I took this photo of a weaving loom at the National Museum of Scotland (www.nms.ac.uk)  in Edinburgh two years ago. My interest stems from the fact that my great-great grandfather was a weaver in Lesmahagow, near Glasgow, before he came to Canada. Even though I have seen quite a few old looms, I wasn’t sure how they operate.

Today I found a short video on the BBC News website that shows a loom in operation. This loom, rescued from an old barn in Wales, is powered by the weaver’s feet to make cloth for fashion designers. The video can be seen at www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26179200.

To read my article about Robert Hamilton, a Lesmahagow weaver who emigrated to Scarborough, Upper Canada, in 1829, see http://writinguptheancestors.blogspot.ca/2013/12/from-lesmahagow-to-scarborough.html