signed inscribed and dated
Towards the end of the eighteenth century a small company carried a woollen manufactory at Dallerie which came into the hands of John McQueen but he was unsuccessful. At the beginning of the last century, Mr James McEwan when a boy, came to Crieff with his father, who engaged in woollen manufactures. On his father's death Mr McEwan entered into partnership with Mr William Hamilton and they started a woollen manufactory in a building at the foot of James Square on the east side of King Street . This building was then known as “The Warehouse “but in after years it attained the unenviable sobriquet of “Mount Rascal “. Messrs McEwen and Hamilton carried on the business with much success for several years, but at last they dissolved partnership. Mr McEwan took over the company's premises at Dallerie , while Mr Hamilton started distilling in succession to Mr Johnston.
Through the energy and ability of Mr McEwan, the business increased rapidly, and he soon had occasion to erect additional buildings and took his sons James and Alexander into partnership with him. Philip's old distillery was acquired as a branch establishment and these two manufactories gave employment to a large number of hands. In the course of time the firm of James McEwan & Sons and the Dallerie Wool Mills became well known all over the country . In 1859 an order was given to Messrs McEwen for 200 yards of Drummond and Stewart tartans, which was to be used as carpeting on the occasion of Queen Victoria inaugurating the Glasgow Water Works at Loch Katrine on 21st October. James McEwan at last retired, and lived quietly in Crieff until his death on the 10th December 1877
( author’s note : It was in fact his son James who died then ). His two sons carried on the business for several years and eventually James withdrew, leaving it in the hands of Alexander. The latter , with the assistance of two of his sons carried it on for some time , but at last gave it up , and for some years the mill was in disuse . Mr Alexander McEwan died on the 21st February 1886. The Warehouse – known locally as Mount Rascal where the first woollen manufactory was set up in the early part of the 19th century by James McEwan and William Hamilton . Examination of the first detailed census carried out in 1841 throughout Britain shows that the McEwan Manufactory was very much a family concern
Census for 1841
Parish of Crieff ( Quoad Sacra )
Milnab ( NV )
McEwans Manufactory
1 inhabited house
James McEwan male 60 woollen manufacturer born in Perthshire
James McEwan Jr male 30 woollen manufacturer born in Perthshire
Peter McEwan male 15 born in Perthshire
Agnes McEwan female 55 born in Perthshire
Margaret McEwan female 25 born in Perthshire
Agnes McEwan female 20 born in Perthshire
___________________
Margaret Bayne female 11 female servant born in Perthshire
According to Porteous , the Dallerie wool business was founded in the late 18th century by one John McQueen but was not successful . The father of James McEwan came to Crieff with his family about this time We know from the 1841 census that James had been born in Perthshire . The census was thin in exactitude . It did not give relationships between members of the house hold and only children’s ages were exact . Those over 15 usually had their ages rounded up or down to the nearest 5 years . It also failed to give the place of birth only whether they had been born in the county of the census or not . Analysing this first McEwan census information we see that James McEwan was aged 60 and born in Perthshire . This was the laddie who had arrived in Crieff with his dad as mentioned in Porteous . We do not know his father’s first name but it could have been James as well . The family although not from Crieff were from not far away . McEwans abound in West Perthshire and originated in Argyll as “ Maceoghainn “ in Gaelic . Tradition gives their base as Loch Fyne side . James would have been born about 1780 . The Agnes McEwan mentioned in the census was James’ wife . Her maiden name was Monteith and they had married in Crieff about 1804 . The family details are thus :
James McEwan
Born: Abt. 1779 in: Perthshire
Married: Abt. 1804
Died: Before 1855
Wife: Agnes Monteath
Born: Abt. 1784 in Perthshire
Died: Bef. 1841
Children
1 Name: James McEwan
Born: Apr 1805 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 17 Dec 1877 in: East Toll Terrace Crieff Perthshire
Burial:
Married: 07 Oct 1849 in: Crieff Perthshire
Spouse: Ann Menzies
2 Name: Helen McEwan
Born: Mar 1807 in: Crieff Perthshire
3 Name: Alexander McEwan
Born: 21 Aug 1809 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 21 Feb 1886 in: Coldwells Villa Crieff Perthshire
Married: 10 Jun 1838 in: Crieff Perthshire
Spouse: Annie McOwan
4 Name: Margaret McEwan
Born: Sep 1811 in: Crieff Perthshire
5 Name: Agnes McEwan
Born: Sep 1816 in: Crieff Perthshire
6 Name: Janet McEwan
Born: Jun 1819 in: Crieff Perthshire
The census ( taken in June 1841 ) shows that James ‘ second son Alexander had married and was living with his wife and family in nearby Comrie Street .
