In 1755 George Sandeman (1724-1803) feued about ten acres of land in the area known today as Springland for the establishment of a water-powered saw mill. George Sandeman came from a wealthy linen family, but nevertheless trained as a Wright (his furniture is well-known) and operated as a merchant in Perth. One of his children helped to found the Commercial Bank of Scotland, another the House of Sandeman (port and sherry shippers). The family were members of an independent religious sect.
Further information about the Sandemans of Perth can be found in the book by Charles D. Waterston The Sandemans of Springland (ISBN: 978-0-905452-52-4).
“This book brings him [George Sandeman] to life as a risk taking entrepreneur with many interests and influential connections. He and his immediate successors were typical of the enterprising men found in many towns in Scotland prior to the industrial revolution who were a driving force in the nation’s economy. They were often related to one another and mutually supportive in ever changing partnerships.
The Sandemans of Springland gives a glimpse of the complexity of the commercial network in Perth. For the next four generations Springland was owned by Sandemans, many of whom inherited the entrepreneurial flair of their forefather George, but exercised it in ways which reflected the changing commercial and political circumstances of the United Kingdom. One of George’s children took a leading part in the foundation of the Commercial Bank of Scotland, one founded the ‘House of Sandeman’, port and sherry shippers in London and Oporto, and another, an exceptional woman, carried on a successful business in Edinburgh. As Britain’s imperial commitments grew, later generations went further afield serving in the Honourable East India Company, the Indian Army, or the mission field.”