Emblem - a silken pavilion (tailors tent) striped in red and white.
The word 'Tailor' is derived from the French 'Trap' meaning
cloth and thus 'Trapier', a seller of cloth. This was corrupted into the English
form 'Tailor'.
Although the Tailor Trade has long lost its Seal of Cause there is mention of
one in a Burgh record of Documents confirming a Tailor Seal of Cause of 1525.
This fits with the approximate dating of the Seals of Cause of the other Trades.
The Tailor 'Lockit Book', the book which contains all the Masters entered into
the Craft along with it's more important Acts and statutes, was opened in 1577.
However the Trade, as we have seen, had been in existence before that date and
it already had a Deacon, recorded as Dauid Watsone, and the Minute was signed by
28 members.
The Patron Saint of the Tailor Trade in Dundee was St Ann. However another
Patron Saint of Tailors was St Homonobus. Dundee Tailors do not recognise him as
their Patron Saint, possibly because he is also the Patron Saint of Alcoholics.
Care of the poor and needy, the widows and orphans and the "decayed brethren"
was the reason for dues for every possible event in the person's life.
To boost its funds the Trade regularly invested its money in property and bought
and sold land and collected feu duties. All the trades were engaged in this
activity in a time before bank lending was available and Building Societies
still in the far distant future.
Sumptuary Laws decreed the kinds of clothing that could be worn. Men were
restricted to hose and doublets of blue canvas or fustian trussed with leathern
points; the women's kirtles of home woven wool, and their curches of moderately
priced linen, fashioned by themselves. Burgers "unless dignitie as gude worthy
men of the council" were not to wear clothes of silks, or costly scarlet gowns;
while the wives and daughters were to be correspondingly attired - their clothes
not of "unsuiting length, nor furrit under, but on the haliday". However these
laws were not strictly observed. In general the burgher was more likely to wear
hose of Fleming grey or perhaps "lang breeks" of grey or blue; a doublet of
green taffeta or of damask and a cloak of russet or Kendal cloth. His wife would
wear a green or red kirtle, with gowns of brown or russet with a black mantle
and a linen coverchief often enriched with embroidery. In 1567 the Law stated
"that it be lawful to na wemen to weir dress abone ther estait except howris".
In 1521 there were no erratic changes in the fashion of garments, yet, as their
business was to make the clothes of women as well as men, they formed a large
craft and normally followed their calling in the houses of their customers, but
were also found in their own workshops.
Tailors frequently worked in the homes of their customers. This made it very
difficult for them to control "unfree" tailors. Unfreemen were possibly
excellent tailors who had not been entered into the Craft.
These tradesmen from the Hilltown were a constant problem to all the trades in
this respect. Only the Tailors were pragmatic enough to realise that they could
not stop this practice completely. By 1681 they allowed tailors from the
Hilltown to work in specified areas of the burgh under an annual licence and
strict controls. By November 1790 the Hilltown masters wrote to the Trade
offering to purchase their freedom to trade in the town. They offered to pay
Three pounds Ten shillings and eight pence Sterling as full payment of their
dues on being entered as free Masters. This was agreed.
Behaviour was never exemplary however. In 1552 we find the case of a tailor who
although he was not "proved to be little better than a false knave" is punished
"for going near to be thought so" James Richardson, "tailzour, being accusit for
pickerie (stealing). It adjudgit to be punishit with twelve straike with ane
double belt, because ther could be nae sufficient proof gotten, but vehement
syuapicion; and syne ro be banishit this burgh for year and day."
Such misbehaviour was also punished by the Craft itself. In 1601 "Walter Couper,
sone to David Couper, Frieman of said Craft" was "discharged of his libertie
within the burgh for ever" because of his regular violent behaviour. After
further violent years he repented and eventually was appointed Deacon of the
Craft, giving hope in the event of similar happenings today.
Prior to 1787 the Trade had, by a bye-law, imposed a fine upon all members who
were not present at the funeral of a free master, the same to be paid to the
Boxmaster. The members, Instead of this, had for some time past met after a
funeral, and spent the fines in drink. "It was this day resolved - that the
Trades disapprove of this practice, and ordain that in future the fines shall be
paid to the Boxmaster for behoof of the Trade, as was formerly done."
