Records of Alley & MacLellan (Polmadie) Ltd, engineers, Polmadie, Glasgow, Scotland

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General meeting minute books 1903-1960
Directors' meetings minute books 1903-1972
Salaries book 1916-1924
Catalogues c1935-1961

Administrative / Biographical History

In Alley & MacLellan 1875 was founded by Stephen Alley and John A MacLellan in Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland. Originally the firm produced valves, later also manufacturing air compressors, steam steering gear and prefabricated light draught steamers and barges. The business was incorporated as a limited liability company in 1903 as Alley & MacLellan Ltd and operated out of the Sentinel Works, Polmadie, Glasgow . Its steam wagon business moved to Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, later to become Sentinel Wagon Co Ltd . The company was acquired by William Beardmore & Co Ltd in 1918 .Its valve business moved to Worcester, Worcestershire, England, in 1919 and it acquired two small foundries in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland; the Victoria Foundry of Thomas Rutherford & Sons and the Cartside Foundry of D Fullerton & Co . These foundries were closed and sold to the local authority, for redevelopment in 1930 and 1933 respectively. It became independent again in 1937 , but was acquired by Glenfield & Kennedy Ltd , hydraulic engineers, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1945 . By the early 1950s it was the largest manufacturer of stationary air compressors in the UK. Around this time the business became known as Alley & MacLellan (Polmadie) Ltd , but this name was not formally adopted until 1955 following the sale of the firm's Worcester valve works in 1954. The Worcester business initially traded as Alley & MacLellan (Worcester) Ltd , but soon assumed the name Alley & MacLellan Ltd , making it necessary for the rest of the business to formally adopt the name Alley & MacLellan (Polmadie) Ltd in order to distinguish between the two firms. Alley & MacLellan (Polmadie) Ltd entered voluntary liquidation in 1972 .