, in the parish of Fintray ; at Kin- 

 mundy, in the parish of Longside ; and at Peterhead, 

 in Aberdeenshire, the greater part of which is sent to 

 the London market. But the prevailing manufacture 

 still consists of coarse articles, such as narrow cloths, 

 duffles, plaidings, blanketings, checks, flannels, seys, 

 and serges, either for home sale or for exportation. 

 These articles are chiefly made in the shires of Aber- 

 deen, Inverness, Argyle, Perth, the Lothians, Ayr, 

 Peebles, Selkirk, and Roxburgh. Tartans of various 

 kinds are principally fabricated in the counties of Stir- 

 ling, Argyle, and Inverness; and coarse cloths and 

 blankets for family use are made in most parts of Scot- 

 land. But this branch of the woollen manufacture is 

 much limited, owing to the preference given to Eng- 

 lish blankets, which, from their lighter texture, afford 

 a more comfortable covering. 



Carpets. This branch of the wocllen manufacture 

 is carried on to a considerable extent, but principallv 

 confined to coarse sorts ; for those made in imitation of 

 Turkey or Wilton carpets are not attempted. This 

 manufacture is conducted chiefly at Aberdeen, Kilmar- 

 nock, Stewarton, Stirling, Bannockburn, Jedburgh, 

 and Hawick. A few are also made at Glasgow, Leith, 

 and in the county of Haddington, and a manufactory 

 of Brussels carpets has lately been established in Edin- 

 burgh. The spinning, dying, and weaving depart- 

 ments, are carried on at the respective manufactories. 

 There are between 400 and 500 weavers of this article 

 in Scotland, about 130 of whom are in Kilmarnock 

 alone. A man weaves about six yards per day, and 

 receives from 3|d. to 4|d. per yard. The selling prices 

 run from 2s. 9d. to 3s. gd. per yard. A considerable 

 quantity of carpeting was sent to the United States ; 

 but since the commencement of the war, the exportation 

 of that article has declined, and the principal markets 

 are now London and Dublin, with Edinburgh, and 

 the other towns of Scotland. 



3. Knitting. The knitting of stockings forms, in 

 many parts of Scotland, a domestic manufacture. It 

 was formerly carried on to a considerable extent in 

 Shetland, as we formerly remarked, and more particu- 

 larly in Aberdeenshire, whence great quantities of stock- 

 ings were exported to America, Holland, the Nether- 

 lands, and the north of Germany. The French revo- 

 lutionary war almost ruined this trade to the European 

 continent. But the hosiery manufacture has been re- 

 vived in a different and improved state, in consequence 

 of the introduction of machinery for spinning the yarn ; 

 and it is now carried on, including all its branches, to 

 a greater extent than at any former period. 



Stockings. Stockings are either knit by wires, or 

 wrought by frames. The former kind are preferred to 

 the latter, as being more durable. The statute Geo. 

 I. c. IS, ordains that all stockings shall be made of 

 three threads ; but this regulation is not strictly ad- 



hered to, particularly in frame- work ; and stockings Statistics. 

 are frequently made of only two, and even of one ** >/" ' 

 thread. The latter are denominated yarn hose." ^T Iner f 

 The manufacturers in the northern districts, employ f" ctu ' s m 

 women chiefly to knit their stockings at a certain rate 

 per pair ; and in general the quality is coarse, the price 

 of the article when finished being only from ten shil*. 

 lings to forty shillings per dozen. The making of 

 breeches and pantaloon pieces has become a consider- 

 able and increasing branch of the hosiery trade. 



Lamb-wool Hosiery. This branch of the stocking Lamb-wool 

 manufacture was introduced only about thirty years hosiery, 

 ago. The yarn is made of the short wool of lambs, 

 carded by machinery, and spun on wheels resembling 

 the common cotton-jennies. It is soft and oozy, which 

 constitutes its principal property ; as being elastic and 

 spongy, it forms an agreeable and warm covering. This 

 manufacture is carried on chiefly in the southern coun- 

 ties, about Hawick, Jedburgh, Galashiels, Selkirk, 

 Peebles, and Dumfries. At these places, the scribbling 

 and carding machines are driven by water ; but the 

 roving and spinning processes are performed by jen- 

 nies wrought by hand. This branch is also carried on 

 to a considerable extent at Glasgow and Edinburgh, 

 and in their vicinity. The power of steam is applied 

 to drive the machinery ; and not only the teazers and 

 cards, but the jennies, reels, and twisting machines, 

 are moved by this power. The number of frames at 

 work on lamb-wool stockings, breeches, and pantaloon 

 pieces in the southern districts of Scotland, is from 700 

 to 750. Those in and near Edinburgh amount to about 

 150 ; and at Glasgow, and the adjacent towns and vil- 

 lages, to about 200. After the lamb-wool hosiery is 

 woven, it generally receives a small degree of wauking 

 and scouring ; and the undyed articles are subjected 

 to the fumigation of burning sulphur, which, by de- 

 stroying the yellow tinge of the wool, makes the white 

 much more pure. 



4. Felling. In Scotland bonnets were formerly Felting. 

 much used, not only in the Highlands, but also by the 

 lower classes in other parts of the kingdom ; and* they 

 are still considered as a most essential part of the High- 

 land military garb. But the refinement of the times 

 has found a substitute in hats, which, even among the 

 poorer people, have almost everywhere supplanted bon- 

 nets. Besides the hats made for home consumption, 

 considerable quantities of a coarse quality for negroes, 

 &c. are exported to the West Indies. 



The above-mentioned manufactures are the princi- 

 pal branches of the woollen trade carried on in Scot- 

 land. Considerable quantities of long or combing wool 

 are imported. In regard to the short or clothing wool, 

 the manufactures above described do not nearly exhaust 

 the raw materials produced in the country ; and great 

 quantities of that description of wool are purchased by 

 agents for the manufactories in England. 



2. Linen. 



The manufactures of flax and hemp are deemed ob- Linen, 

 jects of great national importance, and have long re- 

 ceived the fostering protection of government. "An 

 act for better regulation of the linen and hempen ma- 

 nufactures of that part of Great Britain called Scot- 

 land," was passed in 1727. In' consequence of that 

 statute, a board of trustees was established in Edin- 

 burgh, " for overseeing, directing, and better improv- 

 ing the said linen and hempen manufactures/' on 

 which extensive powers were conferred. This Board 

 has since continued in constant activity, and regulated 



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