Industry
Allan’s Bakery
Allan’s bakery was a feature of Dunfermline High Street from the 1880’s to the 1960’s. In another of our series on Dunfermline’s Industrial and Commercial past, George Beattie writes, in “Andrew Allan, Baker“, a short, illustrated history of the firm.
David West, Road Haulier
In the next in his series on Dunfermline’s Industrial and Commercial Past, George Beattie relates the history of David West & Son, Road Haulier of Rumblingwell and Touch. This business started in 1920 using ex-army vehicles and grew steadily. Early in the Second World War it was placed under the control of the Ministry of War Transport to prioritise war work and later it was briefly nationalised. The company was re-started following de-nationalisation and continued to thrive until merged into a much larger UK business in the 1960’s. The article shows the scale of the economic changes made by the needs of wartime and also the subsequent changes in the UK economy as national companies superseded local ones.
Dunfermline and the Bartholomew Map Family
I’m sure many of us will have used Bartholomew’s maps over the years and may well still do. John Bartholomew and Sons was a very well known cartography company, founded in 1826 in Edinburgh, but it’s origins lie further back. In “`My Favourite Boy` – The Dunfermline Link with the Bartholomew Map Family“, Jean Barclay tells the story of George Bartholomew, a boy who had a difficult and unusual start in life, his parents fought a long court case, but became a skilled engraver of maps and plans. His son John, also trained as an engraver, went on to found the business.
Their story tells us much about both class distinctions and social mobility in late 18th and early 19th century Scotland.
Fraser and Carmichael Ltd
In the next of our series on Dunfermline’s Industrial past, George Beattie describes the history of a Dunfermline based firm whose operations covered a range from grain milling, through grocery and brewing to running the City Hotel. “Fraser & Carmichael Ltd, Grain-Millers, Wholesale & Retail Grocers” tells, with press reports, photos and interviews, how this firm grew and prospered for over 100 years until 1971.
One of the directors, Daniel Fraser, became a councillor and served as Provost from 1924 to 1927, leading Dunfermline through some difficult times. George has told his story, based on his Dunfermline Press obituary, in Provost Daniel Alexander Fraser.
Elder and Son Grain Merchants and Millers
Although we are not able to hold meetings or outings at present, we can still publish new articles about Dunfermline’s history. I have a small stock written by local historians and intend to keep publishing them on this website over the coming weeks and months.
Today’s article, researched and written by George Beattie, is the latest in his series on Dunfermline’s Industrial Past. It relates how a local business grew to become an important firm in East of Scotland agriculture and then declined as tastes and society changed. But for over a 130 years “Hugh Elder & Son, Grain Merchants & Millers” was a well known Dunfermline business and it’s City Mills a local landmark. As always, George’s article is illustrated with some excellent period photographs.