Scott's Jam 'Jeely' Works is a very important part of Carluke's history. The information on this page was sent to us by Dr Peter J. Gordon, a descendant of the Scott family. We are very grateful to him for his help in giving Scott's its rightful place on our site.

Did you know? - Jeely is a Scots word meaning jam or jelly. A jam sandwich was often referred to as a 'jeely piece' or 'jeelie piece'. There is even a song called 'The Jeely Piece Song'. Click to link to The Jeely Piece Song.

The Brothers who started the 'Jeely Works' - R. & W. Scott

Robert Scott of Gowanglen, born c1761, was the first of his family to learn the craft of fruit-bud grafting. Alec MacCallum Scott, MP, has described Gowanglen's early enterprise:

"At the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries, a certain Robert Scott had a nursery garden at Gowanglen. He did a considerable business in supplying the orchards of the Clyde with fruit trees, and his fame was established as a grafter and pruner. As far away as Seggieden, in Perthshire, his descendants have gathered fruit from trees which came from Gowanglen."

"Before the Scott family, commercial strawberry growing was not widely known in Scotland, and had Robert Scott not 'induced his brother' in the spring of 1873 'to plant half-an-acre of ground with strawberry plants as an experiment' this fruit may not have graced the Victorian Scottish pudding bowl. At Mashockmill, Orchard, the sheltered situation and the suitability of the soil was found to yield 'very satisfactory results', and strawberry culture became one of the main industries of the Clydesdale neighbourhood."

"The success of the works was undoubtedly due to the splendid managing abilities of the partners. Both were men of integrity and uprightness in all business dealings, which gained for them the esteem and confidence of customers and employees alike, and has given the firm name of R. & W. Scott a reputation and character excelled by no firm in Scotland."

So next time you enjoy a juicy Scottish berry think of Robert and his chance suggestion to his brother William. For without the shared spirit of adventure of these two brothers, our palate might have suffered?

Alec MacCallum Scott was an MP and friend of Winston Churchill. He wrote the first biography of Winston Churchill. He also wrote 'A Clydesdale Man' in honour of his father Robert Scott (1856-1940). It is all about Carluke, fruit and forebears.

Alec MacCallum Scott and his wife died in a plane crash over Puget Sound.

Alec MacCallum Scott with Churchill

The Next Generation

Robert Scott (1856-1940) known as 'Bob' (seated on the left, on the edge of table, in the first group picture), son of the elderly Founder (seated in the first group picture), was key to the continuing success of the works. When Bob Scott retired the 'Jeely Works' continued to prosper under his younger brother John Scott of Orchard House. His son Anderson Scott (of Hill of Orchard) then continued. The last Scott director was Kenneth Anderson Scott, son of Anderson Scott, who retired mid 1980's. Kenneth's mother, Ena, lived at Hill of Orchard and Peter Gordon has fond memories of her.

The family tree below shows the ancestral line from Robert Scott (1831-1906) to Dr Peter J. Gordon.

The picture below was taken at Drumdruills. It shows Peter's grandfather, Rab Scott, with his grandfather, Bob Scott.

Present Day

The Renshaw and Scott businesses were brought together during the 1980's. Both carry the Royal Warrant, and were established more than 100 years ago. Renshaw is a leading manufacturer of marzipans, ready to roll icings, baking chocolate and jam, supplying major cake manufacturers, high street bakers and retailers. The Carluke factory employs around 55 people producing jams and cooking chocolate.

You can visit the Renshaw website by clicking the link.

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