Sma' shot Cottages in Paisley in Wednesday

It is owned and operated by the Old Paisley Society. 

The Sma'Shot means it was the binding thread (normally cotton) which was essential in the weaving of a Paisley shawl. It was a small fine thread that bound all the other coloured threads together and occured every 8th row. It was sort if a secret thread that they used to keep everything toghether. 

Now this thread was so fine which means that you could not see it when the shawl was completed. The manufacturers did not want to pay for this but the weavers resisted this. This obviously ended in an argument over the payment of this thread. The weavers decided to march through Paisley to celebrate the fact that they won the argument. They had a drummer that walked in front and they all followed at the beat of the drum. From 1856, the first Saturday in July became a permanent holiday known as 'Sma'Shit Saturday'.  This became an unique holiday in Paisley. Thousands of workers would come from all over to celebrate this holdiday. At the time of Regionisation, it was dropped from the statutory list of public holidays, but in recent years the celebration has been revived by the District Council. 

It gives the visitor an idea of what life was like in the 18th century. This weavers was originally built in 1750. It is a typical 2 room building where there was no running water. They cooked on an open fire and slept in the same room. (Actually not much difference to a RDP house, only a RDP house is supposed to have running water!)

This is Weavers' cottage was where the Lawson family lived in the 1 bedroom and next to that would have been the weavers' rooms with a loom. 

There is a courtyard that separates the old cottage to that of the 1820's. Here it is in Victorian area and not so crude anymore. Now there are rooms, bedroom, dining room (parlour) and a kitchen. So it was a 4 room house, 2 upstairs and 2 downstairs. Still no running water, but with outside 'long drop'. In this cottage there is now porcelain cups and plates. They store the  kitchen supplies in a cupboard (pantry?). 

 

Bed with quilt and porcelain bed warmers. 

Coats thread in box next to bed. 

Drying rack in the kitchen area next to fire. There is also a crude 'slow cooker' with straw which you out the pot into to cook overnight. 

Ouma and oupa but not owners. The wallpaper is reproduced William Morris   Very very nice !!

Framed needle Lace - big square explains why it is still there. Must have been an odd table cloth of sorts. It is used as the top left corner is very damaged. 

Most stunning antique quilt that no one knows anything about except that it is behind glass in a display cabinet. 

The cottage is only open on Wednesday & Saturday noon - 16:00. You sort of get a personalized tour of every thing. But not a lot is new...you sort of know it from not so long ago!!