Fleming Reid Mill. Marjorie Munro

Marjory never worked in Fleming Reid’s herself but her great grandfather had connections with the mill.

His name was Heaton Scott and he was born in Yorkshire in 1844.

As a young man he worked in the woollen mills in Keithley in Yorkshire.

In 1880, he and his young family moved to Greenock because he had secured work at the Fleming Reid Mill.  He was a foreman or overseer at the Marino Mill.

It is not known why Heaton Scott moved from the mills in Keithley, Yorkshire, to Greenock but it is interesting to note that there was a fire at Fleming Reid’s Mill which necessitated the business of the mill being, temporarily, carried out in Yorkshire.  This was around 1880 so perhaps Heaton Scott worked for Fleming Reid’s Mill while it was operating from Yorkshire.

Heaton Scott had four or five children.  His two sons, George Scott and James Scott, both worked in the mill.   Marjory says that, according to family folklore, George Scott walked all the way from Keithley to Greenock.  It is to be supposed that it was due to financial hardship but no one has been able to verify why he walked.

Heaton Scott and his family lived in Togo House in Dempster Street in Greenock.   His wife died and he later remarried.  His first family returned to Keithley and never came back to Greenock.  Heaton  remained in Greenock and he and his second wife, Letitia, had more children.

James Scott had two sons, one of whom was called Edward. He also had two daughters who were nurses in WW1.   James was killed in WW1 and he had no descendants.  Presumably they also died in the war.

Marjory remembers his name was on a plaque honouring the war dead of WW1, on the wall outside the Merino Mill.

George Scott was the grandfather of Marjory and his family remained in Greenock.   He had a son, also George who worked in an office.

Marjorie was born and brought up in Greenock and attended Greenock Academy.  On leaving school, she became a secretary but she retired forty-eight years ago.  Marjory thinks she still has cousins in the town.  She remembers a relative called Deacon Scott from Lemmon Street. He was possibly the decendant of Heaton Scott and his second wife.

 

Anyone with information on the Merino Mill or Fleming Reid’s please contact Val at the Central Library.  Tel: 712322

Please get in touch if you know what became of the plaque on the wall of Fleming Reid’s mill.