Dundee Mills

[Betty Boo]

Hi Annie,

I live in Dundee and both my parents worked in the Jute mills in Dundee also  my grandparents too.  In fact thousands of people worked in the mills, they were very poorly paid but the owners of the mills were very, very wealthy as already stated.

Baxter's mill for one, they gave a park (Baxter's Park) to the people of Dundee as did other mill owners gifted Lochee Park!!

One thing I do remember was the smell of Jute, I loved the smell of it as a wee girl but, I  always said I would never work there after seeing my parents work so hard for their money.

There was Halley's Jute Mill which was near Alexander Street in the hilltown and this is quite near Ann Street.

It was a hard life, long hours and overcrowded housing, large families, outside toilets shared by many families.  No bath except a tin bath that everyone used at night by heating hot water in kettles on an open fire.

Betty

[Anne Wilson]

A big thank you to all of you for all that info.......I'm slowing working through it all. The generousity of Rootschatters never ceases to amaze me!
Cheers
Annie

[Christopher]

Click to view a collection of photographs taken on site of the former Godfrey's Jute Mill, Broughty Ferry Road, Dundee. It's a great pity that progress has to leave so many derelict buildings, empty churches and split communities in its wake. Sadly many of the records of those worked on the factory floors, attended the churches and lived in the communities are somewhat difficult to find which is the reason why so many of us are gathered here together on RootsChat.
Keep digging for more information

Christopher   

[rubyrose]

This information wasn't meant for me, but I would like to say a big thank you as some of my ancestors lived in Lochee in the 1840s and worked in the mills there. I now have a lot of really interesting leads to follow to help give me a better picture of what life was like at that time in Dundee.

Thanks very much, once again.

Ruby