Census for 1841
West Parish of Crieff / Quoad Sacra
Comrie Street
Alexr. McEwan 26 male woollen Manufacturer born in the County of Perth
Ann McEwan 25 female born in the County of Perth ( NB wrong she was born in Carnwath in Lanarkshire )
James McEwan 2 male born in the County of Perth
Peter McEwan 1 male born in the County of Perth
His wife was Ann McEwan whose maiden name was McOwan . She was born in Carnwath near Biggar in Lanarkshire in 1814 . Her father was Peter McOwan who was a builder and her mother a Janet Black . The family probably originated from the Crieff area as the name “ McOwan “ is found a lot around here . Indeed the McOwan of Highland Toffee fame was born in nearby Muthill ( see biography above ! )
Alexander and Ann had a large family and the daughter Ann ,married Lewis Miller .
The family details are thus :
Husband: Alexander McEwan
Born: 21 Aug 1809 in: Crieff Perthshire
Married: 10 Jun 1838 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 21 Feb 1886 in: Coldwells Villa Crieff Perthshire
Father: James McEwan
Mother: Agnes Monteath
Wife: Annie McOwan
Born: 1814 in: Carnwath Lanarkshire
Died: 20 Aug 1895 in: Coldwells Villa Crieff
Father: Peter McOwan
Mother: Janet Black
CHILDREN
1 Name: James McEwan
Born: 07 Jan 1839 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 1918
Spouse: Ellen ?
2 Name: Peter McEwan
Born: 21 Aug 1840 in: Crieff Perthshire
Spouse: Mary Comrie
3 Name: Agnes McEwan
Born: 11 Dec 1842 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 19 Nov 1926
Spouse: William Whyte
4 Name: Janet McEwan
Born: 11 Dec 1842 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 13 Aug 1921
Spouse: Alexander Herron
5 Name: John McEwan
Born: 17 Mar 1847 in: Crieff Perthshire
6. Name: Annie McEwan
Born: 16 Mar 1850 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 02 Sep 1911 in: Bennachie Crieff
Married: 01 Mar 1876 in: Crieff Perthshire
Spouse: Lewis Miller
7 Name: Alexander J McEwan
Born: 01 Nov 1852 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 03 Dec 1930 in: Canada
Married: 04 Jan 1881 in: Vankleek Hill Ontario Canada
Spouse: Ellen Jane Jamieson
8 Name: William Black McEwan
Born: Oct 1854 in: Crieff Perthshire
M Died: 16 Oct 1909 in: Canada
Married: in: Ottawa Canada
Spouse: Margaret Urquhart
Ann McEwan , wife of Lewis Miller . Born in Crieff 16 March 1850 and died in
“ Benachie ” 2 September 1911 .
Parts of the old “ manufactory “ at Dallerie still stands
Above and below
As noted by Porteous , the McEwan Woollen business was run by Alexander McEwan the second son of James McEwan . His older brother , also called James , had retired from the business . James Jr lived in what is now Dollerie Terrace with his wife who also called Ann and had the maiden name of Menzies . They had married when James was 45 in 1849 . Ann was eight years younger than her husband . They had a son who, naturally, was also called James , named after his father and grand father . Tragically , the young McEwan died aged 10 from hydrocephalus or water on the brain . This must have had a devastating effect on the family . He was their only child . The death certificate states that he died at Dallerie . This perhaps also explains James premature retiral from the business .
Alexander McEwan died in Coldwells Villa Crieff aged 76 in 1886 having suffered paralysis for one year . The informant to his death was his son in law Lewis Miller . His wife Annie died also in Coldwells Villa , some nine years later , aged 81 .
The history of “ McEwans Manufactory “ and the family who made it such an important part of the local economy must not be forgotten . Many of the buildings are long since gone but as one can see from the accompanying photographs some still remain . The McEwan House ( called The Limes ) is owned by the Crieff Hydro Hotel and is split into two flats / apartments . The Hydro sold off much off the ground to allow houses to be built and it is an attractive locus in a pleasant setting . After the departure of the McEwans in 1872 , it was run as a woollen mill by the Auchterarder based Hally & Company . They altered the building to suit changing requirements and at one time it employed over 300 workers . Power came from the mill lade which ran from the Turret Burn at what is now MacRostie Park southwards to the Dallerie works and then onto the River Earn at Bridgend . Halley ‘s transferred the business to their Auchterarder works in 1883 and the buildings were purchased by a Mr John McCallum of the Hosh Distillery for £ 2500 . It functioned for many years as a dyeing and cleaning operation known as the Strathearn Laundry being purchased eventually by the current owners Crieff Hydro Hotel .
