Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Barbour's Linen Thread, Lisburn, N. Ireland

Here's a recent find - the red box pictured below. Barbour's were founded in 1784 when John Barbour moved from Paisley in Scotland to Lisburn, County Down. Over the years the business became a world leader in the manufacture of threads. Sadly their factory at Hilden ceased production in February 2006 and now lies derelict (see photos here) on the banks of the River Lagan. I have gathered up some examples of their products and packaging, all of which use the Red Hand of Ulster as the central symbol for the company's branding.

#alttext#

#alttext#

#alttext#

#alttext#

2 comments:

Kenneth William Duncan Adams said...

I enjoyed reading your blog. I was born in Belfast and grew up in Lisburn. I joined Cunard as a hotel officer in 1976. I married an American girl I met on the QE2 in Hawaii in 1980. I currently live in North Carolina. I have just returned from a visit to Ulster. My last visit was 2010. A highlight of my recent visit was a walk along the Lagan tow path
past the derelict Barbour Mill with my sister. A fascinating history - at its height it was the largest manufacturer of linen thread in the world employing approx 2,000 employees. My sisters late husband recalls the siren sounding every morning calling the employees to work. The sound of their feet was like an army on the march.

Kenneth William Duncan Adams said...

I live in America. I was born in Belfast and grew up in the country outside Lisburn. I have just returned from a visit - my first in almost a decade. A highlight of my visit was a walk along the Lagan tow path with my sister. We walked past the derelict Barbour Thread Mill. In its heyday it was the largest such mill in the world employing around 2,000 employees. My sisters late husband recalled hearing the mill siren going off in the morning and the sound of the workers hobnailled boots resounding on the road like an army on the march.