LOCAL people are being invited to share their memories of Musselburgh’s rich manufacturing heritage as part of a joint project between East Lothian Council and the University of Edinburgh.
The initiative – ‘Made in Musselburgh: Memories of Industry in the Honest Toun’ – is aimed at preserving knowledge of an important part of the town’s past.
An open drop-in event will be held at Stuart House, Eskmills, on Wednesday, March 30, from 10am to 3pm, when residents will hear how they can get involved.
A project spokesperson said that the manufacturing industry was a prominent employer in Musselburgh for many years.
Brunton’s Wire Mill made wire for musical instruments and ropes.
During the First World War, the Air Ministry relied on the company for the manufacture of aeroplane wires.
Production was again focused on military manufacturing during the Second World War, including bomb slings, aeroplane cables and fittings, ropes for many purposes, and whip aerials.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the firm continued to specialise in aircraft wings and fittings.
One growing area of supply at this time was in bridge ropes, and the company made all of the wire ropes used in the construction of the Forth Road Bridge, and the suspension ropes for the Humber Bridge.
In February 1997, Brunton’s closed, ending 121 years of wire manufacture in the town.
J & W Stuart Mills became a world leader in the fishing net industry, with sales and repair facilities in North America, Europe and Australia.
Colonel James Paterson, local to Musselburgh, invented and patented in 1812 the first machine capable of tying knots for the manufacture of fishing nets.
When he died, his company and patents for knot-tying machines were bought by J.W. Stuart, who established a factory for the manufacture of fishing nets on the banks of the River Esk.
Inveresk Paper Mill was another of Musselburgh’s past industries, built by Alex Cowan and Sons of Valleyfield in 1867.
The paper manufacturer specialised in fine writing, printing and art papers.
The mill closed in 1970 and was mostly demolished.
The council-operated John Gray Centre in Haddington, which holds local archives, and the European Ethnological Research Centre (EERC), from the University of Edinburgh, are working to record the memories of local people.
Mark Mulhern, senior research fellow at the EERC, explained: “Hearing from the folk of Musselburgh about their memories of its industrial manufacturing past will greatly enrich our understanding of the Honest Toun.”
Ruth Fyfe, archivist with East Lothian Council, said: “We have a fantastic collection of images in the archives relating to the wire, net and paper mills in Musselburgh so this is a great opportunity to come along and see them.
“We’re excited to be part of the project. ”part of the project. The recordings will be available to the public and preserved in our archives for generations to come so this really is a chance to be involved in making Musselburgh’s history."
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