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Relatives: Wife of James Melville Stone Condition: Sound Material: Granite Height: 1.74 Breadth: 1.02 Depth: 0.3 Inscription Condition: Clear but worn Inscription Technique: Incised and Applique Mason: Not known Pre 1855 no. N/A ( What's this? )

Monument Inscription

MELVILLE

JEAN MCEWEN
WIFE OF JAMES MELVILLE
HAZELDEN
BORN 11TH APRIL 1815, DIED 25TH FEBRUARY 1900
JAMES MELVILLE
BORN 1818, DIED 1907


“ Behold the lamb of God which taketh away
the sin of the world.”

Family History

James Melville, who latterly managed the silk printing establishment at Hazelden and who was involved in the cloth processing industry all his long working life, was born in Barrhead in 1818. Following his marriage on 31st January 1840 to Jean (Jane) McEwen he worked as a calico printer at Grahamston, Barrhead.

His work caused him to move around Scotland, first to Lochwinnoch by 1851 where he found employment as a silk printer at Rowbank Printfield on the Renfrewshire/Ayrshire boundary near Beith. The Melvilles must have been reasonably prosperous at this time for in addition to supporting their family of five young children, they were able to afford a servant.

In 1861 when his family had increased to eight children, James Melville was still working at Rowbank (now as a silk printing master). Between 1863 and 1867 the family moved to New Monkland, Lanarkshire, where both James and his wife Jean had found work as silk printers. Their address was Edinburgh and Glasgow Road. By 1871 three of the Melville children, Agnes, Maggie and Robert had followed their father’s occupation and were working as silk printers.

Between 1871 and 1880 James and his family moved to Medford, Massachusetts, USA, where James worked as manager of a print works. With him were his wife and four of their children, Agnes, Janet, Helen and William.

The family did not remain in Massachusetts but returned to Scotland for by 1891 James was working at Hazelden as a silk printer and dyer: ten years later at the advanced age of eighty two he was still working there. He died in 1907 in Auchterarder, his wife having predeceased him in 1900.

A bleachfield at Hazelden in the south east of Mearns Parish was established by 1826. It converted to calico printing in 1838 under John Hall (cf. monument Z20), but reverted to operating as a bleachfield in 1852. In the mid 19th century three hundred people were employed there. Hazelden functioned latterly as a silk printing works for the fancy goods market. It closed finally in the 1930s.