Dallerie Mill pictured in 1867 by Crieff photographer McFarlane
The Warehouse – known locally as Mount Rascal where the first woollen manufactory was set up in the early part of the 19th century by James McEwan and William Hamilton .
Examination of the first detailed census carried out in 1841 throughout Britain shows that the McEwan Manufactory was very much a family concern
Census for 1841
Parish of Crieff ( Quoad Sacra )
Milnab ( NV )
McEwans Manufactory
1 inhabited house
James McEwan male 60 woollen manufacturer born in Perthshire
James McEwan Jr male 30 woollen manufacturer born in Perthshire
Peter McEwan male 15 born in Perthshire
Agnes McEwan female 55 born in Perthshire
Margaret McEwan female 25 born in Perthshire
Agnes McEwan female 20 born in Perthshire
___________________
Margaret Bayne female 11 female servant born in Perthshire
The McEwan house at Dallerie in 2006 – surrounded by newly built houses but still in private occupation.
According to Porteous , the Dallerie wool business was founded in the late 18th century by one John McQueen but was not successful . The father of James McEwan came to Crieff with his family about this time We know from the 1841 census that James had been born in Perthshire . The census was thin in exactitude . It did not give relationships between members of the house hold and only children’s ages were exact . Those over 15 usually had their ages rounded up or down to the nearest 5 years . It also failed to give the place of birth only whether they had been born in the county of the census or not . Analysing this first McEwan census information we see that James McEwan was aged 60 and born in Perthshire . This was the laddie who had arrived in Crieff with his dad as mentioned in Porteous . We do not know his father’s first name but it could have been James as well . The family although not from Crieff were from not far away . McEwans abound in West Perthshire and originated in Argyll as “ Maceoghainn “ in Gaelic . Tradition gives their base as Loch Fyne side . James would have been born about 1780 . The Agnes McEwan mentioned in the census was James’ wife . Her maiden name was Monteith and they had married in Crieff about 1804 . The family details are thus :
James McEwan
Born: Abt. 1779 in: Perthshire
Married: Abt. 1804
Died: Before 1855
Wife: Agnes Monteath
Born: Abt. 1784 in Perthshire
Died: Bef. 1841
Children
1 Name: James McEwan
Born: Apr 1805 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 17 Dec 1877 in: East Toll Terrace Crieff Perthshire
Burial:
Married: 07 Oct 1849 in: Crieff Perthshire
Spouse: Ann Menzies
2 Name: Helen McEwan
Born: Mar 1807 in: Crieff Perthshire
3 Name: Alexander McEwan
Born: 21 Aug 1809 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 21 Feb 1886 in: Coldwells Villa Crieff Perthshire
Married: 10 Jun 1838 in: Crieff Perthshire
Spouse: Annie McOwan
4 Name: Margaret McEwan
Born: Sep 1811 in: Crieff Perthshire
5 Name: Agnes McEwan
Born: Sep 1816 in: Crieff Perthshire
6 Name: Janet McEwan
Born: Jun 1819 in: Crieff Perthshire
The census ( taken in June 1841 ) shows that James ‘ second son Alexander had married and was living with his wife and family in nearby Comrie Street .
Census for 1841
West Parish of Crieff / Quoad Sacra
Comrie Street
Alexr. McEwan 26 male woollen Manufacturer born in the County of Perth
Ann McEwan 25 female born in the County of Perth ( NB wrong she was born in Carnwath in Lanarkshire )
James McEwan 2 male born in the County of Perth
Peter McEwan 1 male born in the County of Perth
His wife was Ann McEwan whose maiden name was McOwan . She was born in Carnwath near Biggar in Lanarkshire in 1814 . Her father was Peter McOwan who was a builder and her mother a Janet Black . The family probably originated from the Crieff area as the name “ McOwan “ is found a lot around here . Indeed the McOwan of Highland Toffee fame was born in nearby Muthill ( see biography above ! )
Alexander and Ann had a large family and the daughter Ann ,married Lewis Miller .
