Records of Archibald Thomson Black & Co Ltd, wire rope manufacturers, Shettleston, Glasgow, Scotland

• Financial records 1909-1943;
• Correspondence and plans regarding the Shettleston works, Glasgow 1938-1961;
• Output costs and correspondence 1945-1946;
• Works manual 1948-1949;
• Correspondence file 1962-1965;
• Notes on wire ropes n.d.

John Black & Co, hemp rope makers, was established in 1843  in Stobcross, Glasgow, Scotland. By 1860 , the firm was known as Black Renton & Co and around this time the company started to produce wire rope. By the 1890s  the company had amalgamated with Archibald Thomson & Co, rope makes, Shettleston, Glasgow, and became known as Archibald Thomson Black & Co Ltd . The company was acquired by the Gourock Ropeworks Co Ltd, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, Scotland, in 1938  and by this time was specialising in the production of marine and mining rope. Trading as a subsidiary of the Gourock Ropeworks Co Ltd, new machinery was introduced to the plant yet major upgrading of the works did not happen until the late 1950s. The company became known as the Gourock Wire Rope Co Ltd in the early 1960s  and was dissolved in 1985 .

Sources: GB 248 UGD 42/11/4 The Gourock Ropeworks Co including The Govan Ropework Co Ltd memorandum re business (1927-1929); GB 248 UGD 42/11/8/3 The Gourock. Brochure (1954)

Generally arranged chronologically within record series.

Open

Gourock Ropeworks Co Ltd : Port Glasgow : c.1971

Digital file level list available in searchroom

Manual file level list available at the National Registers of Archives in Edinburgh (NRA(S)1717) and London (NRA10832)

No known copies

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use & condition of documents

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

The bulk of this material was received directly from Archibald Thomson Black & Co by the Economic History Department, Glasgow University in c1971. Management of the collection transferred to Glasgow University Archives in 1975.

None expected

GB 0248 UGD 42 Records of Gourock Ropeworks Co Ltd

The Gourock Ropeworks Co had a number of subsidiary companies whose records survive:

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/1 Records of Govan Ropeworks Co Ltd

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/3 Records of Gourock Ropeworks Export Co

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/4 Records of Gourock-Bridport Ltd, Montreal, Canada

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/5 Records of Greenock Ropework Co

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/6 Records of Gourock Ropes and Canvas (Africa) Ltd

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/7 Records of Gourock Ropes and Canvas Co Ltd, Australia (including Birkmyre Canvas Co Pty Ltd)

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/8 Records of Birkmyre Brothers (Calcutta) Ltd

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/9 Records of Gourock Ropes & Canvas Ltd, New Zealand

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/10 Records of Gourock Ropes & Canvas Ltd, Argentina

GB 0248 UGD 42/6/12 Records of miscellaneous companies related to the Gourock Ropeworks Co Ltd

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