Robert Turnbull

It was very appropriate that a man from Scotland, the land of sheep, would be responsible for a large number of hand knitters from his native land immigrating to Canada, and so providing a Scottish Lowland influence in the community of Galt.

Robert Turnbull immigrated from Hawick, Roxboroughshire, Scotland in 1854. His action is indicative of what he thought of his adopted land and its possibilities for the future. He built a flourishing hand knitting business and when he died in 1879 he was succeeded in the Turnbull Knitting Company by his sons, Charles and John.

With another son, George, they were instrumental in the founding of a large number of the initial industries in Galt, including paper box making, and the manufacture of ribbon, shoes, nails and tacks.