Jim Wilson says

Hi Stephen, your a wee bit out with your "brief" intro about the lace industry in the valley, Joseph Hood did not introduce the first Lace Furnishing Machine to the valley, this accolade falls to another pioneering Scot.

Alexander Morton who after visiting the great British Empire Expo in 1875 raised the sum of £1050.00 sterling from friends and family and introduced the first "power loom" to the valley, after months of fault finding and various attempts of driving the machine it finally got into its first production of basic type of lace in Feb 1876.

The machine in question was a Sharman and Wilson 11 point with a working width of 220 ".I also believe there were 16 factories making various types of cotton lace in the town, i will list them as follows coming into the town from the Galston end, Morton Young and Borland, Steeles, R.A. Muir, A.J.Muir, Johnston Shields, Stewart Moir and Muir, Wm Mortons, Haddow Aird and Crerar, Hood and Morton, A. Jamiesons, D.Ligat, Jamieson Anderson, J.J.Wilson, J. Muir, Henderson Morton and Inglis and finally Pollock and Ling.Joseph Hood had an engineering yard in the town and the industry supported various other small companies.

Stephen Drury says

Jim,

Thanks for your comments Jim,you are obviously well versed in the Newmilns

Lace Industry, in " Historical Aspects of Newmilns, Walker and Connell 1990 " it states " Inspired by having seen a Jacquard machine he (Joseph Hood) was driven by the idea of producing such machines, he had already supplied a number of machines of his own design, he patented a pirn filling machine of his own invention". he was also a prime mover in introducing the Notiingham Lace curtain machine to the valley. My intention was to highlight one pioneer of the valley lace industry, my omission of others was not intentional but limited within the confines of a small article. Thanks Jim for your interest in this somewhat complicated subject which would require a book of its own.

Stephen Drury.

Jim Wilson says

Hi Stephen, The term "Jacquard" does not relate to a specific type of loom, Joseph Jacquard invented the device when fitted to all or various weaving machines enables different patterns and processes onto plain cloth, the Nottingham Lace furnishing Machine has 2 sets of Jacquards fitted to it 1 full lift and 1 half lift which enables the machine thru punched pattern cards to produce the "filigree type" of cloth, without the Jacquard the machine can only produce plain cloth. Modern computers are based on the same principle using Jacquards invention. Joseph Hood pioneered fitting the "jacquard" to hand looms not the Nottingham Lace Machine. He is credited in bringing the first Lace Furnishing Machines to Newmilns when he and Hugh Morton founded the Company of Hood and Morton in 1876, following Alexander Mortons introduction of the first "Nottingham Lace Machine" in Darvel in 1875, next to follow the trend was A. Jamieson in Darvel then there was a explosion of factory building in Newmilns as the railway stopped there.

Bill Bryden says

Hi,it would be worth posting this on S1 Darvel,there is intrest there.

Bill B

Jim Wilson says

Hi Stephen, the valley never became the Lace "weaving" centre in the UK, Nottingham was the largest district for Lace making although from 1900 to present day the 3 valley toons made more "curtain" lace than anywhere else, Notts was more prolific in producing Dress lace on the more smaller and finer "Leavers" machine, there were no Leavers machines up here, some of the manufacturers had "leno" or "madras" looms along with the larger lace furnishing machines. The term Weaver or weaving is totally missleading with the production of lace from a Furnishing machine as the process is a "twist" and not a weave! The Nottingham term for an operator is a "twisthand" which is more apt than a "weaver", this probably stems from the handloom days when these machines were indeed weaving machines. The largest curtain lace producer was A. Morton and Co in the valley but not the biggest in the country, this falls to a Nottingham based Co that had plants in Nottingham, Darvel and a massive factory in Parkhead Glasgow called the "BALTIC", Dobson Browne was their name and they were responsible for making the Battle of Britain lace panel which was produced on a Swift and Wass 15pt 300" furnishing machine.

Jean Brittain says

My grandfather William Brittain (1878-1962) was manager of a lace mill.  His passport's really something for the 1920s - many journeys  to Scandinvian countries.  Scans available if anyone's interested.

