SCOTLAND. 



Sututte*. 



I land-spin- 

 rang, or 

 tUat by the 

 common 



M;l!-spin- 

 niug, or 

 spinning 

 by machi- 

 nery. 



the trade in all its branches, from the sowing of the 

 flax-seed to the measuring and finishing of the bleach- 

 ed cloth. 



The linen and hempen manufactures are divided 

 into various branches, which are carried on either se- 

 parately or in combination. The linen branches are 

 a- follows : 1. Spinning; 2. Weaving the yarn into a 

 jrtMt variety of fabrics ; and 3. Thread-making, both 

 coloured and white, or the twisting of yarn intou 

 der twine, for the purpose of sewing, making fringes, 

 net- work, &c. The subsidiary operations required to 

 complete these brunches, are also distinct operations, 

 such as flax-dressing or heckling, bleaching and dying, 

 calendering, lapping, &c. 



1. Spinning. In Scotland anciently yarn was spun 

 by the distaff, or rock and spindle. This method was 

 superseded by the introduction of the common wheel, 

 which at first had only one spindle ; but, about sixty 

 years ago, it was improved by the addition of another. 

 This wheel is to be found in almost every family in 

 Scotland. The higher classes of females formerly 

 amused themselves with this occupation ; and cpin- 

 niir^ was then considered to be a profitable employ- 

 ment, to the females of the lower class, though much 

 less so at the rate now usually given. A third mode 

 of spinning has lately been invented ; and machinery 

 on tiie principle of cotton mills is now much employed, 

 especially for spinning the coarser kinds of grains, or 

 sucn as are fit for dowlas, canvass, and threads. 



1. Hand-spinning, or that by the common Wheel. 



This branch is carried to great extent in the shires of 

 Perth, Angus, Mearns, Aberdeen, the northern coun- 

 ties, and in Orkney. Tne flax, after being dressed, is 

 given out by agents in the country to the females, who 

 spin it at a certain rate per spindle. The yarn is either 

 manufactured in the neighbouring towns and villages 

 into cloth and threads, or it is sent to the different 

 markets in the south of Scotland, and also to those in 

 England for a similar purpose. The county of Aber- 

 deen is the chief seat of this branch, which rose pro- 

 portionally as the stocking manufacture declined. 



Mill-spinning, or Spinning by Machinery. 



This mode was introduced in the year 1790, the first 

 flax mill in Scotland having been then erected at In 

 verbervie, in Kincardineshire. It has now become an 

 important branch of the linen manufacture, and em- 

 ploys an immense capital. These mills are general in 

 Aberdcenshire and the Mearns, and the shires of Fife 

 and Angus, (where forty-four mills are employed) ; 

 there are several also in the more southern counties. 

 But the most extensive in Britain is situated at Grand* 

 holme, on the Don, about two miles from Aberdeen. 

 The whole extent of the spinning machinery in Scot* 

 land may be estimated at 30,000 spindles; and sup. 

 posing these to be in full employment, they will spin 

 2,600,000 swindles of yarn annually ; and calculatn.g 

 the same number to be spun by the hand-wheel, the 

 total amount of this manufacture in .Scotland will be 

 about 5,200,000 spindles. 



Although the yarn spun by machinery is strong and 

 even, yet it cannot be made of so fine a quality as to 

 suit the lighter fabrics of the linen manufacture, and 

 therefore the use of the common wheel must be con- 

 tinued. Machinery, however, possesses several advan- 

 tages over hand-spinning. It is driven by water or 

 steam, and the whole manufactory may be contained 

 in one house, where the dressing and spinning of the 



flax, with the weaving or twisting of the yarn, may at 

 the same time be conducted. All the operations re- 

 quired to bring the raw material to a finished state, O 

 are thus placed under the immediate inspection of the *** 

 master, who besides receives a quicker return for the fuetu 

 capital invested, than when he retort* to band-spin- 

 ning, which is both more tedious and expensive, 

 only the dressed flax, but the tow or refuse, and also 

 hemp and hempen tow, are spun by machinery, adapt- 

 ed respectively to the nature of the different material*. 

 So various and important, indeed, it the power of me- 

 chanism, that the invention of mills may be deemed 

 new era in the linen manufacture. 



The yarn produced by the spinning mills is partly 

 manufactured into threads, shirtings, ticks, checks, 

 sail-cloth, Osnaburghs, &c. in Scotland, and partly 

 sent to the markets of England for Minilar purposes. 

 It is made up in small bundles, denominated spindles, 

 regulated as to length and number of threads by act 

 of parliament Each spindle contains four hanks, and 

 each hank twelve cuts of one hundred and twenty 

 threads, ninety inches in length.' 



2. Linen Cloth Since the year 1727, the progre* * 

 and extent of the linen cloth manufacture in Scotland cloth, 

 may be known with tolerable accuracy by the returns 

 of the stamp- masters to the board of trustees. It ap- 

 pears that in 1728, there were stamped 2,183.978 

 yards, value 103,312, 93. 8d. Sterling ; and that the 

 trade has gradually increased since that period, the 

 quantity stamped in 18)2 being 18,975,8021 yards, 

 amounting to 1, 020,493, He. 2jd. Sterling. ' It it 

 also evident from the returns, that the average value 

 of the cloth, during that period, has not varied more 

 than fourpence Sterling per yard, being, from the years 

 1734 to 174-7, and also in 1793, under ninepence ; and 

 since 1793, the average price has very seldom exceed- 

 ed one shilling per yard. But the cause of apparent 

 equality of price is, that except by private families, 

 very little fine cloth is now manufactured, having been 

 supplanted by the substitution of cotton goods, and 

 the importation of Irish cloth. There is, however, still 

 a quantity made by private families for domestic use ; 

 but as the law does not require it to be stamped, it is 

 not included in the reports of the officers of the board. 

 There is also an inconsiderable quantity made for sale 

 in the northern and western countie*. The manufac- 

 ture of middling qualities of linen cloth has also greatly 

 decreased. At Aberdeen, for instance, it appears that 

 .'iS,780f yards of bleached cloth, value two shillings 

 per yard, were stamped in the month of December, 

 1811 ; but in October the following year, 1 1,6 19 yards 

 only were stamped, and since that time the quantity 

 has considerably diminished. When Dutch flax, how. 

 ever, can again be obtained, this manufacture will 

 revive. 



The linen manufacture of Scotland is, therefore, at 

 present, nearly confined to coarse articles, such as plain 

 sheeting?, Osnaburgh*, bagging, and canvass. The 

 three first are principally exported to the West Indies, 

 and to America, and the last is a war article, of which 

 the royal navy requires a great quantity. 



). Sheetings, Osnaburghs, bagging, canvass, arc 

 chiefly made in Forfarshire. The manufactures in 

 this district had extended to upwards of eleven and a 

 half millions of yards in the year 1812, worth more 

 than ,540,000 Sterling ; but at the same time of such 

 coarse fabrics, as to average something less than one 

 shilling per yard. 

 2. The same species of goods is also made in Fife ; 



