Blenkhorn Richardson & Co. Ltd., Woollen Manufacturers, Hawick
- Reference:GB 582 HWUA BR
- Dates of Creation:1881-1974
- Name of Creator:
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:45 volumes, ca. 9 linear metres; volumes and papers, fabric samples.
Scope and Content
Records of Directors, Records of Shareholders, Records of Administration, Records of Finance, Records of Sales, Staff Records, Marketing and Public Relations, Relations with External Bodies and Printed Records.
Administrative / Biographical History
John Farrar Blenkhorn was born in around 1852 in Thirsk, Yorkshire where his father was a farmer. He came to Hawick in about 1879 as a traveller for Messrs Armstrong and Diener, Tweed Merchants. He initially went into business with Mr Borthwick, the firm being known as Messrs Borthwick and Blenkhorn, later known as Borthwick and Ingram. Some years later, John Farrar Blenkhorn went into business with his brother-in-law Mr John Richardson as Tweed Manufacturers. They occupied rented premises in Galashiels. In around 1882 they returned to Hawick and established Eastfield Mills, which in conjunction with Riversdale Mills was one of the largest manufacturers in the South of Scotland. The business became a limited liability company with John Farrar Blenkhorn as Managing Director. In 1897 he purchased the mansion house and estates of Stirches where he died in May 1909. The company closed in 1974.
Arrangement
Records are arranged chronologically by type following classification scheme.
Access Information
By appointment. Closure periods may apply to unpublished records less than 30 years old and other records containing personal information. Access to records in a fragile condition may be restricted.
Other Finding Aids
Fonds, series and item level printed and computerised list available in the Searchroom.
Conditions Governing Use
Private study and research, subject to the condition of the documents. Applications for permission to quote from or publish images from the collection should be sent to the University Archivist.
Appraisal Information
Records suggest that in 1975, when records were selected for retention, wage records were sampled. A sample was retained for every decade.
Custodial History
On the company's liquidation in 1975, records were surveyed and selected for retention by the previous Librarian at the Scottish College of Textiles, at the request of Blenkhorn Richardson & Co. Ltd., Eastfield Mills, Hawick. The records were first listed as part of the Archive by the Business Archives Council (Scotland) Surveying Officer in 1988 while in the High Mill. Following the merger of the Scottish College of Textiles with Heriot-Watt University in October 1998, responsibility for the collection was transferred to Heriot-Watt University Archive, Records Management and Museum Service. In September 2000, the Archive moved to the Main Building at the Scottish Borders Campus, Galashiels.
Accruals
Not expected.
Related Material
Subsidiary companies: Messrs. William Keddie & Co., Hawick and Keddie Darling & Co. Ltd., Hawick are held at Heriot-Watt University Archive, Scottish Borders Campus. The R & A Sanderson Collection (GB 0582 HWUA RAS) also held at the Scottish Borders Campus includes information on Keddie Gordon.
See also Scottish Woollen Manufacturers Association Collection (GB 0582 HWUA NASWM).
Other records can be found at the Borders Region Archive and Local History Centre.
Hawick Museum and Scott Art Gallery; NRA 17662 Hawick Mus
Additional Information
The collection is original.
Subjects
Corporate Names
Geographical Names