There is a record of the cost of entertainment on the "Expenses paid by David
Clark connected with his entry to the Tailor Trade, being an account thereof
written by himself, viz.:–
Dundee, the 30th day of March, 1779, which day Davd Clark was Entred to the
Taylor Trade, per
To 5 shillings to James Hunter 5/0
To Bieiff 10/6
To Bier 7/6
To Rum 5/0
To Flouer Bread, and Meat Rostg 2/0
To Chise and Salt and Candel 2/6
To tobaco and Pips 1/2
To the First Court after Entre 6/6
Total £13/6/1
To may Fredom to the Town of Dundee for my Life Time £2/15/7
this Grat Feast was keipt in our own Taylors' Roum. I think 36 members
Atested by me
(Signed) David Clark"
The entertainment part alone equates to £1,091.40 in the year 2002 showing just
how expensive it was to become a Master. Bear in mind this was in addition to
all his other Craft dues and does not include the Burgess Fee.
Naturally there were problems within the Trade itself. An entry of 26 March 1772
reads "…no member of the Trade shall pay any Meall money either to the said John
Stewart or Patrick Miller, Except they be both present. And that the said John
Stewart and Patrick Miller Shall be obliged to pay the money they collect to
David Jobson Writer in Dundee for behoof of the Trade and that each day after
collection".
John Stewart "laid hands" on the Minute Book and blotted out the entry. The
Trade ordered the entry to be re-inserted and it was pasted over the blotted out
original, which can still be seen. There is no record of why John and Patrick
were not deemed to be trustworthy as there is no punishment meted out to them,
but they would not be the first, or last, Office-Bearers of one of the Trades to
be in trouble regarding a Trade's finances.
Unnecessary spending was visited on 24th August 1723. It would appear that the
Boxmaster had been in the habit of squandering the funds on 'entertainment' .
The Trade decreed that in future "no Boxmaster shall be allowed Credit on his
accompt for any sum whatever to be spent on the trades accompt further than the
sum of Five shillings which is allowed either to give to the Trade's Tenants or
to be spent with them at receiving the Rents". It was also agreed that at the
Michaelmas or election entertainment each member of the Trade, whether present
or not should pay the sum of One Shilling Sterling and that only this sum and no
more be spent on the entertainment. This still represented a large sum on food
and drink.
In 1728 and 1738 two Manty (Mantua, a woman's loose gown) makers were accused of
making "womens cloaths" without being free to the Trade. The Magistrates fined
them twelve pounds and ordered them to find caution of £40 Scots which would be
the fine for each transgression.
Jonet Sands accused Sande Loke, tailor with keeping back some of the cloth that
should have gone into her kirtle, "he producit the kirtle in judgement," and
having opened up its seams, "it wes laid upon ten quarters of new cloth like
breid, and wes fund nocht minishit be the craftsman. [On this], the Bailies
ordainit Sande to sew up the kirtle agains Monoday, and bring it again that ane
mends may be decernit be the judges."
By 1783, there were 11 Milliners recorded in the Dundee Register, showing that
women were working in the business of making clothes for ladies without any
difficulty, although naturally, being women, they were never allowed to enter
the Trade. The same Register records that there were 43 working tailors in the
burgh.
By 1805 the Trade was concerned that their finances were so low that they would
soon have trouble in sustaining their poor. Therefore they enacted new dues of
entry.
“Which day the Taylor Trade of Dundee being met in their Hall Consulting about
their ordinary Affairs and Taking into consideration the Just regard that is due
to the Good of the Trade and the Poor thereof As Also the present value of
money.
Agreed and hereby do Agree that from and after the date hereof the dues to be
paid to the Trade by persons to be admitted Masters and Members thereof shall be
as follows viz:
By an Unfreeman Thirty Pounds
By a Freemans Son, Eight Pounds and
By a Freemans Son in Law, Ten Pounds, All Sterling money.
On Booking a Free Apprentice who is or shall be bound five years or more to a
Master and Member whose Indenture shall be produced within the first Twelve
Months of his Apprenticeship there shall be paid Two Pounds Sterling and on the
said Apprentice entering a Free master & Member he shall pay Twenty Pounds
Sterling.”
In 1813 Mrs Strachan, a widow, appealed to the trade for help in supporting her
family. The trade decided on practical help rather than give her money and
raised a subscription to buy her a mangle. One 'of very superior sise and
Construction' was ordered. She had to agree that if she married again or became
infirm the mangle would be returned to the trade. 21 years later Mrs Strachan
became old and infirm and tried to sell the mangle. The trade were having none
of this and demanded the return of the mangle. The following year her daughter
died and Mrs Strachan was given £1:10/- by the trade to help defray the funeral
expenses. The Trade finally recovered the mangle on her death in 1838, at which
time it was sold, the money being put into the Trade’s funds. Mrs Strachan had
also received a widow’s pension for some 22 years, showing that the Trade looked
after its dependents very well indeed.