Jim Wilson says

Hi Jean, i have details off your Granpa from his time in Hood and Mortons "circa" the early 30s when he and other men were employed to help erect the new Lace Machines following a massive fire that totally destroyed the original factory. I would like to see any artifacts that you might have relating to your Grandad or the Lace industry, you are also welcome to veiw anything that i have procured on this remarkable industry. I also have a picture of H/M factory in Copenhagen Denmark.

susannah warner Nee Girvan says

Hi Jim was wondering if you have any info on my Grandad George Girvan he was secretary of the Scottosh Lace and Textile Workers Union and lived in Newmilns on Main St also Gilfoot and Girvan Crescent He  Was also an Alderman and Provost there  for a while

Regards Zillah Warner Nee Girvan

Jim Wilson says

Hi Zillah, I worked with John Girvan in Johnston & Shields in the 70s he was the Lace Warper, was he your father or uncle?

I recall him constantly talking about "Geordie" the Provost and his time over in Barcelona when J/S opened their factory in Calle Pedro V in 1893, he also played for the Scottish football team that was started there by the mill workers called Escoses FC and he eventually played for the mighty FC Barcelona and won cup winners medals in the newly formed Spanish league 1899/1900, i was wondering if you know the whereabouts of the medal(s)

There is a photo of Escoses Fc and your Grandad is in it as a young man along with the Black brothers and Willie Gold, the picture was taken outside Jack Shields house in Barranova Barcelona, im in the process of trying to identify other people in the picture and im almost sure that one of the guys is Joan Gamper who was responsible for forming Barcelona FC.

These "valley" guys were playing fitba for 6yrs before the game was recognised in Spain and are partly responsible for starting the game over there and had a hand in playing for other new clubs like Hispania and Catalan.Its a pity we dont have this type of talent in our game now!!!

susannah warner Nee Girvan says

Hi Jim John was my Uncle and Geordie ( George)he talked about was my Grandad my father was William he was killed on 1940 just before Dunkirk i have the original of the football team photo it May be the same as yours but there is some of the names of the team members on it so have scanned it and improved it a bit and am attaching it for you ,my email address is susiemar@tpg.com.au  have no idea about the medals as I was in Aussie when Grandad died I imagine they would have gone to Uncle John or Uncle George will see if my cousin know anything about them   regards Zillah

Jim Wilson says

Hi Zillah, thanks for the original picture, mines has been copied so many times that its lost most of its definition. Im posting another fascinating picture of another pioneering football team, the Newmilns company of Johnston Shields bought a 1/4 share in a newly opened lace mill in Gothenburg Sweden in 1891, workers from the valley were sent over to teach  the locals how to make lace curtains from Notingham lace furnishing machines. One day some of "our" guys were playing football in a field called Balders Hage close to the rear of the factory when members of a local sports club (Orgrtye) stopped and asked the guys what they were playing, this is how the first recognised football club was formed in Sweden. They played the first Association rules game on 22 may 1892 against another newly formed club called Lyckans Soldater (soldiers of luck) and won 1-0 they played again the following year and won 6-0. Major John Shields sold his share in the factory to a company from Malmo Sweden and most of our valley folk returned home some with new husbands or wifes and children who were born in sweden, i have records and copies of birth/marriage certs of most of these people, incidently Rev Arthur Despard who performed the ceremonies in St Andrews Church Gothenberg is credited with introducing Golf to Sweden!!!! The football team is still in exsistance to this day and only got relegated to a lower league last year, i had the unfortunate pleasure of watching them getting beat from IFK Gothenberg on my trip over there last year 2-1. Ill name the players from left to right starting withh the back row.

Kind Regards

Jim.

Mathew Connell  William Jamie  Magnuss Carlsson(swede) Otto Sjoberg(swede) Alfred Sjoberg(swede) Aron Hammaback(swede)

William McKinnon, Alexander Boswell Thomson, John Lawson ,John Paterson and William Scott.

Brian Farr says

I note from the google pointer to this site a reference to the Battle of Britain lace panels but cannot find anything further on this page. (probably my lack of computer skills)

I have been researching them for several years and believe that Dobsons & M. Browne produced 38 of them.

I have located 30/31 to date and would like to add any information to my already bulging files on them and their history.

regards,

Brian

Jim Wilson says

Hi Brian.

The history of the Battle of Britain Lace Panel is a lifes research im sure, ive only ever seen one of them, it belongs to Mr and Mrs Mason of Cluny lace who kindly lent to us when we had a "doors open" one day up here in Smith and Archibalds lace mill. Im hoping you can clarify a bit of dubiety for me, my old boss in Johnston Shields was the "tenter" (engineer) in Dobson Brownes Burn Rd factory in Darvel and i clearly recollect him telling me that the panel was made in this plant and not D/B in Notts????? His name was Andrew Murray, i dont know why he would make up this story as there was indeed a 15pt Swift and Wass machine housed in this mill.

There was also reference to a flood thats caused damage to the pattern cards and D/Browne Darvel plant was situated right on the banks of a burn (stream).Hopefully you can clear this already complex story for me. Kind Regards Jim. P.S. There is a machine left up here with the capability to produce these panels! The machine in question is a Swift and Wass 14pt 360" with Electronic Jacquards fitted to it so, no costly pattern cards to make!!!!

Brian Farr says

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your speedy reply.

I believe Mrs. Mason actually owns 2 panels, we have at least 4 in Australia, there are at least 19 in U.K., 2 in New Zealand and 1 in Canada, USA, Holland, Germany and South Africa

I understand that they were all produced at Queens Road, Nottingham and that about 100 cards were water damaged and replaced in 1947.

regards,

Brian

David Neil says

The history of the lace industry is quite facinating.  Thanks to Jim for your knowledge of historical detail.  I remember my Mother and Auntie telling stories about what happened during the war and the increased outputs of the factories.   I lived in Newmilns (Hillhead Farm) for 9 years (1952-1961) and went to Newmilns Junior/Secondary School before emigrating to New Zealand in 1961 with the family.  Can anyone tell me the exact date of the fire that destroyed the school?  It burnt down in 1960.  Any photos would be of interest since I spent 41 years in the New Zealand Fire Service and have an interest in historical fires.

David Neil

Jean Brittain says

Hello Jim Wilson - here's photo of my father William Brittain Jnr who worked in lace mills too.  He did Textile Design at evening classes and I have his "jotters" full of cloth samples and machinery drawings.

Jean Brittain says

This is photo of my grandfather William Brittain (Senior) who was manager of a lace mill

Jean Brittain says

Mystery man on left + my father William Brittain Jnr in lace mill

Jean Brittain says

This photo was among the Brittain stuff too - maybe someone can identify people?? 

Jim Wilson says

Hi Brian, reference to our last correspondance regarding the Battle of Britain lace panel, ive been doing more "digging" up here, ive had a lenghty chat to a sprightly 81 yr old ex worker of Dobson Brownes who started his employment there in 1945 and he clearly remembers the "panel" getting made in the Darvel plant, he did mention however that he thought it was made in both plants!!!! I also thought that you would like to know that some of the panels will be "back to front" as the Furnishing machines Jacquards would have had double and single tie configuration and the right hand panels when in production would have had the writing going from right to left, once the cloth was off the machine and finished they would have turned the panels to show the writing going the proper way although the cloth will actually be back to front!!!!

Ross McKay says

Jim Wilson from Newmilns at the memorial stone marking the first football match in Sweden

Brian Farr says

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the update.

I'm afraid that I'm not very familiar with the locations, e.g. Darvel and Queen's Road or the manufacturing techniques involved.

Does this mean that each panel can be traced to a particular factory by examining the lettering?

