Hundreds of workers flooded into Barrhead from the Highlands and Ireland in search of work during the Industrial Revolution.
Catalysed by the sudden, rapid advancement in cotton bleaching technology, bleachworks and printworks began to spring up throughout Barrhead and the Levern Valley,complementing the already established mills.
Bleaching of cloth was traditionally undertaken by women, while the men concentrated on printing and dyeing.And they found it in South Arthurlie Printworks, which was owned and operated by one of the most influencial families in Barrhead's History, the Heys family.
Operating from the 1841, the Hey's family would continue to operate the printworks for another 60 years. Originally from England, Zechariah Heys came to Barrhead from Milton of Campsie around 1841 when he acquired the South Arthurlie Calico Printworks from Messrs. James Henry & Company. He would later go on to become the provost of Barrhead in 1896. Mr Heys was very involved in the community: during his lifetime he was the Chairman of the Paisley, Barrhead and District Railway, a member of the School Board, chairman of the new parish council and the conductor of the Barrhead Choral Union.
He would also commission the extension of South Arthurlie House, which still stands today on Grampain Way, after moving there in 1942.The mill would finally close in the 1930s, and little evidence of it now exists in the South Arthurlie/Kirkton area of the town.
Please be gentle with the mechanism hopefully it will be up to the job.