Dalmellington Co-operatives

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In the 18th century Dalmellington was a substantial village of about 500 inhabitants, with local surface coal deposits being worked and the coal snet to Galloway. In association with the local sheep farming, there was also wool spinning and weaving. In the 19th century there were two small woolen mills that sent their yarn to Kilmarnock for carpet manufacture. However the mills invested in making products from their yarn, with one mill specialising in carpets and the other in blankets and similar products. The main impetus to local developement was the The Dalmellington Ironworks, opened in 1848, and based at nearby Waterside (also known as Dunaskin). This was a large employer in the local area which, with it's demand for coal and ironstone, led to a large increase in local mining activities. Alhtough the ironworks closed in 1921, coal mining continued to be a major activity, with the local mines producing 124,000 tons of coal a year in the 1940s. Most of the deep coal mines around Dalmellington had closed by 1975, with Killoch closing in 1987. Currently there is opencast mining around Dalmellington. The brickworks at Waterside continued until about 1980.

For the 1871 Truck Report it was stated that the Dalmellington Ironworks employed about 2,000 men who they had paid weekly since 1855, with no advances. The company operated four stores in connection with the works that were mainly used by their workers and families, who dominated the local population. The profit from the stores was retained by the company. There were smaller private shops in adjacent villages but, from convenience the workforce used the company stores. Stores were at Waterside, Craig Mark, Kerse, Lethan Hill and Benwhat in 1886 and had a store in Dalmellington by 1913. In 1913 the stores were listed as being bakeries, butchers, coal and grocers.

The town had a railway station from 1856 until it closed in 1964.

DALMELLINGTON WORKING MEN'S CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY 1879-1967

The society was started in 1879. It joined Patna in 1967 to form Doon Valley. Doon Valley joined with Ayrshire United Baking, Kilmarnock and Auchinleck in 1971 to form Arshire. Ayrshire joined the CWS in 1983.

DALMELLINGTON WM CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	DalmCo.WM.HS
	Value	HALF SOVN
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	19
	Manufacture	Copper
	Notes
File:DalmCo.WM.£1.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	DalmCo.WM.£1
	Value	£1
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	22
	Manufacture	Brass
	Notes	Legend to be confirmed

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