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

Scope and Content

  • 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  .

Arrangement

This material is arranged into four series as described in the scope and content note

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Unknown

Other Finding Aids

Digital file level list available in searchroom.

Manual file level list available at the National Registers of Archives in Edinburgh (NRA(S)1651) and London (NRA21581)

Alternative Form Available

No known copies

Conditions Governing Use

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

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

Appraisal Information

This material has been appraised in line with normal procedures

Custodial History

Unknown

Accruals

None expected

Related Material

GB 248 UGD 005 Records of Glenfield & Kennedy Ltd

GB 248 UGD 100 and GB 248 UGD 179 Records of William Beardmore & Co Ltd

Material in other repositories:

GB 243 TD 500 Minutes, ledgers, seal book and press cuttings 1903-1966 (Glasgow City Archives)

For contact details of all repositories with a GB code, see the Archon repository search page

Bibliography

No known publications using this material

Additional Information

This material is original

Updated by Lesley Richmond , Acting Director, 3 March 2000

Geographical Names

Polmadie, Glasgow, Scotland