Thanks to the support of the Friends of the National Library, the Heritage Hub (which is part of Live Borders) was able to acquire a set of volumes relating to the Dispatch Department that operated out of Peter Scott & Co. Ltd. Wilton Path factory, their main factory, was at Buccleuch Street, Hawick, less than half a mile away.
Since 2006 records have been transferred from Peter Scott to the Heritage Hub on several occasions (three in 2006 and two more in 2017). The acquisition of these volumes builds on an already strong collection of textile-related materials that is distributed across three sites at Hawick – Wilton Lodge Park Museum, the Borders Textile Towerhouse, and the Heritage Hub. It also builds to a more specific collection strength, that of Peter Scott & Co. (1878-2016), hosiery manufacturers, for many years trading under the brand Pesco.
Amongst the collections already held are articles of Peter Scott & Co. clothing, held at Wilton Lodge Park Museum and records from the head office and main factory at Buccleuch Street, Hawick, held at the Heritage Hub. The records comprise the papers of the business (the Limited Company) such as minutes, reports, accounting, shareholder and personnel records (employee cards from 1878-) and of production and marketing (yarn and design books, shade cards, price lists and a wide range of other advertising material covering the whole of the 20th Century). The latter includes work of notable commercial artists such as Thomas Curr (1887-1958), Scottish painter, commercial artist and cartoonist and Enid Margaret Warne-Browne (1893-1971), artist and illustrator.
What had been lacking hitherto from this substantial archive was material from the packing and dispatch function at Wilton Mills and in fact these records were thought to have been lost. These volumes will add this missing piece. They will improve understanding of the work of a major hosiery and knitwear company that operated from Hawick 1878-2016. It will also add to the records held on Wilton Path factory, which only operated for a relatively short time and of which little is known.
Our knitwear collection has received attention over the years from students and academics. They have researched the collections for dissertations, papers, Masters projects, and books in an effort to understand the industry further. We have already added these items to our online catalogue and look forward to re-opening so that individuals can come and use them for research.
The company, and the hosiery and knitwear industry, are an important part of the town’s social and cultural history; these additions to our collection will open up new possibilities for understanding and presenting the story of the in the Scottish Borders. Our thanks to the Friends of the National Libraries.
