Reconstruction

After Union with the Kingdom of England ended military hostilities, Dundee was able to redevelop its harbour and establish itself as an industrial and trading centre. The industrial history of Dundee is traditionally summarised in the expression “the three Js".

Jute

During the 18th and 19th Centuries, flax was imported from the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea for the production of linen. The trade supported 36 spinning mills by 1835, but various conflicts, including the Crimean war put a stop to the trade. At around this time, jute, a common fibre from the Indian sub-continent, was looked at as a possible alternative but was difficult to handle. It was discovered that treatment with whale oil, available from another local industry, made the spinning of the jute fibre possible, paving the way for a flourishing industry in the production of the material. This growth precipitated a large increase in population.
1801 - 26,000
1835 - 40,000
1861 - 90,000
1870 - 130,000

By the end of the 19th century the majority of Dundee’s working population were occupied in jute manufacture, but the industry began to decline in 1914, when it became cheaper to rely on imports from India. (Ironically, Dundee’s ‘jute barons’ had invested heavily in Indian factories). Commercial jute production in Dundee came to an end in the 1960s. Some manufacturers successfully diversified to produce synthetic fibres and linoleum for a short time. Many mills were destroyed, but others have been redeveloped for residential use. An award-winning museum, based in the old Verdant Works, commemorates the city’s manufacturing heritage and operates a small jute-processing facility.

Jam

The second “J” should really be an “M": Dundee’s link with jam stems from Janet Keiller’s 1797 ‘invention’ of marmalade. Mrs. Keiller is said to have devised the recipe in order to make use of a cargo-load of bitter Seville oranges acquired from a Spanish ship by her ‘husband’, James. This account is fiction, but nevertheless marmalade became a famed Dundee export after James Keiller (in reality Janet’s son) industrialised the production process during the 19th century. Traditional marmalade production has fallen victim to corporate takeovers, but distinctive white jars of Keiller’s marmalade can still be bought.

Journalism

Journalism is the only “J” which continues to thrive in Dundee — the publisher DC Thomson & Co. celebrated its centenary in 2005. The firm publishes a wide spectrum of newspapers, children’s comics and magazines, including The Sunday Post, The Courier and children’s favourites, The Beano and The Dandy.