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Maybole, 9 St Cuthbert's Road, Boot And Shoe Factory
Factory (19th Century)
Site Name Maybole, 9 St Cuthbert's Road, Boot And Shoe Factory
Classification Factory (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) 10 St Cuthbert's Street; Kirkland Street
Canmore ID 174771
Site Number NS30NW 45
NGR NS 3025 0999
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/174771
- Council South Ayrshire
- Parish Maybole
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Kyle And Carrick
- Former County Ayrshire
NMRS REFERENCE:
Architect: Allan Stevenson. 1912. Adds and alts for R. Crawford.
Plans: at Darley Hay Partnership, Ayr.
Publication Account (2005)
Both shoemaking and tanning were carried out in small-scale units during the early nineteenth century, the tanneries being sited by water sources, such as at St Cuthbert's Road, formerly Smithy Brae. These sites formed the basis for the post-1850 expansion of the industry, an expansion that transformed the appearance of the burgh with the erection of large factories that specialised in the production of heavy working boots called 'Maybole tacketties' which were used extensively in the construction industry and by agricultural labourers. The industry flourished in the late nineteenth century when ten factories employed 1500 persons and sold one million shoes per year; the population of the town rose to 5500 in 1891, boosted by a large Irish immigrant population. The industry reached its peak with the expansion of the Lorne factory by Thomas Aitken Gray in 1881 which, by 1883, had a work force of 283 men. These shoe factories dominated both the economy and the urban topography of the town in the late nineteenth century. The factory of Charles Crawford was in Kirkwynd (fig 28), within the heart of the historic burgh (NS 3017 0997). The St Cuthbert's factory of James Ramsay occupied the angle between the present St Cuthbert's Street and St Cuthbert's Road Further east was the Townend factory 138 of John Lees & Co (NS 3044 1033). This continued until a disastrous fire in 1962.
The smaller company of McCreath & Co continued in business until 1968.
Information from ‘The Scottish Burgh Survey, Historic Maybole: Archaeology and Development’ (2005).