The family details are thus :
Husband: Alexander McEwan
Born: 21 Aug 1809 in: Crieff Perthshire
Married: 10 Jun 1838 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 21 Feb 1886 in: Coldwells Villa Crieff Perthshire
Father: James McEwan
Mother: Agnes Monteath
Wife: Annie McOwan
Born: 1814 in: Carnwath Lanarkshire
Died: 20 Aug 1895 in: Coldwells Villa Crieff
Father: Peter McOwan
Mother: Janet Black
CHILDREN
1 Name: James McEwan
Born: 07 Jan 1839 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 1918
Spouse: Ellen ?
2 Name: Peter McEwan
Born: 21 Aug 1840 in: Crieff Perthshire
Spouse: Mary Comrie
3 Name: Agnes McEwan
Born: 11 Dec 1842 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 19 Nov 1926
Spouse: William Whyte
4 Name: Janet McEwan
Born: 11 Dec 1842 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 13 Aug 1921
Spouse: Alexander Herron
5 Name: John McEwan
Born: 17 Mar 1847 in: Crieff Perthshire
6. Name: Annie McEwan
Born: 16 Mar 1850 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 02 Sep 1911 in: Bennachie Crieff
Married: 01 Mar 1876 in: Crieff Perthshire
Spouse: Lewis Miller
7 Name: Alexander J McEwan
Born: 01 Nov 1852 in: Crieff Perthshire
Died: 03 Dec 1930 in: Canada
Married: 04 Jan 1881 in: Vankleek Hill Ontario Canada
Spouse: Ellen Jane Jamieson
8 Name: William Black McEwan
Born: Oct 1854 in: Crieff Perthshire
M Died: 16 Oct 1909 in: Canada
Married: in: Ottawa Canada
Spouse: Margaret Urquhart
Ann McEwan , wife of Lewis Miller . Born in Crieff 16 March 1850 and died in
“ Benachie ” 2 September 1911 .
Parts of the old “ manufactory “ at Dallerie still stands
Above and below
As noted by Porteous , the McEwan Woollen business was run by Alexander McEwan the second son of James McEwan . His older brother , also called James , had retired from the business . James Jr lived in what is now Dollerie Terrace with his wife who also called Ann and had the maiden name of Menzies . They had married when James was 45 in 1849 . Ann was eight years younger than her husband . They had a son who, naturally, was also called James , named after his father and grand father . Tragically , the young McEwan died aged 10 from hydrocephalus or water on the brain . This must have had a devastating effect on the family . He was their only child . The death certificate states that he died at Dallerie . This perhaps also explains James premature retiral from the business .
Alexander McEwan died in Coldwells Villa Crieff aged 76 in 1886 having suffered paralysis for one year . The informant to his death was his son in law Lewis Miller . His wife Annie died also in Coldwells Villa , some nine years later , aged 81 .
The history of “ McEwans Manufactory “ and the family who made it such an important part of the local economy must not be forgotten . Many of the buildings are long since gone but as one can see from the accompanying photographs some still remain . The McEwan House ( called The Limes ) is owned by the Crieff Hydro Hotel and is split into two flats / apartments . The Hydro sold off much off the ground to allow houses to be built and it is an attractive locus in a pleasant setting . After the departure of the McEwans in 1872 , it was run as a woollen mill by the Auchterarder based Hally & Company . They altered the building to suit changing requirements and at one time it employed over 300 workers . Power came from the mill lade which ran from the Turret Burn at what is now MacRostie Park southwards to the Dallerie works and then onto the River Earn at Bridgend . Halley ‘s transferred the business to their Auchterarder works in 1883 and the buildings were purchased by a Mr John McCallum of the Hosh Distillery for £ 2500 . It functioned for many years as a dyeing and cleaning operation known as the Strathearn Laundry being purchased eventually by the current owners Crieff Hydro Hotel .
The Rise and Fall of Inchbrakie – The Story of the Graemes and Why A Great House Was Demolished and A Family Heritage Threatened
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Back to the Past Comrie in the 1790s We are somewhat fortunate in Scotland to have preserved on line the Incredible Statistical Accounts . The first produced in the 1790s were co ordinated by Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster in Caithness . He sent out a structured questionnaire to over 900 parish ministers covering the whole of Scotland They were asked 160 questions in four sections covering geography and topography , population , agriculture and industrial production and some miscellaneous queries . The general response was excellent and a detailed portrait of the Nation was laid before the General Assembly ( of the Church of Scotland ) in 1799 . We now have an incredible picture of the world in which our ancestors lived and worked . A time which enables us to look at on the eve of both the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution . Further Accounts were prepared on the same basis in the 1840s and 1950s.
