Records of Lorimer & Clark Ltd, brewers, Edinburgh, Scotland

• Corporate records, 1977–1979;
• Shareholding records, 1920–1932;
• Financial records, 1910–1978;
• Production records, 1928–1980;
• Sales records, 1944–1966;
• Staff records, 1919–1965;
• Licensed premises, records 1882–1963;
• Property records, 1871–1980;
• Promotional material, undated;
• Photographs, 1970s–1982.

George Lorimer began brewing in 1865. In 1869 he formed a partnership with Robert Clark, previously a brewer at Alexander Melvin 's Boroughloch Brewery, Edinburgh, Scotland, and established the Caledonian Brewery in Slateford Road, Edinburgh. They expanded into west Scotland and north eastern England and entered into a trading agreement with C Vaux & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, England, in 1919. Lorimer & Clark Ltd was registered in January 1920 as a limited liability company to acquire the business of the same name. The company was taken over by Vaux Associated Breweries Ltd, Sunderland, in 1946 and ceased to trade in 1963, although the Caledonian Brewery continued to brew. In 1959 Vaux acquired Steel, Coulson & Co Ltd, brewers of Glasgow and Edinburgh and Thomas Usher & Son Ltd ’s Park Brewery, Edinburgh. In 1961 Vaux acquired another Scottish company, the firm of John Wright & Co of Perth, Scotland. Production concentrated on the two main Edinburgh plants, the Caledonian Brewery at Slateford and the Park Brewery in St Leonard's Street. After the closure of Steel, Coulson & Co Ltd the Usher brewery expanded considerably. In 1972 Thomas Usher & Son Ltd changed their name to Usher's Brewery Ltd and in c1979 to Lorimer's Breweries Ltd. The Lorimer & Clark label was revived in Scotland in the late 1970s, which a previous trade agreement between Vaux and Usher had prevented. In 1980 Vaux Breweries Ltd sold the assets of Steel, Coulson & Co Ltd, Lorimer’s Breweries Ltd and John Wright & Co to Allied Breweries Ltd, London, England. The Caledonian Brewery continued to brew under the control of Vaux Breweries Ltd until 1985 when the brewery was closed. In 1987 the Caledonian Brewery was sold to the Caledonian Brewery Co Ltd.

The material is arranged according to the Scottish Brewing Archive classification scheme used within all SBA collections.

Access to records within this collection is open, however an appointment may be required. Please email Archives and Special Collections for advice: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk

Deposited by Lorimer & Clark Ltd in 1983, 1984 and 1986.

See also University of Glasgow Collections

File level list available in searchroom.

No known copies of this material

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents. Applications for permission to quote should be sent to Archives and Special Collections, please email: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 248 procedures.

The collection was previously stored with the rest of the Scottish Brewing Archive at Heriot–Watt University. It moved to the University of Glasgow in 1991. Custody of the Scottish Brewing Archive was transferred to Glasgow University Archive Services in 2008.

None expected.

• GB 248 CAL: Records of Caledonian Brewery Co Ltd;
• GB 248 TU: Records of Thomas Usher & Son Ltd;
• GB 248 ARTEFACTS: Scottish Brewing Archive Artefacts Collection;
• GB 0205: Records of Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd (West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds);
• GB 0155 NRO 1115: Records of Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd (Northumberland Record Office);
• GB 0183 BAC: Records of Vaux Group plc (Tyne and Wear Archives Service);
• GB 0033 D/Va: Records of Vaux Group plc (Durham County Record Office);
• GB 802302 BAC: Records of Allied Breweries Ltd (private collection, see Richmond & Turton, 'The brewing industry', 1990).

This material is original