Handloom weaver.....

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:04 pm

Hi everyone I'm new to this site, although I've been researching for quite a few years.
My ancestor Marion Mcewan nee Martin was a handloom weaver, but I have not been able to find her in the Neilston/Barrhead area in the 1861 census. She was born there, was there in 1851, 1881 and died there.

Were there mills in Glasgow? Edinburgh?
Any suggestions as to whereabouts I could look for her?
Thanks in advance!

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:40 pm

Hi Carmentea
...and a warm welcome to Talking Scot

She was born there, was there in 1851, 1881 and died there.

Can you tell us when she was born so we know what age she is likely to be for each census year?

Best wishes
Lesley

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:49 pm

Hi Lesley
Thanks for replying! Her DOB varies between 1830 and 1833. I have not found the record of her birth yet. Born in Renfrewshire. Married William McEwan in June 1851. She would not be with William in 1861 as he was married to someone else and living in the US!! She had a daughter Elizabeth born in Jan. 1861 (died that same year). Hope this helps!

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 6:23 pm

Hi Carmentea
The only Marion I can see in the west of Scotland who seems to fit the bill is this one - but I'm not convinced & I suspect you may have seen her already?

1861 MCEWAN MARION F 28 CALTON GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/04 094/04 015

( I searched for mari*n m*ewan to cover variations in both names, but it seems it was unneccessary!!)

I wonder though....could this be her?

1861 MARTIN MARION F 26 NEILSTON /RENFREW 572/00 015/00 009

I don't know. Maybe reverted to her own name, as was often the case.... seems like the correct area, age a year or two younger maybe than expected. I'd be tempted to check it out - it either is...or it isn't!

Oh, and http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst435.html
says this about Neilston

A former textile village in Renfrewshire, Neilston lies on the Levern River 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Barrhead and 9 miles (14.5 km) southwest of Glasgow. It became a centre for bleaching cotton and calico-printing in the 18th century and continued printing and spinning cotton into the 20th century. John Robertson who built the engine for the steamship Comet in 1811, was born in Neilston in 1782.

Best wishes
Lesley

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 6:31 pm

Hi Lesley
The Calton one I already checked and it's not her. The Neilston one is a strong possibility (I never thought of looking under her maiden name!!) Shall have to wait until my credit card recovers from this weekend's research at Scotland's People though. I'll let you know what I find out.
Thanks again!
Carmen

Miss Poohs · Post by **Miss Poohs** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 5:16 pm

Just wanted to but in and say a big Hi to Carmen, so glad you decided to join us, never thought to send you the link before Jx

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:44 pm

Hi Miss Poohs!! This is a great site, thank you so much for the link. See ya around

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 10:21 am

Hi Carmen

Just caught the word'weaver' and that's my special interest.
Marion would be a home worker then with a large wooden loom taking up most of a room. An agent would bring the raw materials, take away the bolt of material from the previous weave and pay for the work.
Most of the outlying villages from Paisley had a high number of handloom weavers. Some places specialised in particular fabrics but most worked either cotton or linen.
Around 1840's more and more looms were being installed in factories and power looms were taking over. Factory owners were undercutting the price of home weavers and beginning the take over of the weaving industry which led to women and children working in sweat-shop conditions for low, low wages while their husbands were idle at home.
Its a fascinating period in industrial history.
Marion may, like so many others been out of work and moved in with relatives or been somewhere that was not recorded on the census.
Not all vagrants, transients, tinkers or other burdens on a parish were recorded. Makes it more difficult for us 150 years later!

Russell

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:25 am

thanks Russell - I hadn't realized she would have had a loom at home!
As I am having trouble finding her, I was wondering if she might have moved to Glasgow or Edinburgh? Or were the mills concentrated in Neilston/Barrhead/Paisley area?
All ideas welcome, my head hurts from banging against this brick wall!

Carmen

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 2:38 pm

Hi Carmen

Although there was quite a bit of movement in the rural areas once folk had moved into the town they tended to stay there. The fact that she was on the census returns early and then in the later ones would indicate that she was around for the missing years but somehow has either missed being recorded or has been mis-transcribed. I would tend to go for the latter explanation.
I looked for what I thought was a simple, unmissable name -Oman - but it took a year before it twigged that I needed to use wildcards to find them listed once as Orman another time as Owan.

Back to my occupational theme. Glasgow was a large weaving centre then, mainly in cotton, Dundee was another buit worked mostly jute and flax.
Paisley was a major weaving town in the West of Scotland with a world wide trade in patterned fabrics. They even re-exported the Paisley pattern fabrics back to Kashmir where the pineapple or tear-drop motif had come from originally. Shawls were a major fashion item and weaving declined in the area when they went out of fashion. Around Paisley they were skilled and were able to do fine linen and silk fabrics.
Edinburgh had no weaving industry of note and from about the 17th century imported most of their materials from elsewhere in Scotland or abroad (the Continent)

Here's a link to Kilbarchan which has other good links in it.

http://www.ainslie.org.uk/genealogy/kil ... istory.htm

Russell