For Strathearn, the diminution in importance of the Michaelmas Fair or Market in the later part of the 18th century brought about by the collapse of the cattle trade, was to a certain extent offset by the rapid growth of the linen trade. Traditionally, rural communities had always had a weaving tradition although mostly in wool. With the Union of Parliaments, the protective tariffs set up by the English state were abolished and at last Scottish merchants were given equal opportunities to deal with the lucrative London market where the light , cheap linen cloths had begun to usurp the hold of the traditional woollen garment. The town of Crieff too, had developed its own weaving " industry " in the wake of the decline after the departure of the Tryst to Falkirk . It was prior to the '45 Rising when James Drummond , Third Duke of Perth opened a linen " factory " on the site of what is now the District Library at the junction of Lodge Brae and Comrie Street . Known as the Mason's Hall part of it is still owned by the Masonic Lodge and one can see the much worn stone embellishment on the front facade with the inscription “ St Michael’s Lodge ” still visible. No doubt Drummond's Jacobite sympathies were the root cause of the factory's destruction by the Hanoverian troops in 1746 but so ended the initial attempt to establish a viable textile trade within the town. In reflection this would have undoubtedly have assisted the local economy of the time. With the Tryst still active for about another 20 or so years, the down turn in local trade may have been averted. Irrespective of ones attitude to the parties of conflict , it is clear that out of chaos came a semblance of normality and hope. The Government appointed Commissioners to administer the confiscated estates of the deposed Jacobites including the Perth family , until then the dominant Strathearn lairds. A concerted effort was made to establish the linen trade in Crieff . Ground was made available to feu out ( ie to lease in perpetuity ) to enable the individual to build a home with a small garden in which he could grow flax to be spun into linen. The Commissioners also assisted in the development of the linen industry by providing water power for scutching mills at nominal rentals or feus . Scutching was the process which treated the flax prior to heckling and the final spinning of the thread . When the dried flax stalks were going through the scutching mill , the “ scutchers ” threw off a great deal off refuse which was known as pob or pob - tow and was used by the poorer people as fuel . According to Porteous the chief burners of pob - tow were the inhabitants of Bridgend. There were several scutching mills in operation and they worked mainly in the winter months . Because of the dust, it became obligatory for the thirsty deliverers of flax to receive a bottle of whisky per load ! The spinning of the flax was normally the work of the women folk . Prior to it being spun it was heckled or broken down. The Meadows or Town Green was the principal area of the Crieff where the webs of linen were laid out for bleaching. It was John Drummond , Second Earl of Perth who had brought the first Flemish weavers to Strathearn in the early part of the 17th century . Prior to linen , wool was spun and woven. Waulk and fulling mills were established near Turret Bridge in what is now Mungall Park and at Drummond Castle in the earlier part of the 18th Century .These prepared and shrank the cloth. Towards the end of the 18th Century a small company carried on a woollen “ manufactory ” at Dallerie . Another such “ manufactory ” was established at the south side of James Square where the Golf Shop is now located . The building was known as the Warehouse or locally as Mount Rascal . James McEwan established the Dallerie Woollen Mills which specialised in tartan cloth . It was later bought by Hally and Co of Auchterarder . The Earnvale Woollen Mill was established by James Mitchell at the end of the laid opposite Braidhaugh and functioned for a number of years . It had a somewhat chequered career having been damaged by fire on more than one occasion . The buildings can still be seen from the bridge .They served for a number of years as workshops for Derek Halley , landscape contractor . With planning permission having been granted for a housing development yet another piece of Crieff’’s diminishing industrial heritage is scheduled to disappear before very long . Commercially wool became an important part of the town’s economy . As with Auchterarder , it developed eventually along power loom lines and utilised the water power of the nearby River Earn and the Turret Burn . An examination of the 1901 ordnance survey map of the area clearly shows the utilisation of this resource with the construction of a lade from the weir at what is the top end of MacRosty Park southwards till it joined the Earn opposite the Braidhaugh at the bridge . The lade with its multiplicity of sluices is sadly no more. The storms of the '80s brought torrential rainfall to the upper reaches of the Turret and the violent flood waters caused havoc lower down with the result that the weir was severely damaged and the lade left high and dry. Despite plans and proposals it appears unlikely that water will flow again down its course . In its hay day, there was a saw mill and a corn mill at Milnab on the site of what is now Park Manor . Further down at the entrance to