A is for …
Adams of Old Deer, Mintlaw Station, Aberdeenshire
Alex Adie, Upper Crichie, Old Deer, Aberdeenshire
Adrolic Engineering, Clober Works, Clober Works, Clober Road, Milngavie
Agral Patents Co., agricultural implement and tool manufacturers, 70 Sword Street, Glasgow
The Agricultural Implement Co. (Dundee) Ltd, 10 Reform Street, Dundee, Angus
Henry Alexander & Co., Nottingham Place, Edinburgh
Allan Brothers, Ashgrove Engineering Works, Aberdeen
J. D. Allan & Sons, Culthill Implement Works, Muthly, Perthshire
Alley & Maclellan Ltd, Sentinel Works, Polmadie, Glasgow
Alexander Anderson, Watten, Caithness
Anderson Brothers, general ironmongers, standard, beam and weighing machine maker, tinsmiths, gasfitters and coppersmiths, 93 Stockwell Street, Glasgow
James Anderson, agricultural implement maker, Monifieth, Dundee, Angus
John Anderson, smith and implement maker, 14 Polton Street, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian
John Anderson, implement maker, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire
Lyall M. Anderson, Caldhame Engineering Works, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire
Armour Brothers (ploughs, grubbers, harrows &c), Hopetoun Implement Works, Linlithgow, West Lothian
Armstrongs & Main Ltd, Corn Exchange Buildings, Edinburgh
Auchinachie & Simpson Ltd, Keith, Morayshire
W. & T. Avery Ltd, manufacturers of weighing and testing apparatus, Birmingham, 304 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, and 20 Victoria Street, Edinburgh
Ayr Structural & Stamping Co., West Sanquhar Road, Ayr
Ayrshire Elevator Co. Ltd, Ayrshire Elevator Works, Knockentiber, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
This is a selected list of implement and machine makers from across Scotland in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Some of these names will be well-known to readers, while others are less well-known. Some have been features in past posts on Scottish agricultural implement makers.
Let’s look briefly at one or two of them. Adams of Old Deer, Mintlaw Station, Aberdeenshire, was well-known for their trailers from 1959 onwards. In 1961 their works at Mintlaw Station were known as the Challenger Trailer Works. By 1970 the company – which became Adams Trailers Ltd – were agricultural, industrial and commercial trailer specialists. From 1959 the company was a regular exhibitor to the Royal Highland Show. It entered a number of its trailers for the new implement award at the show in 1967, 1968 and 1969. These included Vari-tip’ trailer invented by F. Murchie, Lodge Farm, Great Ravelry, Huntingdon, and made by exhibitors and the ‘vari-tip’ trailer invented and made by exhibitors.
Another contemporary business was Ayrshire Elevator Co. Ltd, Ayrshire Elevator Works, Knockentiber, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. It was also a regular exhibitor at the Royal Highland Show from 1960 to 1968. It also entered a number of its inventions for the Society’s new implement award. In 1960 these included the Automatic bale pick-up attachment which fitted to the Ayrshire elevator, invented by Gerry Harris and made by exhibitors, a sugar beet cleaner, fitted to Ayrshire elevator, invented by Gerry Harris and made by exhibitors, and attachments for bulk storing potatoes, fitted to Ayrshire elevator, invented by Gerry Harris and made by exhibitors. The business was dissolved in 1982.
A much older business was Auchinachie & Simpson Ltd, Keith, Morayshire. In 1866 when it was set up it described itself as Auchinachie & Simpson, Mid Street, Keith, Morayshire (1868). At that time its specialities were ploughs, harrows and other machines. By 1913 these included ploughs, harrows, grubbers and manure sowers. Before 1914 its trades included agricultural implement maker (1877-1913), general implement dealer (1877), machinery broker and dealer (1878-1883), mechanical engineer (1878-1913), smith (1877- 1913), and smith and farrier (1903). Like the other businesses noted above it was also a regular exhibitor to the Royal Highland Show from 1868.
One of the well-known names around the rally field is Allan Brothers, Ashgrove Engineering Works, Aberdeen, whose oil engines and engines can still be seen. It is perhaps more widely known for its threshing mills which it started to manufacture in the 1930s. In 1898 the company was based at 102 West North Street, Aberdeen. It moved to Ashgrove Engineering Works, on Back Hilton Road, Aberdeen by 1901 where it continued to undertake its engineering, engine manufacturing and millwrighting until it was voluntarily wound up in 1956. It was also a regular exhibitor at the Highland Show until 1949.
