to the present time, the tanners of Scotland have not succeeded in producing leather of equal quality to the best English and French. The Scotch croops, or sole leather, is much inferior to the English, and so are the Scotch calf and upper leather inferior both to the French and to the English. In the preceding volumes we referred to the making of cloth; but this branch of industry was still in a comparatively rude state, and various attempts were begun in the seventeenth century to introduce improvements. Commissioners, deputed by the boroughs in 1601, engaged seven Flemishmen to settle in Scotland and to assist in setting the work in operation; six of them being intended for making serge stuff, and one for broadcloth. On arriving in Edinburgh, they had expected to be immediately employed; but a debate arose as to whether they should be dispersed among the chief towns, and thus diffuse their instructions more widely among the Scots. While this was pending, the foreigners complained to the Privy Council that they were neither entertained nor sent to work, and that it was proposed to separate them, which would greatly retard the perfecting of the work. The council ordered that they should all be allowed to remain in Edinburgh, and work according to the condition on which they had agreed with the commissioners; and that till they began their work, they should be properly supplied with food and drink. But six weeks later, the boroughs had done nothing to commence the work; and the council then informed them that, unless they made a beginning by the month of November, the royal privilege would be withdrawn. Eight years later a company of these foreigners, under the special protection of the King, was established in the Canongate, and made cloth of various kinds. The business was managed by John Sutherland and Joan Van Headen, and it was stated that they were diffusing much light and knowledge of their calling among the Scots. But in spite of the King's letters, which invested these industrious men with special privileges, and exemptions from local burdens, the magistrates of the Canongate began to molest them, with the object of forcing them to become burgesses and freemen in the regular form; but on their appeal to the Privy Council, their exemption was affirmed.94 Almost all the clothing then used in Scotland was homemade. The people supplied themselves with clothes from their own wool and flax; each family for itself spun the yarn, and sent it to the village weaver to be woven into cloth.95 It was not till towards the end of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth centuries that successful efforts were made to manufacture this class of goods for general sale; though in the reign of Charles I. there were cloth manufactories on a small scale at Newmills in Haddingtonshire, at Bonnington near Edinburgh, and at Ayr; while in Aberdeen there was a manufactory of plaiden goods and ginghams. In 1641, parliament passed an act to encourage and facilitate the erection of manufactories. This act promised the following immunities to all who had or should erect such works:-" All Spanish and foreign fine wool for making fine cloth shall be custom free, all dye stuffs, oil, and other materials necessary for such works, shall be free of all custom and impost; all parcels of cloth made by any who have erected, or shall erect such works, shall be custom and impost free for the space of fifteen years from the date of their erection. The managers of such works shall be free of any taxation to be imposed on the kingdom for any occasion bygone or to come; and it shall not be lawful for anyone to engage, reset, or entertain, any of the servants of these works without the consent of the masters thereof." By another act 94 Register of the Privy Council; Acts Parl. Scot., Vol. V., p. 49. 95 In some parts of Scotland the children were regularly taught to spin by a mistress. The magistrates of Peebles resolved in 1633 "to convene all the persons and parents of those bairns given up in a roll, to be bound for a year to the small wheel in the house to be erected to learn the young ones to spin". And, "the whole council have referred the taking of a house for the mistress and bairns of the little wheel to be erected for learning the young ones to spin, to the provost and the two bailies ".-Burgh Records of Peebles, pp. 372, 373. passed in 1645, the masters and all the workers of manufactories were freed from military service and the quartering of troops upon them; and again it was declared that such works were to be free of all taxation.96 In 1661, parliament passed two acts concerning manufactories, one recommending the establishment of companies and societies for making linen and cloth stuffs, and the other for erecting manufactories; it also ratified the former acts of parliament and of council which had similar ends in view. These proposed companies were authorised to incorporate themselves, and to elect a certain number of their members to act as a committee or council of managers, to frame rules and regulations for the management of the manufactory, and conducting the business of the company. For their encouragement, all materials imported for the use of their manufactories, and whatever goods they produced and exported, were to be free of all custom and impost for nineteen years; the stock invested in their works was exempted from all public and local taxes; and they themselves were to be free from all quartering of soldiers. Every encouragement was given to skilled workmen from other countries to come and settle in Scotland, and instruct the Scots in their respective kinds of work. The managers and heads of the company were enjoined to appoint an expert man to visit and examine the work, and to put a mark or seal upon it, distinguishing what was sufficient and what not. The Privy Council, or others whom the King might appoint, were empowered to do whatever was found to be hereafter necessary for promoting the manufactories.97 96 Acts Parl. Scot., Vol. V., p. 497; Vol. VI., p. 174. 