'Lace-making first came to Devon from Flanders when people came across after the 1745 rebellion. (Families had originally fled to France). The skills were passed on to the ladies of Devon (Honiton Lace). At that time Lady Hamilton Forbes Stewart lived in Devon & her brother, who was the Laird lived in the New Pitsligo area of Aberdeenshire, thought it would be a good for the New Pitsligo ladies to learn.

The following is Pitsligo lace

Two ladies were invited from Devon (whether English or French is not sure) to teach lace-making to the ladies of New Pitsligo and arrived in the early part of the nineteenth century.

In 1846 a new minister (Rev. Dean Webster) arrived in New Pitsligo - and was fascinated to see the ladies sitting at their doors making lace. The thread used at this time was fairly course, & the minister realised the potential of using fine threads. He procured fine thread and organised a cottage industry.

The ladies began to invent their own patterns and the lace was called "New Pitsligo Lace". The first pattern was called "The Lady's Fan" and the second "The Lady's companion" after the two ladies who first introduced the skill.

New Pitsligo lace became quite well-known and distinctive. Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise, had her trousseau trimmed with New Pitsligo lace edgings and insertions. The traditions in New Pitsligo lace are still carried on to-day - it is generally worked on a French-style pillow to accommodate a large number of bobbins. The bobbins are made of plain wood and are slightly bulbous in shape.

The lace edging is worked with the straight edge on the left hand side and the fan-edge on the right. (The opposite of all other types of lace). The History and skills and patterns are not written down anywhere but are passed on by person to person, generation to generation. The corners in New Pitsligo lace are mitred and the patterns used all have names.'