Transactions. 49 
repairing, to omit or overlook which would be to do my subject 
scant justice. 
Some sixty or seventy years ago ship-building on a limited 
scale was carried on at the Scaur, which, as many of you know, 
is situated on the estuary of the water of Urr, within a mile and 
a half of its mouth. And about the period with which my paper 
begins it attained considerable dimensions under Mr Henry 
Cumming. To him the Scaur owed more than to any single 
individual. At an early age Mr Cumming betook himself to 
Whitehaven, and in the firm of Mr Brocklebank he learned and 
mastered the principles and practical work of ship-building. 
From Whitehaven he went to America, where he designed and 
built many vessels, one of them a ship of 700 or 800 tons, equal 
in dimensions to any ship then afloat. From America he returned 
to his native parish, and in company with his brother John com- 
menced ship-building at the Scaur, and turned out brigs and 
schooners of dimensions varying from 30 to 90 and 100 tons. On 
his death his nephew James continued the business for a short 
time. The last vessel turned out was the Balcary Lass in 1884. 
She was 240 tons burden. She made two prosperous voyages, 
but was lost in the third in a terrible gale off the coast of 
Newfoundland. From that time ship-building at the Scaur 
ceased, iron taking the place of wood in the construction of 
vessels of all classes and sizes. Now all that is done at the Scaur 
is the repairing of such wooden vessels as lay up to be refitted. 
Among the minor industries which were still carried on in 
the parish fifty years ago was handloom weaving. At the time 
when I came to the parish there were no fewer than six looms 
kept in constant employment. The thrifty farmers’ wives of that 
period never thought of buying blankets, either Scotch or English, 
for themselves, or for their daughters when they were about to 
be married, and were expected to bring something with them for 
the plenishing of their husbands’ houses. Neither did the farmers, 
their wives, or their daughters, in going about their ordinary 
avocations, wear anything but cloth and drugget, the produce of 
their own wool, and the outcome of their ownindustry. Fashion 
had not yet looked in upon Colvend and turned the heads of the 
young, and in a less degree of the old. Weaving then was in full 
swing, and webs could hardly be turned out quick enough to 
meet the demand. To prevent disappointment the loom had to 
be bespoken weeks before the web was required. ~ Now the, 
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