Records of New Lanark Mills, cotton manufacturers, Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

Reference and contact details: GB 0248 UGD 042/7
Title: Records of New Lanark Mills, cotton manufacturers, Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Dates of Creation: 1795-1963
Extent: [Records and correspondence]
repository: Glasgow University Archive Services
Name of Creator: New Lanark Mills (cotton manufacturers: 1784-1903: New Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)
Level of Description: fonds
Language of Material: eng
Published by: Glasgow University Archive Services, 18 June 2002

Administrative/Biographical History

New Lanark Mills, New Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, was founded by David Dale (1739-1806) and Richard Arkwright (1732-1792) in 1784 as a cotton spinning company. Not only did the company produce cotton, but the town of New Lanark that developed around the mills was an experiment by Dale in education and community living. Workers were well-housed, orphans cared for yet religion was never taught or forced upon the community. The Lanark Twist Co purchased the company in 1799 with Robert Owen (1771-1858), Dale's son-in-law, as part-proprietor and sole manager. Owen continued the ideas of social development as instigated by Dale, stocking the village shop with cost-price goods, operating a nursery so that women could work and opening the New Institue for the Formation of Character where children and young people were taught music, singing and dancing. Henry Birkmyre formed a partnership with his brother-in-law Robert Galbraith Somerville in 1881 to purchase New Lanark Mills and he was actively engaged in managing the Mills and Gourock Ropeworks Co until he retired in 1895. Under Birkmyre's supervision, the manufacture of fishing nets from cotton spun at the mills was introduced and skilled operatives and patent net-looms were imported to New Lanark from Refrewshire and elsewhere in Scotland. The manufacture of nets from cotton was a comparatively recent innovation, but Birkmyre clearly sought to exploit markets created through his shipping interests. The partnership was dissolved in 1888 when Birkmyre took over sole proprietorship of the works. A new partnership was formed in 1894 between Henry and his sons William, James and John. The firm was amalgamated with the Gourock Ropeworks Co (established 1736) to form the Gourock Ropeworks Co Ltd (rope makers and textile manufacturers: 1903-1970: Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire) in 1903. The Gourock Ropework Co Ltd became part of Bridon Ropes Ltd in 1970 when it was taken over by Bridon Fibres & Plastics Ltd. The works at New Lanark finally closed in 1967 and is now a World Heritage site.

Sources: Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland (London, 1994)

Scope and Content

The collection contains a mixture of records relating to the individual businesses of New Lanark Mills to the village of New Lanarkand its relationship with the Gourock Ropeworks and Henry Birkmyre.

  • Visitors books 1795-1962
  • Financial records 1801-1912
  • Legal and land records 1834-1912
  • Register of births, deaths and marriages 1818-1853
  • New Lanark population statistics 1806-1861
  • Ledger of the Lanarkshire Twist Co 1804-1808
  • Order and sales books 1811-1820
  • Letter books 1815-1897
  • Cotton purchases books 1862-1914
  • Rent books 1901-1941
  • School records 1852
  • Correspondence between New Lanark Mils and Henry Birkmyre relating to village and housing matters 1876-1914
  • Records relating to the village of New Lanark Mills 1903-1967
  • General correspondence 1950-1963
  • Artefacts 18th century-1935

System of Arrangement

The arrangement of this material reflects the original order in which it was received

Administrative Information

Custodial History

The bulk of this material was received directly from the creator by the Economic History Department, Glasgow University in c1971. Management of the collection transferred to Glasgow University Archives in 1975.

Immediate source of acquisition

Gourock Ropeworks Co Ltd : Port Glasgow : c.1971

Appraisal

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 0248 procedures

Accruals

None expected

Access Conditions

Open

Copyright / Reproduction

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents

Existence and location of copies

Microfilms of the New Lanark visitors' book 1824-1872 are held at GB 0248 UGD 42/8

Further Information

Finding Aids

Digital file level list available in searchroom

Manual file level list available at the National Registers of Archives in Edinburgh (NRA(S)1717) and London (NRA10832)

Related Material

GB 0248 UGD 42/9 Photographs of New Lanark Mills

GB 1499 Papers of Robert Owen including records relating to New Lanark Mills (Co-operative Union Archives)

GB 2051 William Allan's account book for New Lanark Mills 1814-1816 (Glaxo Wellcome Heritage Archives)

GB 0237 Dc 6 110 New Lanark Institution Cash Book (Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections)

GB 0243 TD 66 Plans of mills and villages (Glasgow City Archives)

GB 0248 UGD 42 Records of Gourock Ropeworks Co Ltd

The Gourock Ropeworks Co had a number of subsidiary companies whose records survive:

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/1 Records of Govan Ropeworks

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/2 Records of Archibald Thomson Black & Co

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/3 Records of Gourock Ropeworks Export Co

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/4 Records of Gourock-Bridport Ltd (Montreal) latterly known as Gourock-Bridport-Gurndry Ltd

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/5 Records of Greenock Ropework Co

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/6 Records of Gourock Ropes and Canvass (Africa) Ltd

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/7 Records of Gourock Ropes and Canvass Co Ltd, Australia (including Birkmyre Canvass Co Pty Ltd)

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/8 Records of Birkmyre Brothers (Calcutta) Ltd

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/9 Records of Gourock Ropes & Canvass Ltd, New Zealand

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/10 Records of Gourock Ropes & Canvass Ltd, Argentine

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/12 Records of miscellaneous records relating to overseas companies