Interest in Dundee bonnet makers led 75-year-old to enrol in Masters course

Michael Harrigan, 75, decided to turn his childhood hobby of knitting into a business, after retiring from a career in professional development training for lawyers and financial service providers.

Michael’s passion for knitting led him to discover the traditional Scottish bonnet – flat caps knitted from sheep’s wool which are still worn to this day, along with traditional Scottish dress.

He learned of the hand-knitters, who made bonnets in Dundee from the 15th century, and later those of Stewarton, in Ayrshire, who gained prominence with their diversification of products and marketing of their wares abroad.

His interest in the bonnet makers sparked a desire to learn more about Scottish history, and Michael applied to the University’s School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law to study an MLitt in Scottish History.

He said: “I applied to the University of Dundee and two other universities in Scotland.

“My applications were very direct, in that I said exactly what area of Scottish history I was interested in researching alongside course modules.

“I received such a positive and supportive response from Dundee that I withdrew my other applications to study here, and that level of support has continued throughout the course.”

Remote study on Masters course

Michael, originally from northern New York State, USA, currently lives in Thailand and has studied part-time for the last three years as a distance learning student. 

He is due to graduate today, having arrived in Dundee yesterday – the first time he’s visited the city. 

“I’ve had everything I needed to study from afar,” he said. “People were there if I needed them and I could be independent if not. The support has been fantastic but not overbearing.

“I’ve made a few friends and have a real respect for the professors who went out of their way to make sure we are all digging in deep enough, learning all we can and getting what we need to out of our studies.”

As part of his MLitt, Michael, who is also a Knitting Guild certified ‘Master Hand Knitter’, leaned how to research and interpret handwriting from many centuries ago.

Alongside the course’s six modules and a dissertation, he carried out his own research into the Scottish bonnet makers, who were predominantly male and did not all enjoy particularly lucrative careers.

Research unlocked Scottish history

He questioned why the now famous bonnet makers of Ayrshire became more financially successful than Dundonian makers, hence leading to the longevity of their success, and noted a difference in their approach to adapting to consumer preferences.

Ayrshire makers shipped many of their bonnets overseas and sold in Europe and Canada, a relatively new approach at the time, whereas Dundonian bonnet makers kept their business local.

Michael said, “I wanted to learn why it was men who predominantly knitted these bonnets, how they did it and how they managed their businesses.

“I carried out research through the National Records of Scotland and found through death records that they were not particularly wealthy and that they passed on their craft to family members.”

Michael’s further research into the accounts of the bonnet makers is what led him to make the connection between shipping and the varying successes of the different businesses.

And modules within the course which were unconnected to the Scottish bonnet makers provided new areas of focus for Michael’s research.

For example, the Jacobite movement in Scotland which challenged the English monarch system in 1700s, led him to question who supplied the bonnets to regiments at the Battle of Culloden.

He said, “A lot of information in the modules helped me to look places I would have never thought to look and prompted me to study periods and events in a different context.”

Michael intends to carry on his research beyond graduation, in awe of his peers who shared their admiration of his continued studies at a recent reunion in his hometown.

“At my age, you have to keep your mind active, I think that’s very important,” he said. “Try not to think about it as a lot of work. If you take one day at a time and find something you’re genuinely interested in, it’s very enjoyable.”

For more information about studying at the University of Dundee as a mature student, see our webpage on support for mature students.