Cheers,

Brian

Jim Wilson says

Hi again Brian, im afraid theres no way of telling where the panels were made although in close examination its quite easy to find whish panels were the "bastard" ones and made back to front. Ive been in contact with my old pal John Dykes at the weekend again and hes told me the following, he remembers going to dances in Darvel town hall in the late 50s and there was a director of D/Browne who attended these with "gusto" and took to the floor fleet of foot, his name was Sir Geoffrey Barnett and his wife was no other than Lady Isobel Barnett off "whats my line" fame, John says he danced with her regularly. The plant manager was also an English man at that time. a Mr Humphrey. Hope this is of interest. Regards Jim.

Brian Farr says

Thanks Jim,

What's my Line always makes me think of "Sagger-makers bottom knockers"

I wonder if the two locations accounts for the fact that Bill Rowe only knew of 20 panels when other sources claimed 38. It seems an odd number and perhaps we will never know exactly how many existed or remain.

Either way it continues to be a very eventful exercise and many thanks to you for your input.

regards,

Brian

Jim Wilson says

Hi David, Thanks for your kind comments on my historical notes, i wish i had more time to pursue more indepth research. Reference to the Lace mills during the 2nd world war, all the mills came under the Government controlled BLF ( british lace furnishings ) and some of them were actually closed down during the period 39 - 45, there were obvious reasons for this as loads of men were enlisted to engage the enemy so, many of the factories had there windows "blacked" out and closed, the ones that were left open went into a frenzy of camoflague and mosquito net manufacturing, infact the rumour on the steets of the 3 towns was " they made enough nets that every mosquito had one to himself". Some of the mills that remained shut during the war were utilised for billeting soldiers and a couple grew mushrooms under the spoolboards of the lace machines!!!!! All the history of the BLF is now housed in the Ayrshire Archives and are avaiable to study. Regards Jim.

Jim Wilson says

Hi again Brian, i vaguely remember the TV programme, i think it originated in the States back in the fifties?? I spoke to Bill Rowe on the phone perhaps 5/6 yrs ago about the panel and ive also read his book on it, is he still alive? I invited him up here to the "valley" to see the last of the lace machines in their working glory and give him an insight into whats left of what was a massive industry thats requiring a book the size of War and Peace!! Your also welcome to visit and i can arrange a complete tour for you in Morton Young and Borlands Lace Mill, they are also the only remaining manufacturer of a fabric called "Madras". Im sure you would be fascinated by the machines and the processes involved in making "curtain lace" Regards Jim.

Brian Farr says

Hi Jim,

Bill is still going strong although his eyesight is failing now, he is almost 90. He has updated his book to include my findings and an account of how we washed and restored ours in 2009.

A recent development was the details of Godfrey Browne's RAF plane crash in 1939 and the addition of his name to the Roll of Honour at Southwell Minster.

Thanks for your kind offer although I can't see us coming to UK in the near future, unless I win Lotto.

regards,

Brian

Jim Wilson says

Hi Brian, How would i go about procuring the updated book? Would it also be possible for you to take a photograph of your "panel" and scan it onto this site, im quite sure there will be loads of interest. Regards Jim.

Brian Farr says

Hi Jim,

Copies can be obtained direct from Bill.

http://battleofbritainlace.com/

Jim Wilson says

Hi Brian, Thanks for the pic of the panel. Im going to try and explain how the panel would have been made and how long it would have taken, as ive been onto the Austrailian War Memorial web page and theres text by a lady named Jane Peek and im afraid to say shes well out on her estimations on the how the panel would have been manufactured,

the machine that produced the panels was a Swift and Wass 15pt 276" working width, which was capable of making 4 panels at a time, 4x 65" = 260" + 8off edge tapes at 2" each = 276".The Quality of the panels would have set at 90 as a rule of thumb ie an 8pt works at 48 quality, 10pt at 60 quality, 12pt at 72 quality, 14pt at 84 quality, so "our" machine would have worked the panels at 90 quality. We then divide the 90 by 3 to get the number of motions to make an inch of cloth = 30 off, theres 720 motions in a Rack of cloth, so divide 720 by 30 motions(1") you get 24" of cloth made, so if the panel was 15ft (180") in length you divide it by 24 = 7.5 racks in the panel, the machine would have had a working speed of 5 racks an hour so, the panels(4off) in essence would have took 1.5 hrs to produce although because of the number of pattern cards required for a panel of this length the operator would have had to stop to take out and put more cards on the card rail. Im sure the "type of weave" used on the production is 2 and 4 gait swiss and combination, so there would have been 5400 pattern cards on the "red jacquard" and 10800 pattern cards on the "green jacquard" as it would have been going double time to produce the "swiss" on 1 half motion and "combination" on the other half motion.

There would also have been 3900 threads in each as the "loom" as we know was a 15pt so you have 3 thread bars and the carriage and bobbin threads 1st bar is known as the course spool bar and gives you the "heavy" inlay on the cloth, 2nd bar gives you the "swiss" (the lightershaded) inlay and the 3rd bar (front) was responsible for the "tight" type of crochet, the carriage and bobbin threads twisted the other 3 into the cloth. So the machine had 16560 working threads when making this masterpiece. Im going to send you some pictures of Lace furnishing machines which i took today whost at work and hopefully you will have a better understanding of the process. Kind Regards Jim.

Brian Farr says

Hi Jim,

That's mind-boggling, although I'm afraid its double-dutch to me.

However it certainly throws light on much of the mystery and folk-law surrounding them.

The reason that I started researching them was because of all the discrepancies in the total quantities and mis-information that I was up against whenever I asked anyone.

Would the other figures, e.g. 40,000 cards weighing over a ton and 26,000 miles of thread be accurate?

According to Bill, it was deduced that the Pattern thread would have been 2/40 cotton count. Warp threads - 2/60 cotton count and Bobbin threads - 2/80 cotton count. again way out of my depth.

The number of threads per panel was 4,200 on 975 bobbins.

Thanks again for your help.

Best regards,

Brian

Jim Wilson says

Hi Bill, Please find some pictures of our Lace machines and perhaps this will enlighten you to the size and capabilities of these behemoths.

Jim Wilson says

Hi.Bill Im afraid im the bearer of bad news re the number of pattern cards used and the "mileage" of the threads in each panel.

If there were 26000 miles of threads im sorry to say that you would need a forklift or a crane to lift the panel! As for the number of cards stated each panel would be nearly a 100ft long!! Im going to try and explain, as we know the machine used to create the panels was 15pt guage and the panel was 65" wide well this gives us 65 x 15 = 975 the number of threads in each "guide bar" which there are 3 off + the carraige bobbin threads = 975 x 4 = 3900 in each panel.

The panel was 180" long so the warp threads in this fabric ( 2 and 4 gait swiss ) would just pillar round the "wale " so you have 975 x 180 = 175500" of threads then divide by 36 to get yardage = 4875yds divide again by 1760 and you get 2.77 miles of warps. The middle guide bar which would give you the lighter shaded pattern would travel 2 gaits so we need to add on another 1\3 to the length of threads, so 180 + 60 = 240" x 975 = 234000" divide by 36 = 6500yds divide by 1760 = 3.69 miles of "swiss" threads. The back guide bar (course spool) would travel 4 gaits so we need the same calcs but add on 1\2 as much again = 270 x 975 = 263250" divide by 36 = 7312yds divide again by 1760 = 4.15 miles of course spool threads.

And finally the carriage bobbin threads, for the twist required we will add another 1\4 to the length so 225" in each x 975 = 219375 \ 36 = 6094yds \ 1760 = 3.46 miles of threads. So add all the 4 number of seperate bar and bobbin threads together and you get just over 14 miles of threads in each panel, where did they get the figure of 26000 MILES!!!!! On to the pattern cards, each Lace furnishing machine has 2 Jacquards as ive already explained in a previous mail, as we have worked out the number of "motions" in each panel at 90 quality the required number of "red" cards is 5400 and if the fabric (weave) was indeed 2 and 4 gait swiss the other Jacquard would require the same. If the fabric is (swiss and combination) or (wire ground swiss) the number of cards on one Jacquard will double ie 10800, so the total number of pattern cards required in each panel (4off) would either be 10800 or 16200.

