Mile End Mill, Paisley, Scotland
Today, I attended a meeting in Paisley (near Glasgow) and took the opportunity to connect with this town’s historic association with the textile (thread mill) industry which at its peak employed tens of thousands of people in huge mill complexes.Two of the mills still exist although are now converted to office and residential housing accommodation.One of the mills, Ferguslie, has been demolished.
Thread making in Paisley was dominated by the Coats and Clark families who once the largest thread manufacturers in the world with factories in Russia, Germany, Spain, Chile, Argentina, U.S.A (New Jersey) and other places. These families had a philanthropic ethic and helped to finance both Paisley Town Hall and the huge Baptist ‘Cathedral’.
Another famous product of Paisley is the Paisley Pattern Shawl which is still produced on a small scale and can be purchased at the Town Museum.
Since the demise of the textile industry, Paisley has been struggling to reinvent itself. There is a lot of history here (historic Abbey and more) but the town tends to be by-passed by visitors in favour of nearby Glasgow.
To help visitors understand the industrial past, there is a Thread Mill Museum at the former Mile End Mill which is open April-Sept.
This mill is located on the White Cart Water (river) which once provided a power source for the industry. continue reading…
