Former draper and woollen mill warehouse foreman Arthur Bell (1843-1929) bought Criterion mill in 1886 and renamed it Buccleuch mill.
It is marked by the red X in the photos below.
Arthur’s son Edward (1875-1954) was a partner in the business and was also a major in the 5th King’s Own Scottish Borderers volunteer regiment. He was shot in the chest in the Battle of Achi Baba Nulla in the Dardanelles (see 12th July 1915 in the Diary) but survived.
Criterion mill was built in 1878 for William Scott (1852-1906) and Henry Erskine (1854-1896):
- William Scott was the younger brother of John and Alexander Scott of Waverley mill. William was financed mainly by his aunts, and John and Alexander by their father.
- Henry Erskine was from Kincardineshire and was Langholm’s registrar and inspector of the poor. He recorded his own death in the registry just prior to committing suicide by poison in the masonic hall. All four of his sons served in the war (see 11th August in the Diary).
Fire was a constant threat in the mills and in January 1914 Buccleuch mill had a major blaze in its carding and spinning department, although the premises were quickly rebuilt.
There were 17 Buccleuch Mill employees who served in the war. The phrase at the bottom of its Roll of Honour below is taken from the Common Riding: ‘This day we hae dune a guid thing’ (‘Today we have done a good thing’).
Major Edward Bell’s three sons were all initially involved in the business but only Gilbert (1902-1980) persisted. William (1900-1961) became a farmer and John (1906-1982) was an artist. In the photo of ex-cornets below, Gilbert is standing on the right and William is standing second from left.
In 1946, the company Arthur Bell & Sons was renamed Arthur Bell (Scotch Tweeds) Ltd to avoid potential confusion with a well-known whisky manufacturer.
Gilbert was succeeded by his son Arthur Bell (1930-2015). The company was sold to Yorklyde plc in 1988, then to British Mohair Holdings in 2002, which closed the business in 2003.
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