I feel i could be a fly in the ointment here!! Im trying to attach another photo for you aswell. Hope this clarifys some of the confusion surrounding the process in the creation of these wonderful panels. Kind regards Jim.

Jim Wilson says

Hi Bill,

The previous photo is a Stevens and Williamson 384" 10 point Lace Furnishing machine, as you can see its making curtains 64" wide in 6 divisions the Machine for making the Battle of Britain panel would have been shorter than this machine due to its fine guage, the photo attached to this mail depicts the 2 Jacquards on a Newton and Pycroft 304" 12 point.Perhaps you getting a better understanding about the machines????

Regards

Jim.

Jim Wilson says

Hi Brian, Firstly please accept my apologies, ive been printing "Bill" instead of Brian in the past correspondance!!!!! The following photo is off a Swift and Wass 14pt this machine would be almost identical to the 15pt which made the panels, incidently this machine is unique as its the only Lace Furnishing Machine in the WORLD to have electronic Jacquards fitted to it and could quite easily make the panels!!!!

Brian Farr says

Hi Jim,

That is fantastic information, many thanks, I think that you've dispelled some, and clarified much of the mis-information that has accumulated over the years.

I am updating my (work in progress) essay to include this latest info. and am happy to acknowledge your input.

I have added a detail of our lace that I took during restoration in 2009

best regards,

Brian

Jim Wilson says

Hi Brian, Hope your well at present, just a quick querie, i wondering that the figure of 38 panels made might be wrong also, the machine as we know would make 4no panels at one time,so i would reckon that the total number of panels made should always be in multiples of 4!!!! Perhaps your going to dig even deeper here! Ive attached another pic, this one shows the rear of the machine depicting the top spoolboard which holds the course spools and directly beneath you have the same on the bottom board which holds the finer threads for the middle bar, this machine is a Newton and Pycroft 304" 12pt so you have 3648 spools on the top and the same number on the bottom board. The strings which you see running from left to right just above the spools are the harnesses and jack strings from the jacquards to the jacks and tricks in the machine which produce the pattern. Regards Jim.

Brian Farr says

Hi Jim,

All well here thanks, although we have a heat wave at present!

The total quantity has always been in doubt. Bill Rowe was only aware of 20 before he wrote his book, (since then we have accounted for 30 definate and one mislaid in Canada). Other literature suggested that there were 38 although of course they are not numbered and no list of recipients has been found. I have copies of booklets that record some presentations and proposed presentations.

A recent development revealed that some members of the Browne family may have emigrated to Australia and possibly bought 2 panels with them. If they are not among those that have been discovered then it would bring the total to 40 which would add up nicely.

It all adds to the mystery.

best regards,

Brian

Brian Farr says

Hi again Jim, I have copied a contemporary account of the lace panel. I believe it was written by a Dobsons man.

“The way the Battle of Britain Curtain was born was this….Many years ago the firm produced a panel curtain depicting the life of Joan of Arc. Our Managing director in 1942, Mr. J. L. Were, had never seen this particular panel, and in conversation with myself concerning the manufacture of lace generally made the remark that no effort had been made by the trade to preserve old specimens. Mr. H. E. Keeton then showed him the Joan of Arc curtain…. This was in the morning, and in the afternoon of the same day he came to him and said,

“We will produce a Battle of Britain curtain to go along with the Joan of Arc curtain.” That was how it all started. After that we were in a flurry to know where to get all the information we required. However we got over these difficulties by the kindness of Government Departments at home and also overseas, in allowing us to use official photographs and badges. After two and a half years the curtain was produced on paper. The process was this…. We first of all had to design it, and considering the design was in one piece, 5 yards long by 65 inches wide this was no mean job for our head designer, Harry Cross. At the time we had to make sure that 

everything put into the design was authentic.

