Harry Walker & Sons Ltd, Jute Spinners and Manufacturers, Dundee

Minute books 1892-1933; letter books 1885-1926; ledgers 1903-1921; wages records 1911-1913; shareholding records 1892-1931; order books 1847-1851; miscellaneous papers 1862-c.1960; costing books 1851-1910; miscellaneous photographs 1875-c.1920.

Harry Walker (1812-1889) came to Dundee in 1833 from Blebo, Fife where his father was a flax spinner, and went into business with his brother John. Building Dura Works, the brothers were successful spinning jute yarn, and survived the trading difficulties of the 1840s and 1850s. In 1873, Harry and his brother dissolved their partnership. Mr P W Walker continued trading from Dura Works while the new firm of Harry Walker & Sons was formed. This firm owned Caldrum Works, built in 1872 to 1873, which was eventually the second biggest jute mill in Dundee. It was perhaps the first large British textile complex to integrate spinning, weaving and finishing on a single storey. By 1913 the firm, under the control of Harry's sons and nephew, was a limited company and the works had been extended to cover a ground area of 8 acres with 9500 spindles. In 1920, Harry Walker & Sons Ltd amalgamated with Jute Industries Ltd.

Records are arranged within series.

Open for consultation subject to preservation requirements. Access must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act (2018), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) and any other relevant legislation or restrictions. Clinical information is closed for 100 years.

The records were deposited by Sidlaw Group PLC in 1980, 1993 and 1994 (AccM/112, AccM/131, AccM/295, AccM/310).

Harry Walker (1812-1889) came to Dundee in 1833 from Blebo, Fife where his father was a flax spinner, and went into business with his brother John. Building Dura Works, the brothers were successful spinning jute yarn, and survived the trading difficulties of the 1840s and 1850s. In 1873, Harry and his brother dissolved their partnership. Mr P W Walker continued trading from Dura Works while the new firm of Harry Walker & Sons was formed. This firm owned Caldrum Works, built in 1872 to 1873, which was eventually the second biggest jute mill in Dundee. It was perhaps the first large British textile complex to integrate spinning, weaving and finishing on a single storey. By 1913 the firm, under the control of Harry's sons and nephew, was a limited company and the works had been extended to cover a ground area of 8 acres with 9500 spindles. In 1920, Harry Walker & Sons Ltd amalgamated with Jute Industries Ltd.

Descriptive list. Subject source lists and databases are also available.

The records are on paper and include photographs.

Fonds level description compiled by Sarah Chubb, Archives Hub Project Archivist, December 2001. Amended by Kenneth Baxter, April 2019

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