Journeymen Tailors were obviously employed on a casual basis. On 29 April 1825,
there is reference to the "Thistle house of Call". In these days Journeymen
would visit an Inn or Hostel known as a "House of Call". Information about work
was to be had in these premises, very much as an employment agency works today.
These men would often be allowed to work on short term agreements. A letter was
sent from the three men operating this house to say that "we, if required, were
to be found there at 8.45 the following Monday". The letter also stated "that
the Master is to be denied the use of Weomen". In case of any misunderstanding
they added "that is they must not be imployed". As if a fine upstanding body of
men like the Tailors would fail to have understood the original meaning.
Before entering the Trade as a master, the Apprentice would be required to pass
a trade test known as an "Essay" or "Masterpiece". Happily, unlike many other
trades there is reference to what was required in the Tailor Trade. In 1829
James Mathew was "to cut, sew and in every way finish a Suit of Clothes to
entire satisfaction of the above named Essay Masters, they being to overlook the
performing of the work." He performed the Essay "to their satisfaction and in a
skilful and tradesmanlike manner".
And again in 1830, James Murison, who the trade had earlier fined for working as
an unfree tailor, meaning that he was not a master of the Trade, was "to cut and
sew a dress coat for a person nominated by the Trade". Again the work was to be
overseen by Essay Masters working in two hour shifts. The making of the coat was
duly supervised and examined as bring finished and that "each of them had
examined the work and concurred in their opinion that it was quite insufficient,
and shewed that Mr Murison was not qualified for carrying on the tailor trade".
He was not admitted to the trade althoughperhaps there is a suspicion that his
previous defiance may have had something to do with the decision.
In 1912 the Tailor Trade opened its membership to anyone engaged in the trade of
clothiers, cutters etc on payment of Three pounds nine shillings and six pence,
in addition to the fees of the Nine Trades and their Clerk.
In 1719 the Trade had fined a watchmaker for employing unfreemen to make "cloaths
and bodily abulziements" for him and his family. He was bound under £40 Scots
"in case of failzie". This is in stark contrast to what became common practice
in the 19th century. At that time a company would employ their own tailor on a
permanent basis. The present day Cooper & Mackenzie started business in this
way. In 1874 Adams & Cushnie were potato merchants. They employed a tailor and
later worked in a dual capacity as Tailors and Potato Merchants. After several
bad harvests, they dropped the potato merchant business and became full time
tailors. The business was taken over by head cutter Mr J. D. Mitchell, not
related to the present owners, on the death of Mr Adams. The business then
traded as J. D. Mitchell. The bsuiness was later taken over by Mr J. C.
MacKenzie who, in 1918, was joined by the grandfather of the present owners. In
1946 the well known furrier George Cooper was purchased and the name used today,
Cooper & McKenzie was adopted.
Reform Street was then the ‘Saville Row of Dundee’, there being well over a
dozen tailors working there. Tailors at that time would be seen going to work
wearing morning tails and silk hats.
The skill required to be a qualified tailor cannot be overestimated. He would
make a minimum of 20 measurements for the jacket alone. There were also comments
for the cutters; slight round back; bad stance; head forward; very square; thin
neck; tall; erect; square; and many more. Indeed most firms had their own
shorthand where the instructions were more to the point and far from flattering.
In addition was the style, such as single breasted; double breasted; the number
of pockets; vents; buttons etc. Was a turn up required on the trousers, were
they self supporting, did the customer require a zip or buttons? Many customers,
some living outwith the area, would order anything up to five suits at a time
with only a final fitting made on the premises. Similarly top coats would be
measured and cut using notations to describe the customer,
In the 1950's Dundee there were as many as 44 Tailor shops in and around the
city centre. Of these at least 12 still had a hand-made facility for making
suits on the premises. Today, in 2005, only the wealthier members of society can
afford a bespoke suit. As ever, life has indeed gone full cycle.
Bringing this short history up to date, the Tailor Trade is still carrying on
the charitable work which was one of the main purposes of its formation. Help
for the poor of the Trade is still an objective, although great care has to be
taken that any such assistance does not affect Social Security and other
benefits.
The Trade has also been very active in other respects. In recent times, in
addition to funding a bursary, it has established a student prize in the
Textiles Department of Dundee College.
With a healthy membership and regular meetings, it continues to take a prominent
part in the affairs of the Nine Trades and of those working in the clothing
business.
The Tailor Trade looks forward with optimism to a long and useful future.
by Innes A. Duffus
Archivist to the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee.