Factory facts in short supply

His home village’s textiles heritage and its once-thriving artisan sector are a source of fascination – and sadly, also, despair – for Perthshire resident Thomas Brown.

The Bankfoot man is a keen student of local history, and has been carrying out his own research into his local turf ’s changing face over the past 150 years.

Thomas writes: “From a historical point of view a mystery hangs over the village of Bankfoot and that lies with a linen factory which during the 1800s was without doubt a substantial employer for the village – and such a source of the building of houses.

“But sadly nothing is known about this factory. I have tried many sources but am no further forwards.

“I find it most unusual and frankly disappointing that the village forefathers did not record life at the factory, number of workers, conditions, hours of work, transportation, how it was powered, when it opened and closed, etc.

“In 1894 the local village registrar, Don Cumming, wrote the only known book about Bankfoot, A Guide To Auchtergaven. At a guess, I’d imagine the factory would be there at this time – and yet little is said about it.

“The only noted employee was a local published poet, William David Robertson, 1833-1891, a clerk. All I have to go on is that the factory’s founder was Thomas Wylie of Airlewight, 1812-1886, and that there’s an association with a linen jute factory which was based in Dundee – Thomas Taylor.

“The Bankfoot factory was sited at Graham Court, just off Prieston Road. I find it sad that Stanley enjoys its history of

its jute mill, and Luncarty its bleachworks, both where I was employed, but nothing of Bankfoot – and it was a factory village.

“As a boy when I resided in a prefab on Prieston Road from 1946 to 1957 the factory’s tall chimney stack yet stood, only then it was a builder’s yard. Old postcards show the chimney, including a print I presented to a resident of Graham Court.”

Thomas adds: “As an added interest I wish to add that in Don Cumming’s era

there were 25 shops in Bankfoot, and they are all listed in his book. They were John C Nicoll cycle agent, Andrew Henderson bread and biscuit maker, Donald MacFarlane grocer/draper, James Young merchant’s, PR Paul draper, fancy goods and postcards, Miss MacFarlane’s corner shop, Thomas Taylor’s boot shop, RD Phillips grocer and provisions, Mrs Thomas Young ironmonger, David Patrick jobbing and posting, Auchtergaven Provision Society, Thomas Naughton bread and biscuit maker, Mrs Paton dressmaker, Thomas Fitzpatrick tailor and clothier, KM Sprunt dressmaker, John MacGregor hardware, James McLeish shoemaker, William Murray butcher, David Lunan baker/sweets, Mrs Dewer teas/ refreshments, Thomas Young boot/shoe shop, Robert Turnbull tailor, Mrs Miller market gardener, and at Garry there was the fruit farm and Mrs Burns’ shop.

“All these were shops in Bankfoot in the 19th Century up to the early 20th Century. Today the village is served by one local store on Main Street.”

This picture from November 1957 shows the Duchess of Atholl – at centre beneath a dark umbrella – taking a salute at the Armistice Day parade by Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse light cavalry regiment recruits as they march along High Street in Dunkeld.

Thanks to Eric Niven, who enjoyed snapping some tufted ducks as they took advantage of the rocks on the “Swannie Ponds” – Stobsmuir Ponds – on his Dundee home patch.