Juteopolis

I have been researching the jute industry of Dundee, in the 18th century Dundee had a new industry that made line into flax and it also had an important thread making industry. This industry changed when the flax mills started to experiment with jute, they learned that if u mixed it with whales oil you could weave it. Dundee's population jumped from 26,000 in 1801 to of over 90,000 in 1861. This was due to Irish immigration, as they were fleeing the potato faming. This gave the jute mills cheep labour, in the mills where working conditions were the some of the worst in the UK. Mills employed Woman over men as they could pay them less and also used children that worked 13 hour days, But once the boys turned 16 they were paid off. The men of Dundee became know as "kelt boilers" as they stayed at home and looked after the children as the woman worked in the mills.

As the jute industry grow 19th centre in Dundee, so did the whaling industry. The Dundee whaling fleet was the largest in Briton for the most part of the 19th centre. Ship Building prospered in Dundee, as the jute was imported from India so the mills needed ships. The Jute Barons that owned the mills normally also owned the ship building firms and the shipping company. The Jute barons made allot of money from there industries and gifted things back to the city like the Lochee park and Cox's park. At the hight of the jute industry it employed over 50,000 people in Dundee.

The largest mill was the Camperdown Works. This was the largest textile Mill in Europe . This mill was ran by the Cox's brothers. Cox's park was donated to the city by James Coxs. Sir James Caird Gave donated around 25 million pounds in todays money. Given money to things like Carid Hall and Dundee's first specialist cancer wing to the royal infirmary. This money started cancer research in Dundee where it still counties today. Even after his death in 1918 his family kept donating money to the city for other projects.


Even though these barons gave things like parks and city hall to the people. I think the people would have proffered better housing or pay. Or even allowing the men to work. As most families lived in 1 or 2 rooms with 1 toilet to 7 or 8 families. So why did they not invest in a better sanitation for the working population. Or new housing as this would have improved there works heath and they would have been able to work longer and harder.

Dundee suffered in the depression in the 1930's, the jute and ship building industry took a hard hit. The Jute mills slowly closed after the second world war, jute production ceased

in the 70's. The production of jute is now in India where its also grown. The jute barons of Dundee invested in the Indian jute mills and found it far cheaper to produce the jute in India. The Jute mills today in India operate in the same condensations as the jute will operated in 1800 in Dundee.

The greed of the jute barns of Dundee brought the down fall to an industry that had consumed the city for the best part of 2 centuries. Dundee is now a centre of learning and research. Housing and living conductions have improved dramatically. The city council carted vast housing estates in the 60's and 70's, but I will let you make up your own mind weather they have been a success or not. I think that Dundee has came a long way from the days of slums and 7 families to one toilet. The city continues to improve and change for the better and for the worst. The cities newest project is the redevelopment of the water front. After some bad decisions made in the 70's. The water front is going under a rejuvenation opening up the city centre to carte an easier link to the water front.