45-640: Kirriemuir Town Hall is a municipal structure in Reform Street in Kirriemuir , Angus , Scotland. The structure, which is used as a community events venue, is a Category C listed building . The first municipal building in the town was the Kirriemuir Town House in the High Street which was completed in 1604. In the 1880s, the burgh council decided that the town house was too small for the administration of
90-488: A "mickle" (small) mill, but the reference is to one of James or his son Andrew Meikle's mills, based on ideas picked up in the Netherlands in the 1700s. The Meikles were a family of agricultural engineers from Haddington who were held in high esteem for many generations in . The adjacent "Court Hillock" was shown, during excavations for a housing development, to be no more than a spoil heap left after excavation and cleaning of
135-473: A greater share of the market. India produces 60% of global jute products; however, problems such as lack of investment, water shortage , poor quality seeds, and loss of crop land to urbanisation slow its growth as a biodegradable substitute for materials such as plastic which contribute to pollution . Jute has been grown in the East Bengal region for centuries. It was produced for domestic consumption in
180-686: A lack of innovation have seen the Indian industry stagnate since independence. Jute coffee bags are perhaps the most famous product, known as hessian or burlap. These sacks found a military use starting in the Crimean War, and then in World War I the British War Office awarded their entire 1916 contract for sandbags to a Greek-Indian firm in Calcutta. It has been used in the fishing, construction, art and in
225-630: A long depression ensued due to the politics involved and the oligopolistic practice of the Indian Jute Mills Association. The long depression in Jute is partly attributed to the exploitation by the Indian Jute barons who only pursued short term profit after purchasing the British invented and developed mills. Jute mills continue to close, 8 in the last few years, down to 55. Migrant workers have left
270-477: A new age dawned upon the Bangladesh jute industry. This incident grew many raw jute traders from different corners of Bangladesh who used to supply raw jute to BJMC owned jute mills. This group of traders are called Beparis , who buy raw jute directly from the farmers. Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), a public corporation in Bangladesh, is the largest state owned manufacturing and exporting organisation in
315-527: A primary school. Northmuir's replaced Reform Street Primary School, which was in the town centre and demolished to build the Lyell Court Sheltered Housing complex. Southmuir's moved to new premises in 2002, which had been built as part of an extension to Webster's High School. The earlier Southmuir building (once the original Webster's Seminary) was destroyed by fire on 29 October 2006 and has since been demolished. The town's two main parks lie in
360-598: A statue of Peter Pan stands in the town square. In 2016, a statue of Bon Scott , lead singer of AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980, was erected in Bellies Brae Car Park. While born in Forfar , Scott had lived in Kirriemuir as a child before his family moved to Australia . The history of Kirriemuir extends back to the early historical period. It appears to have been a centre of ecclesiastical importance. Some of
405-495: Is Marwari along with Mittal and Bajaj . Indian Jute is considered to be dominated by Marwari . The industry has faced considerable trouble, for example, a mill owner was murdered by his workers in 2015 when he proposed cutting down hours. 6 such murders have occurred in recent years. The Jute Industry in India depends on government purchase. Since the millennium government procurement for mandatory packaging in jute has decreased and
450-477: Is a mere 40 centimetres ( 15 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches) wide. The family estate of Sir Hugh Munro , who created Munro's Tables of Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet (914.4 metres) in elevation (which are now called " munros "), is also located near the town. Kirriemuir Gingerbread was created by the baker, Walter Burnett, around 1900, though the recipe was sold to what is now Bell's Food Group, located in Shotts, in
495-483: Is only now being reversed - at the consumer level – by the plastic ban. After independence from British colonial rule, East Bengal with possessing the finest jute fibre stock, lacked an effective industrialised jute manufacturing. Several groups of mainly Gujarati clans came into the jute industrialisation business by setting up several jute mills in Chittagong , Khulna , Dhaka and Narayanganj . Among these families,
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#1733085260651540-619: Is the town cemetery, where Barrie is buried in the family grave. There is a silver granite war memorial in the centre of the cemetery, a column surmounted by a kilted soldier looking down across the town and over the broad fields of Strathmore to the Sidlaws . Every August a local music team holds a music festival, Live in the Den , featuring local guitar bands. In 2011 it was not held due to flooding. Kirriemuir consists mainly of two areas: Northmuir and Southmuir. It sits looking south towards Glamis and
585-636: The Bureau of International Labor Affairs . The entrepreneurs of the Dundee jute industry in Scotland were called the Jute Barons . Dundee was a centre of flax spinning and the whale oil industry. They realised that jute could be mechanically spun if whale oil was added. They created a huge new industry making bags for the transport of goods like coffee and as sandbags. The Dundee jute industry started to decline when
630-748: The Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones , a series of late Pictish cross slabs, are on display at the Meffan Institute in Forfar , and the others can be seen in the Kirriemuir Gateway to the Glens Museum which now occupies the Kirriemuir Town House . The lands of Ummarchie lay in the feudal barony of Kirriemure – then in the Sheriffdom of Forfar – and were owned for centuries by the Lauder of
675-503: The Wee Red Toon , is a burgh in Angus, Scotland . It reaches back to earliest recorded times, when it is thought to have been a major ecclesiastical centre. Later it was identified with witchcraft ; some older houses still feature a " witches stane " to ward off evil. In the 19th century, it was a major centre of the jute trade . The playwright J. M. Barrie was born and buried here –
720-714: The rock band, AC/DC , celebrating the life of the former lead singer, Bon Scott , who was born in the town. In April 2017, a plaque was attached to the town hall to commemorate the life of the locally born soldier, Private Charles Melvin of the 2nd Battalion, Black Watch , who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during the First World War . Kirriemuir Kirriemuir ( / ˌ k ɪr i ˈ m jʊər / KIRR -ee- MURE , Scots: [ˌkɪreˈmeːr, -møːr] ; Scottish Gaelic : Ceathramh Mhoire [ˌkʲʰɛɾə ˈvɔɾʲə] ), sometimes called Kirrie or
765-535: The 124 bus route which ran once a day from Monday to Saturday to Forfar . It was withdrawn in 2019. [REDACTED] Media related to Kirriemuir at Wikimedia Commons Jute trade The jute trade is centered mainly around India's West Bengal and Assam , and Bangladesh . The major producing country of jute is India and biggest exporter is Bangladesh, due to their natural fertile soil . Production of jute by India and Bangladesh are respectively 1.968 million ton and 1.349 million metric ton. Bengal jute
810-757: The 1840s to replace flax in the Dundee mills. Dundee, employing more than half the population in the mills, became the global centre of the industry, and earned the nickname "Juteopolis." In 1858, Indian financiers supported the importation of spinning machinery from Dundee in order to create their own industry, and by 1895, jute industries in Bengal overtook the Scottish jute trade. Many Scots worked in Bengal to set up jute factories for Indians, dominated by Marwari brokers such as G. D. Birla . Today, nearly 75% of jute goods are packaging materials, such as burlap sacks . Problems such as obsolete machinery, strikes and lock-outs, and
855-493: The 1940s. Kirriemuir is represented within Angus Council by the Kirriemuir and Dean ward, from which three councillors are elected. As of 2019 these were: Julie Bell ( Scottish National Party ), George Meechan ( Scottish National Party ) and Ronnie Proctor ( Scottish Conservative and Unionist ). Kirriemuir Town Hall , which was the meeting place of the former burgh council, was completed in 1885. The town has three museums:
900-553: The Bass family. Alexander Lauder of Ummarchie, Co. Forfar, born about 1504 and a younger brother of Robert Lauder of the Bass (died 1576) , appears in many documents and died at some time in 1580. In October of this year, his younger son Walter had murdered his father's Roman Catholic brother James in a religious dispute. Walter was found guilty at Edinburgh on 15 December and beheaded. The eldest son, another Alexander Lauder of Ummarchie, stood surety on 22 March 1600 in an Act of Caution in
945-599: The Gairie Burn glen and on top of Kirriemuir Hill. The Den can be split into two parts. The east Den lies to the east of Bellies Brae (The Commonty) and the west Den to the west of Bellies Brae. This park has a climbing frame and swing set. The Den is prone to flooding, as it lies in a deep valley. This last happened in October 2023. In the far west Den, there is a large Den Waterfall and the Cuttle Well. The Hill with Neverland, or
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#1733085260651990-710: The Gateway to the Glens Museum, Barrie's Birthplace, and the Tayside Police Museum. There was once a museum of aviation , whose artifacts are now in the Richard Moss Memorial Collection at the Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre . There is a camera obscura , donated by J. M. Barrie, on the hill, offering views to the south and south-west and of the higher hills to the north. Also on the hill and offering views from its southern slopes
1035-751: The Peter Pan Play Park as it is sometimes called, is located in Northmuir. This play park with a Peter Pan theme was laid out in November 2010. Smaller parks include Davidson Park in Southmuir and Martin Park off Slade Road. Kirriemuir is home to the junior football club Kirriemuir Thistle . Although Kirriemuir lacks a senior team side, the nearest club in the Scottish Football League is Forfar Athletic in
1080-666: The Privy Council in a principal for 2000 merks for William Rynd of Kers, who was involved in violent armed feuds between the Lindsays and the Ogilvies. Alexander Lauder of Ummarchie was still living in 1608. Kirriemuir has a history of witchcraft accusations dating back to the 16th century. A pond on the outskirts, known as the Witch Pool, was a millpond for the 19th-century Meikle Mill. Local amateur historians tend to think this referred to
1125-597: The Sidlaws over Strathmore (one of the most fertile fruit-growing areas in Scotland). Its position at the base of the Angus glens makes it an attractive centre for hill walking on nearby Munros, and for fishing, partridge, pheasant and grouse shooting , and deer-stalking . There is also an 18-hole golf course with views north to Glen Clova and Glen Doll . Webster's High School is located in Southmuir; Northmuir and Southmuir each have
1170-600: The United Kingdom. Partition meant that 75% of the Jute growing areas were in Pakistan, but all 106 mills, the baling centres and export hubs were in India. Jute was the subject of the first inter-Dominion agreement, however, the devaluation of the Indian rupee and Pakistani demands for a share of the export tariff led to break downs. 250,000 workers were directly employed in the industry, supporting 4 million peasants and providing 20% of India's foreign earnings. Despite this,
1215-605: The arms industry. India has the bulk of the jute industry (60%), but the raw jute comes mainly from Bangladesh which is the second-largest producer of jute products. Carpet backing cloth (CBC), the third major jute outlet, is quickly growing in prominence. Currently it accounts for roughly 15% of the world's jute consumption globally. Other common jute products behind CBC are carpet yarn, cordage , padding, felts , decorative fabrics, and miscellaneous heavy-duty items for industrial use. As more countries make efforts to reduce or ban plastic usage for consumer bagging, jute bags take
1260-474: The burgh and they decided to commission a new building in Reform Street. The new building was designed by Charles and Leslie Ower in the Renaissance style , built in red brick with stone dressings and was completed in 1885. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Reform Street. There was a wide flight of steps leading up to a central doorway with a rectangular fanlight which
1305-440: The dominant owners of an industry employing over 300,000 workers. Being a major player in the long history of jute trade and having finest natural fibre, Bangladesh has always had an advantage in raw jute trading. Bangladesh is still the largest producer and exporter of raw jute in the world. After the separation of Bangladesh (East Pakistan) with the breakup of British created East and West Pakistan (styled itself Pakistan) in 1971,
1350-581: The first factory in India at Serampore. Although a failure, he inspired the Borneo Company to start a steam-powered weaving and spinning mill in 1857, and soon a dozen companies began production for domestic Indian use and export to the east. By 1908 Calcutta was the world's largest jute producer, having defeated Dundee. From the 1890s the Marwaris had entered the market as brokers (like the Birla group) and became
1395-568: The jute trading was not limited to specific groups in South Asia. After the independence of Bangladesh, most privately owned jute mills were nationalised under the socialist policies of the Awami League government. Later, to control these jute mils in Bangladesh, the government built up Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC). No other jute mills were allowed to grow in the private sector before 1975. After Ziaur Rahman became Bangladesh president
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1440-435: The machinery manufacturers sold the machinery to Indian merchants who benefitted from easier access to raw materials and lower pay. This is a famous example of free trade in which the liberal government was elected to not enact trade barriers allowing the Calcutta industry to win. Given that the "Dundee Jute Barons" had ownership stakes in Calcutta and Dundee, the decline in Scotland was not so burdensome on them. Over 50% of
1485-507: The neighbouring town, one of several Angus clubs to play in the official league system. Kirriemuir also has a wheeled sports area in Martin Park and an all-weather sports pitch at Webster's Leisure Centre adjoining Webster's High School. In the 1880s, Lindertis F.C. from Kirriemuir played in the Scottish Cup for five seasons, and Kirriemuir F.C. for one. The town was formerly served by
1530-612: The pond. Though Kirrimuir's importance as a market town has diminished, its former jute factories (now manufacturing synthetics) recall its 19th-century importance as a centre of a home-based weaving industry. Historic features near Kirriemuir include a carved Pictish stone known as the Eassie Stone . It was found in a burn near the village of Eassie . Kirriemuir claims the narrowest public footpath in Western Europe; Cat's Close, situated between Grant's Pend and Kirkwynd. It
1575-603: The state, wages have not increased and strikes have been commonplace. The British East India Company was the British Empire Authority delegated in Bengal from the 17th century until dissolved in 1857. The Dutch and the French were the first jute traders. The company began exporting gunny sacks to South East Asia during the seventeenth and eighteenth century. In the 1830s Thomas Neigh imported jute to Dundee and experimented using flax spinning machines to make cloth. This
1620-524: The town hall to receive the Freedom of Kirriemuir on 7 June 1930: he was presented with a silver casket containing a scroll recording the award, and returned to the town hall to open a bazaar on 26 August 1933. A plaque presented by Polish I Corps to commemorate the hospitality they received in the local area during the early years of the Second World War was attached to the main façade of the building after
1665-484: The villages of present-day Bangladesh and West Bengal . Jute was used for rope production until the modern era, but the creation of the Jute Industry led to the collapse of Indian handloom jute in the 1880s. In the 1850s roughly £250,000 of jute products were exported annually. Jute was an export material demanded by South East Asia which was fulfilled by Indian and European trading firms. The modern jute industry
1710-418: The war. The building continued to serve as the meeting place of the burgh council for much of the 20th century, but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Angus District Council was formed in 1975. The building subsequently operated mainly as a community events venue. Since the early 21st century, the town hall has been one of the venues in the town for an annual music festival for fans of
1755-468: The west, intended to accommodate a public library, was designed by the same firm in a similar style and completed in 1913. There was a turret with a conical roof in the first bay on the left; the next two bays were fenestrated by tri-partite windows on the ground floor and pedimented dormer windows at attic level, while the right-hand bay contained a doorway with another pedimented dormer window above. The locally born novelist , J. M. Barrie , attended
1800-399: The workers in Dundee were in Jute and two-thirds were women, much of the remainder were children because they could be paid less. The boom had led to slums, over crowding, poor working conditions and low pay. The Indian Jute Mills Association is the apex body controlling the Indian trade. Birla is the most famous business giant in India which began as a Jute broker. The Birla family
1845-411: The world in the jute sector. BJMC owns and operates a number of jute mills around Bangladesh: BJMC also operates mills that do not deal in jute, including Galfra Habib Ltd., Mills Furnishing Ltd. and Jute-Fibre Glass Industry. Jute cultivation and jute trade in Bangladesh are sectors where significant incidence of child labour has been observed and recorded in the 2014 TVPRA List issued by
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1890-524: Was exported to South East Asia from the 17th century by the Dutch, French and later by other Europeans. By the 1790s a small export had developed to the Scottish city of Dundee , where the flax spinning industry could use a small percentage of jute to lower costs. Thomas Neigh, a Dundee merchant invented the mechanical process of spinning jute in 1833 by first soaking it in whale oil . British merchants exported raw jute from Bengal in increasing quantities from
1935-440: Was flanked by pairs of brackets supporting an entablature . On the first floor, there was a tri-partite window separated by pilasters supporting another entablature which was surmounted by a Diocletian window with an architrave . At roof level there was a datestone and a shaped pediment with finials . Internally, the principal room was the assembly hall with capacity to accommodate circa 370 people. A four-bay extension to
1980-447: Was not initially successful, but used as a small mixture with flax until they discovered that whale oil made it soft enough to be spun. Demand for jute skyrocketed as its use in sacks, ropes, and cloth displaced flax. Between 1833 and 1855, Bengal saw a boom in growing jute, but a decline in its cottage hand spinning. In 1855 George Acland was financed by Bysamber Sen to import Dundee fabric spinning machinery (and whale oil) to start
2025-411: Was not invented until 1833 in Dundee, but small quantities were used in flax and hemp spinning after 1790. By the early part of the twentieth century, there were huge increases of finished jute exports and a massive reduction in the export of raw jute. India was gaining around £35 million per annum from processed goods, with only £8m earned by sales of raw jute to Brazil, New York, Japan, Germany and
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