The next piece of work was the draughting, and this was started by Mr. W. Herod who passed away when the work was half finished, and it was then carried on by Mr. W. R. Jackson. After the draught had been thoroughly examined it was sent to our card puncher, Jack Webster, who punched the whole jacquard pack for this design, some 40,000 cards weighing over a ton.”

regards,

Brian

Jim Wilson says

Hi Again Brian, Interesting text you posted there, the only way i can see to "agree" with the 40000 cards punched is that the jacquards on the macgine were split either on the cylinder or 2no seperate jacquards for each tie! So if the fabric was indeed 2 and 4 gait swiss and combination you would have 5800 cards on the the red jacquard doubled and 10800 on the green jacquard doubled, if you go back to the pic of the 12pt jacquard you will notice the width of the cards on the jacquard, well the 15pt which made the panels must have had double red and green jacquards or split width cards (each card cut in two halfs) this could well account for the massive amount of cards stated 5800x2= 10800 + 10800x2 =21600 which gives us 32400 cards (half width) This is really hard to explain im sorry, there is a machine up here with split jacquards and i will try and get access to it and take a photograph for you. Regards Jim.

Moire Lennox says

My family were lace manufacturers in Newmilns so I would really appreciate any information about them. They were the Muir family: Robert, William, Allan, Hugh to name some of the generations.

alex allan says

The lace panels were made in darvel according to my dad Bobby Allan ,and pr .obably finished in nottingham . many were given to cities round the uk . My mum saw the nottingham panel in the window of the big coop being used as a window display for christmas toys!!!!!! One was given to winston churchill and maybe one to eisenhower. Alex Allan ,my namesake was the maNAGER AT dobson and brown burn road .

There is a reference to the panels in country life magazine this week .june 2011 ..justv shows you how things get about. 

dad worked at sundour fabrics as an apprentice .every one who worked there started as an apprentice .and haD TO LEARN ALL ASPECTS of the trade .manager jimmy mitchell was said to be the most most progreessive manager in the valley . he took all the staff to glASGOW to atlantic mill on a bus trip and othewr factories to see what other people were doing,at finlays at katrine all the staff were barefoot t0o keep the cotton clean.. seems extreme now ..Tthe shaft that powered the looms passed under the main street andv the vibrations could be felt above ground . this water power ran the whole factory... More to follow..alex allan

alex allan says

Further to lace in valley ,cant stop the old man talking .

madras woven curtains  made on loom with four shuttle boxes but haD 10 COLOUR DESIGNS on a machine with only four shuttle boxes 1 the ground colour , and three colour boxes , the skilled weaver could read the cards and the design and stop and draw a colour out and replace the colour with another . they could weave multi colour designs on a fairly simple loom. these were known as weaving draws . we may attend this years gala so a mine of information is available ( my dad ) cant stop him now someone should write it all down.help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He worked on jaquards / dobies weaving looms at sundour which made high quality furniture material ,some silks at 108 shots to the inch !!!!!! 

Brian Farr says

Hi Alex,

Thanks for your memories of the panels. The one mentioned in Country Life was actually bought at auction in April and exhibited in the Country Life exhibition at Olympia. It was awarded second place in their Object of the Year competition.

It will now be displayed at the "Masterpiece" antiques fair and possible put up for sale shortly afterwards.

Churchill's one has not been identified yet and you are the first to nominate Ike as having one.

Please let me know if you have any further details of them.

regards,

Brian

Deborah Rea says

Hi,

I am a descendent of J.G. Shields of Stewarton who went on to purchase Donington Hall and its famous race track here in Leicestershire.  I am working on my Shields family tree and wondered if you could tell me who the Major Shields was in your Nottingham Lace article?

Many thanks

Debbie Rea

Moire Lennox says

I was hoping that someone might have information or photos about the Muir families. My grandfather, a vet, was the son of Hugh Shields Muir. Kind regards, Moire Lennox

Moire Lennox says

Debbie, There might be a connection between our families since my great grandfather was Hugh Shields Muir. I shall check with my mother who is working on the family tree. Regards, Moire