| United Turkey
Red Co Ltd was incorporated in 1898 through the amalgamation
of the Dunbartonshire Turkey-red dyeing firms of John
Orr Ewing & Co founded at Alexandria in 1834; Archibald
Orr Ewing & Co founded at Levenfield in 1845; and
William Stirling & Sons founded at Dalquhurn and
Cordale in c1723. The company then acquired Alexander
Reid & Sons of Milngavie, east Dunbartonshire, in
1900. The new company had a share capital of £1,500,000.
This amalgamation had been brought about due to a number
of difficulties within the Turkey-red dyeing industry
in the West of Scotland. The 1880s had seen a German
technical monopoly in the production of artificial alizarine
which produced the Turkey-red colour which led to steep
price increases for English and Scottish dyers. The
refusal of Scottish firms to meet the price demands
of their German suppliers led to a depression in the
industry and mass unemployment. In the 1890s, the dyers
set up a protective association, the Dyers in Glasgow
and the West of Scotland, to contest what were seen
as discriminative tariffs imposed on British dyed yarns
imported into India.
The first chairman of United Turkey Red Co Ltd was
John Hyde Christie (1836-1926). Christie had been employed
as chief chemist at John Orr Ewing & Co in 1859,
becoming general manager and then a partner in the firm
in 1878. It was Christie who seen the amalgamation
of the various Turkey-red dyeing concerns in the West
of Scotland as the way to prevent the industries continued
decline.
The management of the new company maintained the commercial
autonomy of individual firms for a while but eventually
the business was reorganised under the overall supervision
of John Christie, on a departmental basis. However,
each companies name and branding was retained to maintain
brand loyalty with the foreign markets. Three of Christie's
sons came into the business, and one of them, Henry
Christie, became chairman following the death of William
Ewing Gilmour, his father's successor, in 1924. Together
with James Morton (1867-1943), Henry's brother, John
Christie jnr, was responsible, during the inclusive11900s,
for developing a new, cheaper and quicker turkey-red
dyeing process. They also worked on processes to produce
other artificial dyestuffs but the board of the company
was not keen to diversify at that stage.
In 1920, the company underwent significant reconstruction
and rationalisation and the share capital was increased
to £2,000,000 but this was soon followed by a slump
in the over-confident market. John Christie left the
company during a period of decline and labour unrest,
partly caused by the formation of the United Turkey
Red Co Ltd which had done away with the paternalistic
relationship between the employee and employer. At this
time, the head office of the company was at 46 West
George Street, Glasgow and there was also an office
in Manchester.
Henry Brock, previously senior partner in John Orr
Ewing & Co continued in United Turkey Red Co Ltd
as commercial manager until 1915 when following his
death his place was filled by John McMurray, an expert
in trade marks. He was responsible for supervising
and expanding the firm's export business, mainly to
India. Christie's three sons, Henry, John F and George
all became directors with Henry becoming chairman in
1924. He travelled widely on behalf of the company
and was responsible for introducing the production of
hosiery at the Dalquhurn works. His brother, John Christie
jnr, inherited his father's chemical genius and was
responsible for introducing a cheaper and quicker Turkey-red
dyeing process to the company as well as other artificial
dyestuffs. However, the company failed to encourage
or exploit the diversification promised in the work
of John Christie jnr. This reflected the more general
malaise which saw eventually the decline of United Turkey
Red Co Ltd in the face of widespread use of new Napthol
Red dyes, which had been tested but rejected as unsuitable
by the company as early as 1914.
The Christie family maintained its connection with
the company into the third generation, George Christie
becoming a director. He retired from the company before
1960. In 1960, the chairman of the company was H Cowan-Douglas,
and the managing Director was W Calderhead. At that
date, the registered office of United Turkey Red Co
Ltd was Levenfield, Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire
and there were company offices at 10 Charlotte Street,
Manchester, and at 137-141 Regent Street, London.
In 1960, however, the company's assets were purchased
by the Calico Printers' Association Ltd, Manchester,
England, which closed the Alexandria works. The company
name of United Turkey Red Co Ltd was retained but as
a dormant company and was still in existence in 2003.
Calico Printers' Association Ltd subsequently The Calico
Printers' Association became English Calico Ltd in 1968
and then Tootal Ltd in 1973. This became a public limited
company in 1982 as Tootal Group plc in 1982 and in 1989
under went a merger becoming part of Coats Viyella plc,
a successor company of J & P Coats Ltd, cotton thread
manufacturers, Paisley, Scotland. |
