New Zealand man seeks to find out more family's Damask linen

The linen, currently owned by Jim McQuillan, is about 630mm wide with an estimated 730 threads.

Jim’s great-grandfather Henry McQuillan, a railway guard with North British Railways, emigrated to New Zealand in late 1883 to early 1884 with his wife Jane Rintoul and four children.

The linen was part of an 1868 wedding present to Jane from her father David Rintoul, a weaver who had a house and loom shop in Hospital Hill, Dunfermline.

David Rintoul (Image: Jim McQuillan)

Speaking of how he became interested in his family history, Jim said: “In my childhood, my McQuillan uncles visited the farm on Sundays which was where they also grew up.

"One uncle was a great storyteller of romantic tales about Dunluce Castle and events there when the McQuillans were a powerful fighting group, before being displaced by the MacDonnells.”

Margaret (McAuley) Rintoul, David's wife (Image: Jim McQuillan)

Jim, who was born in Mataura, Southland, grew up on Dunluce farm south of Mataura which was named after Dunluce Castle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. This is the ancestral home of the McQuillans. He now lives in Dunedin, Otago.

He is now writing a book on his family history which is to be published this year, and is seeking more information about the linen.

Jim said: “So far I have learned that Damask linen weaving by hand loom was a hugely significant household industry in Dunfermline before power loom weaving became dominant. I think the linen I have is an example of the items made to sell to rich people for table dressing, but I would like the quality of the item to be established in some way.”

Dunfermline was one of the largest producers of linen in Europe.

Jim added: “We are considering giving the linen to an appropriate museum once the quality and provenance of the item has been established, hopefully through this correspondence.

"It is probably better for interested family members to be able to access the item safely stored in a museum than it to be stored somewhere in the family and seldom see the light of day.

“However, the latter is how it has survived to this date. The book on family history I am writing will also alert the wider family to its existence.”