This is the first biography of linen manufacturer William Sandeman (1722-1790), a significant figure in the early industrialisation of Scotland, who worked with the Board of Trustees for Manufacturers, to improve Scottish linen manufacture. A member of the Perth mercantile elite, he employed 1,000 hand workers in Highland Perthshire and Easter Ross; exporting to Europe, the Caribbean and North America.
A staunch Unionist, he wished to effectuate a perfect unity between South and North Britain' and persuaded Richard Arkwright, the English entrepreneur and cotton-spinner, to invest in Scottish mills in New Lanark and Stanley. Sandeman was a pioneer in the use of water-powered cotton machinery and with six other partners held a £1,000 share in the Stanley Company, a total fixed capital of £7,000. He deserves to be better known. |
