Records of Esslemont & Macintosh Limited

DD1231/1 Board Papers

DD1231/2 Sales Records

DD1231/3 Personnel Records

Esslemont and Macintosh, wholesale and retail warehousemen, drapers and silk merchants was formed in 1873, the result of a merger of the businesses of Peter Esslemont (1834 - 1894) and William Macintosh (c.1830 - 1913). The businesses, both initially based in Broad Street, were consolidated at Macintosh's address at 13 Broad Street, eventually going on to occupy nos. 1-17.

The new company of Esslemont and Macintosh was primarily occupied with the wholesale business, which continued to be of prime concern of much of the company's life.

Upon the death of Peter Esslemont, his 2 sons George Esslemont (d. 1914) and James Esslemont (d. 1917) began to manage the business being responsible for the wholesale/travelling and retail side of the business respectively.

In 1919, the shares of William Macintosh's family were bought out when E & Ms became a private limited company. The new board consisted largely of senior staff members including wholesale manager John Strachan (d. 1927), retail manager Alfred E. Middleton (d. 1938), wholesale traveller James A. Walker , company secretary John C. Howie, and George's widow Clementina as chairman. Wilson and Duffus of Golden Square were also appointed solicitors for the company.

George Esslemont's sons George and Ranald Esslemont (d. 1972) were appointed to the board in the 1920s. George was to part with the company in 1937 after having been responsible for retail, leaving Ranald (from a wholesale background) to run the company for the next 50 years. Their cousin Harold Esslemont became a director in 1926, and an exchange of premises with the council in the same year led to the company acquiring a new site on Union Street. The wholesale department was still a major part of the company at this point, employing about 100 people.

In response to rationing legislation in the 1940s, it was necessary to restructure part of the company to deal with retail only, as E & Ms retailers, a subsidiary of E & Ms ltd.

The 1950s saw further expansion over the Netherkirkgate and the appointment of George's son Birnie Esslemont as director, and company secretary Robert Stroud (d.1961) who was responsible for setting up the company's pension scheme.

During the 1960s Harold Esslemont replaced Ranald as managing director, and then as chairman after the latter's death, with William Smith appointed wholesale manager, and Colin Murray also joining the board as secretary. Some rearrangement of the company's shares also took place along with continuing refurbishment of the Union Street premises.

In 1972 the board consisted of Chairman Harold Esslemont, managing director William Smith, ladies' shop director Birnie Esslemont, Men's shop director Norman Esslemont (Harold's son) and Secretary Colin Murray. The continual decline of the wholesale business led ultimately to the closure of the wholesale branch in 1983, and E & Ms reversion to its pre war status as a single consolidated company. Selling departments were consolidated under fewer buyers into the 1980s, and the company began to branch into furniture sales. Norman Esslemont became chairman in 1987.

Despite an optimistic start to the 1990s, with the opening of a new furniture showroom at Bridge of Don, the company began to struggle in a highly competitive market, and was finally sold to Liverpool based company Owen Owen Ltd. in July 2005 for 1.47 million. The firm went into administration in 2007, and despite efforts by the administrators to find a buyer; E & Ms was forced to cease trading on 5 May 2007.

Further information available in 'E & M - A Store of Memories; A Short History of Esslemont & Macintosh 1873 - 1991' by Shirley Cunningham, (Waverly Press (Aberdeen) Ltd, 1991).

Open

Open for consultation at our Town House site, open Wed-Fri 9:30-12:30 and 13:30-16:30. It is advisable to make an appointment. Some material restricted due to Data Protection legislation (DD1231/1/3/7: Pensions Book closed until 2065).

Please see the Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives catalogue at https://archives.aberdeencity.gov.uk/CalmView/

Catalogued by Archivist Martin Hall in 2007.

Items transferred from Union Street and Broad Street premises on the closure of the business in May 2007.