Morlands
Encyclopedia
Morlands is a manufacturer of sheepskin
jackets, boots and other footwear, based in Glastonbury
in Somerset
, England
.
in Glastonbury, particularly attracted by the water (essential to the tanning process), which he described as being "of unusual purity".
John Morland was Chairman from the day he founded the company until his death in 1934 at the age of 96. A devout Christian he was a highly regarded speaker at Quaker meetings, both in Great Britain and abroad. He was four times the mayor of Glastonbury and a member of the Liberal party.
Both his sons and grandsons went on to become Directors of the company.
Morlands produced a range of products from sheepskin including, from the early 20th century, coats, rugs, and foot muffs for Motor car drivers. In 1940, Morlands' made flying jackets and boots for the RAF pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain
although this caused some ethical discussions within the Quaker family.
The company was a family business for over a hundred years before running into difficulties in the recession of the 1980s, the brand name is still used today but there are no family connections.
The 31 acres (125,452.7 m²) site of the old Morlands factory in Glastonbury was scheduled for demolition and redevelopment into a new light industrial park, although there have been some protests that the buildings should be reused rather than being demolished.
As part of the redevelopment of the site a project has been established by the Glastonbury Community Development Trust to provide support for local unemployed people applying for employment, starting in self-employment and accessing work-related training.
Sheepskin
Sheepskin is the hide of a sheep, sometimes also called lambskin or lambswool.Sheepskin may also refer to:* Parchment, a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin** Diploma, originally made of sheepskin...
jackets, boots and other footwear, based in Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
In 1870, John Morland (1838–1934) bought a tanneryTanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
in Glastonbury, particularly attracted by the water (essential to the tanning process), which he described as being "of unusual purity".
John Morland was Chairman from the day he founded the company until his death in 1934 at the age of 96. A devout Christian he was a highly regarded speaker at Quaker meetings, both in Great Britain and abroad. He was four times the mayor of Glastonbury and a member of the Liberal party.
Both his sons and grandsons went on to become Directors of the company.
Morlands produced a range of products from sheepskin including, from the early 20th century, coats, rugs, and foot muffs for Motor car drivers. In 1940, Morlands' made flying jackets and boots for the RAF pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
although this caused some ethical discussions within the Quaker family.
The company was a family business for over a hundred years before running into difficulties in the recession of the 1980s, the brand name is still used today but there are no family connections.
The 31 acres (125,452.7 m²) site of the old Morlands factory in Glastonbury was scheduled for demolition and redevelopment into a new light industrial park, although there have been some protests that the buildings should be reused rather than being demolished.
As part of the redevelopment of the site a project has been established by the Glastonbury Community Development Trust to provide support for local unemployed people applying for employment, starting in self-employment and accessing work-related training.