Quote Originally Posted by Steve Ashton View Post
I think there may be some misconceptions about the age of sophisticated fabrics.

Weaving has been around for centuries. Some amazingly fine, soft, and sophisticate fabrics have been woven since before the middle ages. We just didn't have powered machines that did the work. People did the work with muscle power, water, wind etc.

The date we use for the Industrial Revolution kicking off is 1760 but that should not be seen as the same time as the ability to create sophisticated, fine and/or soft fabrics. It just means that they could spin more yarn, weave more fabric and transport it further than before.

We sometimes need to step back from the idea that Scotland was somehow a backwater of the world just as we sometimes need to put all of this into its proper place in the timeline of the rest of history.
Very much indeed! And even if in fact a backwater, that does not mean that Scotland, or Kentucky (another of my research areas) was not connected to the global economy of the time. Trade happens, people, outside of modern reenactors do not want shoddy material possessions. Sometimes you have to suffer, but suffering for sufferings sake is something that only those rich in something, faith, leisure time etc do.