David Dale, (1739 - 1806) is a remarkable example of the fluidity of Scottish society in the 18th century. He was born poor in Stewarton , Ayrshire, Scotland. He died very rich indeed, connected by marriage to the gentry and nobility of Scotland,as well as the burgeoning industrial "aristocracy" of a rapidly developing Great Britain. Events January 1 - Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier. ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Stewarton is a town located in the Scottish county of East Ayrshire (which was until recently simply a part of the county of Ayrshire). ... Ayrshire (Scottish Gaelic, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir) is a traditional county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. ... Travel guide to Scotland from Wikitravel Transport in Scotland Timeline of Scottish history Caledonia List of not fully sovereign nations Subdivisions of Scotland National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Flower of Scotland Wars of Scottish Independence National Trust for Scotland Historic houses in Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in...

He was the son of a grocer and was apprenticed to a Paisley weaver, subsequently working in Hamilton and Cambuslang. He then began preparing for an entrepreneurial carreer travelling round the country buying up homespun linen. He later became a clerk to a Glasgow mercer, subsequently setting up his own business in 1768 importing linen yarn from the Dutch Republic. Paisley is: the name of several towns, including Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland (the original Paisley) Paisley, Florida, United States Paisley, Oregon, United States the name of a textile pattern or motif, often referred to as Paisley (design). ... The Mausoleum of the Dukes of Hamilton, in the grounds of the old Hamilton Palace Hamilton (Hamaltan, in Scottish Gaelic) is a town in Central Scotland. ... Cambuslang (Camas Long in Scottish Gaelic) is best known for being the largest village in Scotland, with a population of around 20,500. ... Glasgows location in Scotland Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... 1768 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the Dutch United Provinces. ...

He married the Anne Caroline Campbell, the daughter of a John Campbell of Jura, a director of the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh and became the Glasgow agent of the Bank in 1783, thus opening the Bank's first Glasgow branch. He had become a key part of the Burgher Gentry of Glasgow merchants, living in style in a house in Charlotte Street designed by Robert Adam. The Royal Bank of Scotland LSE: RBSis one of Scotlands four national clearing banks and one of the oldest in the UK, founded in Edinburgh in 1727 by Royal Charter. ... Edinburghs location in Scotland Edinburgh viewed from Arthurs Seat. ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Kedleston Hall. ...

He had a brief partnership with Richard Arkwright, inventor of the Spinning Jenny, which revolutionised industrial production of cotton. The partership failed in some part because Arkwright had not managed to secure full ownership of the design of the Jenny. However, Dale continued to set up cotton spinning factories. The one at Blantyre failed but he went on to set up the New Lanark Mills in 1786. One motivation for this (apart from profit) was the desire to provide altenative employment for destitute Highlanders who had been cleared from their crofts (perhaps from the estates of his Campbell of Jura relatives) as part of the Highland Clearances. Others thought he had taken a typical business opportunity when a ship-load of would-be emigrants to America were stranded at Greenock. Richard Arkwright Sir Richard Arkwright ( the last of 13 children December 23, 1732, August 3, 1792) was an Englishman credited with the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. ... Model of the spinning jenny in a museum in Wuppertal, Germany The spinning jenny is a multi-spool spinning wheel. ... This article is about the location in Scotland. ... New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately two kilometres from the Scottish town of Lanark. ... 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... The Highland Clearances were part of a process of agricultural change throughout the United Kingdom, but the late timing, the abruptness of the change from the Clan System in the Scottish Highlands and the brutality of many of the evictions gave the Highland Clearances particular notoriety. ... British colonization of the Americas began in the late 16th century. ... Greenock (Grianaig in Scottish Gaelic) is a town (burgh of barony) in the district of Inverclyde in Western Scotland. ...

He seems to have taken a typical 18th century interest in matters theological - being (at least, according to his obituarist) capable of reading the Holy Scriptures in Hebrew and Greek. He left the Church of Scotland as one of the many Seceders of the 18th Century. He set up and became Pastor of a dissenting group of Christians - the Old Scotch Independents, a sort of Congregational church. He tried to apply Christian morality (as he interpreted it) to his business dealings as much as in his attitude to his workers. This involved great care and a highly directed generosity. (He had a reputation of never increasing his "servants'" salaries, even after he had promoted them).This tradition of a philanthropic approach to business he passed on to his son-in-law Robert Owen. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 6 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... The Church of Scotland (C of S, also known informally as The Kirk; until the 17th century officially the Kirk of Scotland) is the Christian national church of Scotland. ... Amongst other uses, Seceders is a name used for those who followed the 18th century Secession movement from the Church of Scotland, for the history of which see United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... Robert Owen Robert Owen continues to be looked up to in this Manchester statue Robert Owen (May 14, 1771 – November 17, 1858) was a Welsh social reformer. ...

His daughter Caroline had married Owen - a Welsh entrepreneur of a similar background to Dale. Part of the marriage settlement included selling the New Lanark Mills, village and lands - for £60,000 repayable over 20 years - to a partnership incuding Owen. New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately two kilometres from the Scottish town of Lanark. ...

Dale retired to his counry retreat a few miles from Glasgow - "Rosebank" in Cambuslang, though he died at his house in Charlotte Street. A vast throng of the cream of Glasgow, Scottish and British society followed his funeral cortège in 1806 to St Davids Church (the Ramshorn Kirk), where his grave in the south east corner has the simple inscription "David Dale, Merchant". Cambuslang (Camas Long in Scottish Gaelic) is best known for being the largest village in Scotland, with a population of around 20,500. ...

Bibliography

• Magnusson, M Chambers Biographical Dictionary, W & R Chambers, Edinburgh, 1990 ISBN 0-550-16040 X
• Donnachie, I Robert Owen: Owen of New Lanark and New Harmony, John Donald Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh 2005 ISBN 0-859-76165-2

External links

• http://electricscotland.com/history/other/dale_david.htm for an extensive 19th century appreciation.
• http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/index.html for an account and picture of Rosebank House in Cambuslang.