Description: The Deed Box belonging to the Rothesay Cotton Mill Society which was instituted in 1792. The box is made of walnut with a brass plate on the lid. It required two keys to open it, each key being held by a different person, ensuring that there were always two people present when the box was opened.

Origin: The cotton industry was, for more than a century, a vital part of the economy of Rothesay. In 1779, Mr James Kenyon was encouraged by Robert Oliphant to visit Bute with the intention of setting up a cotton mill. This cotton mill, set up in an old flax mill, was only the second cotton mill in Scotland. The industry blossomed and by 1855 over 1200 people were employed in five mills.