Morrison' s playing fields at Dallerie was a large and for a long time , a prosperous woollen mill . Established at the end of the 18th century and run by one John McQueen it did not really come to prominence until it was taken over by James McEwan who had been as noted above , been in business on the east side of James Square with a William Hamilton . The business of James McEwan and Sons became famous for its tartans and for the early part of the 18th century employed a large number of people as power loom weavers . The business and premises at Dallerie were purchased in the 1870s by Hallys of Auchterarder who invested money in new buildings and equipment and for a while employed upwards of 300 persons . In a process of rationalisation the works were closed after a little over 10 years and business transferred to their Ruthvenvale Mill in the " Lang Toon ". The factory then became a dyeing and cleaning establishment and eventually was bought and run by the Crieff Hydro as the Strathearn Steam Laundry Company . The Weavers Society of Crieff Weaving and spinning had grown over the years from being merely an adjunct to normal agricultural operations to a thriving cottage industry by the 18th century . In most cases it was the farmer’s wife would have spun the wool from the sheep and follow this through by weaving a rough cloth to be turned into garments for her family .Sometimes the spun wool would be sold to the village weaver who in his loom shed would convert the raw material into usable cloth . The invention of the handloom by Joseph Loom in Flanders in the early 1700s had revolutionised things dramatically. The number of weavers and associated trades had grown rapidly in the villages of Strathearn. In 1768 the Weavers Society was formed in Crieff . Each weaver paid into a fund to support the families of those of his trade to ensure that their widows and their orphans would not be left destitute . A code of rules and regulations were drawn up by the eight founding members and approved in 1770 . Such was the success of the new Society that year by the year numbers grew . At a meeting held on the 9th November 1775 , it was resolved to have an annual procession and to purchase the necessary flags etc., for such occasions . Again the only extant account seems to have that published by Macara in 1881 . “Immediately after this meeting they set about getting the colours with all possible speed and employed a painter in Paisley to paint after the pattern of their colours at Paisley and they were soon got home and their price was for six yards of crimson silk £2 .2s ; for painting £2.2s ; for the pole to carry them 1/6 ; for the iron and brass for the top of the pole 2/- ; for two tassels 5/- . There was also got 12 1/2 yards of crimson Persian silk for sashes at two shillings and four pence per yard. There was also provided 80 rods to carry in their hands at 1/2d each. Having got every thing provided necessary for the procession they agreed to have their parade on the 4th day of June 1776 years, being His Majesty's birthday , George III , and a good number of the brethren being present they having by this time increased to about 80 and so after choosing persons to bear office for the ensuing year and going through some other business , they for the first time made a very regular and orderly procession through the town between five and six o'clock afternoon , having a very good band of music attending them , and after the parade spent the night in taking a glass with one another in a most cheerful and harmonious manner . What would the present natives not give to have a photograph and detailed account of this procession? The appearance of the actors , their dresses , demeanour , size , style of marching , and the music and musical instruments to which they marched ? Also the appearance of the streets , made of rows of thatched biggings , and the crowds of onlookers would make a most interesting and instructive study . The annual processions thereafter were sights worth seeing , and the rural inhabitants crowded the village on such occasions . On the 4th of June 1795 " a petition from the brethren in Comrie was presented craving that the Society would grant them the favour of the colours and the sashes belonging the corporation upon the 13th day of July next , in order that they might have a parade on that day , which they think might be for the honour and advantage of the Society , and that a number of the members from Crieff might attend , " which petition was unanimously agreed unto. At a meeting held on 19th June 1781 , the members of the Society belonging to Auchterarder craved authority to be allowed to erect themselves into a Society at Auchterarder , " and " they would pay instantly five shillings as an acknowledgement of having sprung from the Crieff Society ; which was agreed to ”. A similar petition came from Fowlis Wester in 1819 ,and Muthill followed suit in 1822 , and " they solicit us ( not only as being their maternal society , but being the first and most honourable society in Scotland ) for obtaining the weaver craft . " The site of the Hall was in Commissioner Street or to be specific Scott Terrace and was rebuilt and turned into flats around the 1930s . PART THREE to follow will locate at the rise and demise of the weaving fraternity in Strathearn in the first half of the 19th century . From middle class citizens to paupers in but two decades .