Series 5 > British Linen Company, 1745-1775

FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT, 1745-1753
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offering him a rent of £50 stg yearly for the use of his house and gardens, upon
his lordship’s agreeing to enter in to tack for some few years.
To Nathaniel Child, the Company’s warehouse keeper at London
12 May 1748
We will carefully note your observations on the various kinds of linen
mentioned in yours dated 5th May current. All we can just now say is that we
are conscious that there is nothing wanting on our part to bring these fabrics
to what you would wish them, but the difficulty in accomplishing this in a
country where the manufactures are yet in their infancy is greater than any can
imagine who has not been here to observe it. The Osnaburgs are not what we
wish or expect them but would gladly hope many of those you reckon the
second sort is more owing to the colour than fabric, if so we shall be less hurt
abroad, tho’ we may suffer a little in the sale at home.
We are sensible such a quantity of fine Hollands as are with you will be a
drug and many of them hardly saleable in London, and therefore wish you
would by first opportunity ship 25 or 30 pieces more for Jamaica.
To Alexander McKenzie, Dingwall
19 May 1748
Mr John Dingwall, writer in this place, having proposed to the Court of
Directors that you should be constituted and appointed the Company’s agent
or factor for carrying on the spinning of Osnaburg yam at Dingwall on the
same footing with Mr John Reid at Tain, please know that the Court have
agreed to the same upon Mr Dingwall’s joining with you in a bond of security
to the Company for a faithful account and reckoning being made of all goods
and cash that shall be entrusted to your management. And for which purpose
have extended a bond for your and Mr Dingwall’s signing which he will
transmit you.
The conditions of employing Mr Reid are; the Company keeps him
supplied for flax fit for that manufacture, the sea hazard, freight, charges of
unloading, heckling and spinning together with the charges of reshipping the
yam when made and all the other risks and expences of bringing the yam to
Leith being entirely on the Company’s account. And further the Company
allows him to draw on us for what cash is necessary to carry on the spinning.
The premium allowed him in full for his trouble is at the rate of one penny
stg for each spindle of yam he shall so spin.
The Company has allowed Mr Reid to lay out some of the Company’s cash
on spinning wheels in order to enlarge the spinning more expeditiously. But
then this money is to be recovered from spinners how soon they are capable
from their work to repay the same. It will certainly be necessary for you to go