‘Treasure trove’ of historic Scottish textile industry artefacts to go under the hammer

The assets of an historic Ayrshire textiles mill have been put up for sale by online auction. As well as high-tech weaving equipment, the mill also contains numerous antiques and objects d’art, as well as vintage weaving machinery that has played a part in the evolution of the textiles industry in Scotland.

March Street Mills in Peebles closed with the loss of 87 jobs last month after parent company Moorbrook Textiles sold two arms of its business. The factory produced fabric for the Robert Noble and Replin Fabrics brands, which were bought by Moorbrook in the 1990s.

Robert Noble traced its history in textiles back to the 17th century, supplying apparel fabrics and design services to leading fashion and clothing brands from the Peebles site. Replin Fabrics, which produced fabrics for the transport industry, was established in 1945.

Among the industrial antiques that have been discovered inside the mill is one of the earliest Scottish examples of a spinning jenny, the multi-spindle spinning frame that was one of the key inventions, in 1764, of the industrial revolution. There is also a range of antique furniture and collectables.

An 1876 oil painting of sheep by Scottish artist William Watson is also due to be auctioned.

Jason Pinder, director and head of machinery and business assets at Eddisons, said: “Lots such as these very seldom come to market in their original environment. This is a rare chance for anyone interested in the history of the textiles industry to see a treasure trove of artefacts that have been hidden away for – in some cases – centuries.”

The auction will take place on Thursday 10 December with viewings available on Tuesday 8 December. More information on the auction and registration details are available at https://www.eddisons.com/machinery-business-assets/

“Lots such as these very seldom come to market in their original environment”

Written by: on Monday 07/12/2015