Records of G & J Maclachlan Ltd, brewers, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland

• Memoranda and articles of association 1912-1967;
• Change of name certificate 1967;
• Minutes of directors 1950-1965;
• Minutes and records of members' meetings 1907-1966;
• Directors' annual reports 1949-1970;
• Committee minutes 1949-1963;
• Shareholding records 1907-1971;
• Annual returns 1961-71, accounts 1954-1964;
• Tax and excise records c1936-1962;
• Trademark records 1916-1949;
• Sales records 1960-1964;
• Staff records 1949-1965;
• Records of licensed premises 1962-1965;
• Property inventories and valuations 1962;
• Promotional material 1898-1964;
• Family papers 1901;
• Photographs c1930-1995;
• Historical notes 1895-1996.

George and John Maclachlan, brothers from Strathallan, Scotland, entered separately into the Glasgow wine and spirit trade in 1871 and 1876 respectively. George Maclachlan acquired A & J McCulloch, Argyle Street, Glasgow, Scotland , wine and spirit merchants and whisky blenders  , in 1886. The 2 brothers entered into partnership in 1889 and built the Castle Brewery at Wyndford Street, Maryhill, Glasgow. The firm acquired James Lipsey & Co, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Irish whiskey distillers, in 1896. The Castle Brewery had a capacity of over 30,000 barrels per annum but this was not large enough to keep up with demand and so a new Castle Brewery was built in Craigmillar, Edinburgh, Scotland. The brewery opened in 1901 and had a capacity of over 104,000 barrels per annum. John Maclachlan died in 1903 and his interest was acquired by his brother, who purchased Auchentoshan Lowland Malt Whisky Distillery, near Duntocher, Scotland, in the same year.

G & J Maclachlan Ltd was registered in 1907 as a limited liability company to acquire the business of the same name and the Castle Brewery in Glasgow was closed. A large export trade, largely to South Africa and India, was established. The company went into voluntary liquidation in 1923 and its business interests were transferred to a new concern, Maclachlans Ltd, which was converted into a public company in 1947. It operated a wholesale branch at Greenock, Scotland, trading as Blanche & Co, and owned a bonded warehouse, known as Central Bonding Co, in Invernairn Street, Parkhead, Glasgow, and branch offices in South Shields, England, and Eastcheap, London, England. The company acquired David Ross & Sons Ltd, Glasgow, wine and spirit merchants, in 1952. It was itself acquired by J & R Tennent Ltd, Glasgow, in 1960 and brewing ceased at the Castle Brewery in 1966. The company's name changed to Kenneth MacKenzie (Wines) Ltd in 1967.

Source: Richmond, Lesley and Turton, Alison (eds). "The Brewing Industry. A Guide to Historical Records" (Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 1990)

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 Tennent Caledonian Breweries Ltd

See also University of Glasgow Collections

File level list available in searchroom

No known copies of this material

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the Archivist Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents

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

Tennent Caledonian Breweries deposited the records in the Scottish Brewing Archive, then at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, in the 1980s. The archive moved to Glasgow University in 1991. More material was deposited in the 1990s. Custody of the Scottish Brewing Archive was transferred to Glasgow University Archive Services in 2008.

None expected

• GB 248 DR: Records of David Ross & Sons Ltd;
• GB 248 DT: Records of Drury Trust Co Ltd;
• GB 248 T: Records of Tennent Caledonian Breweries Ltd;
• GB 248 GB: Records of Gordon & Blair Ltd;
• GB 248 IH: Records of Imperial Hotel (Helensburgh) Ltd;
• GB 248 WT: Records of Westburn Trust Co Ltd;
• GB 248 ARTEFACTS: Scottish Brewing Archive Artefacts Collection.

This material is original