February 26th 1672 – Border woollen industry established as naturalisation is granted to Philip van der Straten of Bruges who set up the first mill dressing and refining wool at Kelso.
In 1672, the Scottish Border woollen industry was in a transitional phase, moving from a primarily domestic, subsistence-based craft towards a more organised, albeit still pre-industrial, commercial footing. The period was characterized by a push to improve the quality of local cloth to rival English imports, supported by legislative efforts to boost Scottish manufacturing.
‘A petition presented reads Philippus van der Straten… intending to reseid in this country and imploy a considerable stock of money in dressing and refining of wooll, in order to which he hath already sett up a work and imployed diverse workmen who are now refining and dressing of Scottes wooll at Kelso… being born in Bruges in Flanders.’
Some subjects have very little for me to work from, the short extracted from the Register of the Privy Council.
As of 2021-2022, there are approximately 27 textile establishments still in operation within the Scottish Borders, comprising a mix of knitting and weaving mills. While the number of mills is significantly lower than a century ago, the industry remains focused on high-end luxury knitwear and tweed, with around 1,000+ people still employed in the sector as of 2021.
