James Hamilton, quilter

[kiwihalfpint]

In the 1891 census he was a tailor. I cannot find this reference. To me, the quilt looks as though it is made with fabrics a tailor might have to hand.

It is a lovely quilt.

No bright colours of today were used. They grabbed what they could get their hands on, sometimes flour sacks were bleached etc.  Wonder if this was hand sewn instead of machine, depending on the year it was made.  Apologies, the quilter in me speaks.

Cheers
KHP

[ColC]

Singer sewing machines was founded by Issac Singer in 1850. The first factory outside of America was built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1867. In 1870 Singer sold 170,000 machines and opened up its first factory in England.

Colin

[Harlem]

Thanks again, everybody, for your thoughts.

Kiwihalfpint, i have 'met' you in the cats thread too (I am Portia's staff). We seem to have a few things in common. I, too, am a quilter. i was intrigued that the quilt pattern is known as log cabin, and, largely because of the name, is associated with American quilts. That tradition has been re-exported back to the UK recently. Yet, here it is being made by a male Scottish quilter around 1900 probably. Would he have known it as log cabin? Probably not. I don't know much about the quilt, and I propose to ask the Guild's curator how it was made. It looks like shirting to me. however, I want to demonstrate first that I have been able to find out some family history stuff. Watch this space.

[sancti]

https://www.historyscotland.com/history/an-expert-guide-to-19th-century-scottish-quilts/

[Harlem]

Thank you for that. Any kind of background information is also useful, particularly about quilts.
I see there was a lot of unrest in the coal industry in Airdrie when James was a boy, and he will have grown up in that environment. I need to go into that some more.
I was wondering, though, if any of you have any information about Plains. James lived there , in Smith's Place, for some time at the beginning of the 20th century. i have googled, but I couldn't find any photos of Smiths Place, nor an indication of where it was. Plains seems to have just been a straight road through a small village. Does anyone know anything about the history of the place, or have any links to likely sources?
Thank you for all your help and ideas.

[Forfarian]

According to the Valuation Rolls at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk The only householder named James Hamilton in the parish of New Monkland lived in Plains
1905: House, Plains
1915: House, Plains
1920: House, 7 Plains
1925: House, Plains
1930: House, Latta Place, Plains

I cannot say whether or not this is the same house throughout.

A later map suggests that the numbering of houses in Plains started at the west end. If this is so then it suggests that No 7 was probably one of the ones in the furthest left block on this map https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18.1&lat=55.87836&lon=-3.92988&layers=168&b=1&marker=55.87654,-3.92761 - roughly north of the small triangular patch of woodland, number 2922 on the map.

You can see the satellite view by sliding the blue button to the left.

You could also test my hypothesis by comparing the names of James Hamilton's neighbours in the 1911 and 1921 censuses with the names of other tenants in Plains over the same period.

[Harlem]

Hello to all you kind Rootschatters who have helped me with this research. I have now finished my report to the Quilters Guild and incorporated a lot of what you have told me. James lived a life that was not extensively recorded, as far as I can make out, perhaps an ordinary life. But I think it is really good that he made a quilt that is now being kept in a museum. The research, and the report, are the property of the Quilters' Guild, but they allow me to send a copy of the report to anyone who is interested. If any of you would like a copy of my report, please send me a personal message with an email address and I will send it to you.

Thank you all once again.