Records of J & J Murdoch Ltd, lithographers and label and show card specialists, Glasgow, Scotland
- Reference:GB 248 UGD 232/2
- Dates of Creation:1937-1966
- Name of Creator:
- Physical Description:0.3 metresThere are no physical characteristics that affect the use of this material.
Scope and Content
- Journal 1937-1963
- Annual accounts and reports 1959-1966
- Administration records 1953-1965
- Shareholder records 1936, 1954
- Financial statistics 1950-1961
- Company histories 1944, 1965
Administrative / Biographical History
In 1844 , Robert McAulay set up a lithographic business in Glassford Street, Glasgow, Scotland, in partnership with a Mr McKinlay. In 1856 , the business was sold to William Murdoch and John Porter who traded under the name Murdoch & Porter . In 1863 , Porter resigned from the partnership and was replaced by John Telfer and the firm became known as Murdoch & Telfer . Telfer left the business and William took his son, James, into partnership. William died in 1869 and James managed the business, until his own death in 1911, but took his sons, John and Alexander, into business within him in 1894 and 1904 respectively. The Murdoch family did much to expand and develop the business. In 1844, the company operated 3 or 4 hand presses before William purchased one of the first litho-cylinder printing machines which operated until 1897.
The company moved to Argyll Street, Glasgow, in c1898 and then moved again to McAlpine Street, Anderston, Glasgow, in 1900. About this time, the company began to specialise in label, show card and poster production. In 1913, the company moved again to Albion Street in the city centre. The company gradual began to expand and between 1900 and 1920 increased its turnover by a factor of 20, and specialised in producing labels for the mineral water trade in both Scotland and England. By 1966, the company was supplying labels to various mineral water and food manufacturers, including Beechams Foods Ltd, Brentford, Essex, England.
In 1969 , the company, by then known as J & J Murdoch Ltd , was acquired by E S & A Robinson Ltd , a packing firm based in Bristol, England. The company was put under the control of another Robinson subsidiary, John Laird & Son Ltd , printing packaging and paper bag manufacturers, Glasgow, Scotland. It would appear that J & J Murdoch Ltd ceased trading in the 1970s along with John Laird & Son Ltd .
The Robinson Group. A Short History of the E S & A Robinson Group (Bristol, 1965)
Arrangement
This material is arranged into series, which consist of numbers of items related by format and/or function. Within series, the items are generally arranged chronologically.
Access Information
Open
Acquisition Information
Permanent loan : August 1986
Indefinite loan : November 1991 (Additional deposit)
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)2943)
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 standard GB 248 procedures
Custodial History
Unknown
Accruals
None expected
Related Material
GB 248 UGD 232/1 Records of John Laird & Son Ltd
Material in other repositories: no material associated by provenance
Bibliography
No known publications using this material
Additional Information
This material is original
No alterations made to date
Subjects
Corporate Names
Geographical Names