The Weavers of Dunfermline

Cath Chorley, former Rotary District Governor and now District Secretary, spoke to the club, not on Rotary matters, but on the subject of her recent PhD from Dundee University. Her subject: ‘The Weaving Trade of Dunfermline in the 18th and 19th centuries -A Tale of Espionage, Enterprise and Expertise’. Cath described how a huge weaving industry developed in Dunfermline from the early 1700s onwards (although documentation of weaving exists as early as 1491 and mentions 4-year apprenticeships in 1639). Dunfermline became a Royal Burgh in 1124 which gave it rights to trade. She explained that the weaving of damask, a heavy silk or linen fabric with a pattern woven into it, became a desirable item of 18th century conspicuous consumerism. During the 1700s it was the men who wove, working independently on their looms downstairs in their own homes. Espionage comes into the tale when, in 1720, James Blake of Dunfermline gained entry to the home of the Edinburgh Drumsheugh weavers, memorised their techniques and took them home with him……..! and during the ensuing years Dunfermline built up as a centre of excellence in the damask trade, producing tableware to the nobility, exporting as far as America, and only diminishing after WW1. Its heyday was during the industrialisation era of the steam-powered loom after 1785, and in 1849 the first factory opened. Women were now employed in the low-paid menial work of weaving, while the men were the better-paid overseers. Conditions were hard with hours 6am-6pm daily, with fines for mistakes resulting in a ‘felter’ or hard lump of fabric caused by a broken thread, though the annual workers’ outing was a highlight of the year. The factory owners were wealthy -Erskine Beveridge was the largest linen manufacturer in the town. This was a fascinating talk about the history of one of our Fife towns and was much appreciated by the members. Colin Mitchell gave the vote of thanks.