97 Ibid., Vol. VII., pp. 255, 261. The point touching foreigners is thus stated:"If any stranger shall come or be brought into this kingdom by natives to set up work and teach his art in making cloth stuffs, stockings, or any other kind of manufacture, he shall enjoy the benefit of the law and all other privileges that a native does enjoy; with power to erect manufactories either in borough or landward as they shall think fit: and there to dwell and exercise their trade without any stop or trouble." At the same time other acts were passed with the aim of promoting home manufactories. The export of all kinds of hides, of woollen yarn, of raw and unwaxed cloth, excepting plaiding, all linen yarn, broken copper, brass or pewter, was prohibited under the penalty of the confiscation of the goods. An act was also passed in 1661, authorising and recommending the establishment of fishing companies for promoting the fishings. This act contains many proposals and elaborate provisions for prosecuting the fishing of herring and white fish in the various seas, channels, firths, and lochs, " in his Majesty's ancient kingdom of Scotland". An act for encouraging shipping and navigation was passed; as also an act appointing a council of trade, of which council or commission the members were empowered to do whatever was necessary for regulating, improving, and advancing of trade, navigation, and manufactories; and this was to endure until discharged by the King 98 In 1681, parliament passed another act for encouraging trade and manufactories, which embodied proposals that the Privy Council had issued by proclamation six months before, and ratified all former acts for the encouragement of manufactories. The most remarkable part of the act was the long list of articles and goods which were emphatically forbidden to be imported. All gold or silver thread, lace, or fringes, buttons of gold or silver thread, and all gold or silver worn on clothes, or counterfeits of them, and all embroideries of silk for wearing clothes; all foreign linen, cambric, damask, ticking, and calico; all foreign silk or woollen stockings, silk lace, and gimp thread; all foreign shoes, boots, or slippers, gloves and clothes, and many other things, were forbidden to be imported under the penalties of being "burned and destroyed, and the importers or resetters fined in the value thereof ".99 By such measures it was thought that more money would be retained at home, and thus enrich the nation. But it was soon found that the prohibited foreign 98 Acts Parl. Scot., Vol. VII., pp. 257, 259-261, 273, 283. 99 Ibid., Vol. VIII., p. 348. goods quickly rose in price; and then the magistrates of Edinburgh were called before the Privy Council, and ordered to assemble the merchants of the city, and forbid them to take such exorbitant prices from the people for the prohibited goods, on the ground that there was no more to be imported into the kingdom. Indeed, the prohibitive part of the act was too extreme, and had to be relaxed. 100 About this time a company, including some of the Edinburgh merchants, was formed for starting a new work at Newmills. It was to be placed under the direction of James Stanfield, an Englishman, and a foreman and six sheermen were to be brought from England. The work was opened with two looms, which were soon increased to eight, and then to twenty-five; and in 1683 the work was still going on. They began by making white cloth, and next turned a number of their workers to coarse mixed cloth, and so on gradually to fine, "till now we are upon superfine cloths, and have brought the spinners and the best of the workers that length that we hope by May next to have superfine cloths as good as generally are made in England". In the same place there was a manufactory of silk stockings in operation. 101 There was a small woollen manufactory in Leith, and in 1683, on a petition from the owners, the Privy Council extended to it the privileges of the act for encouraging manufactories. It was reported that the partners of this undertaking were well skilled in their business, and that it "can dye and mix wool and cloth; and can take in wool from the merchants and others, and does dye and mix it and deliver it in broadcloth; and has already made good broadcloth to many of the merchants of Edinburgh, 102 Hitherto the dress of the royal army had been of a plain description, but it was now deemed necessary for the soldiers to have coloured coats, that they might be easily distinguished 100 Register of the Privy Council; Acts Parl. Scot., Vol. VIII., p. 479. 102 Register of the Privy Council. |