Monklands Memories - Airdrie & Coatbridge areas

A brief history of
Murray and Paterson
A presentation on the firm made in 1968

In 1868, a partnership was formed between Richard Murray, John Paterson and A. Morton Strathern, to set up an Engineering business in Coatbridge. The Works were situated on a site which is now part of R B Tennent’s Works and the Firm moved to its present site in Brown Street in 1900 when it was formed into a Limited Liability Company, under the name Murray & Paterson Limited. The original Firm of Strathern, Murray & Paterson lasted until 1871 when, apparently, Strathern left the partnership which thereafter was known as Murray & Paterson.

The Firm originally manufactured steam engines for driving all types of Machinery, these engines incorporating various patents owned by Strathern. Six months after their formation they were employing 70 employees and even at that time they were engaged in Export, there being a record of engines being built for South America. It is also recorded that in 1870 a yacht built for the Chilean Government was equipped with engines supplied by Strathern, Murray & Paterson.

In 1871 a 250 hp engine was supplied to the Clydesdale Iron Works at Holytown for driving a Rolling Mill, a full description of this engine being given at the time in one of the National Engineering Magazines. As these engines were supplied to many of the local Iron Works, it was natural that the Firm should also manufacture Rolling Mills and Shearing Machines and these were supplied over many years not only to local Companies but to Firms in England. At the same time M & P were always actively engaged in supplying spare parts and carrying out repairs for their customers.

As electric motors replaced steam engines, the manufacture of these declined but the Firm continued to design and manufacture Rolling Mills up to the 1930’s. Thereafter, the design of Rolling Mills became much more complicated with a move towards heavier equipment and M & P’s work in this field became largely that of Sub-Contractors, working to designs provided by their customers and other Firms. Their services are still sought after for the supply of replacements and spares for all types of Machinery and they still design and manufacture special purpose Machines such as Tube Bending Machines, Straightening Machines and Hydraulic Presses. Direct Export work is not a large proportion of their output, but several Tube Bending Machines have been exported in recent years. M & P’s services make a considerable, though indirect contribution towards exports.

Some of Murray & Paterson’s present customers have been associated with them since the earliest days. There are records of transactions with Messrs. R. B. Tennent in 1868. W. & P. Murray and Coatbridge Tinplate Co. in 1869, Thomas Hudson in 1876 and James Henderson in 1882 and the connections with others of their customers go back at least 60 years, including such well known Firms as William Bain & Co. & Colvilles, Dorman Long and Stewart & Lloyds, all now British Steel Corporation, and G. R. Stein. Many of the shares of the Company are still held by direct descendents of the original Shareholders and it has not been unusual for employees to remain with the Company for 50 years. A number of the present staff has been with the Company for over 40 years.

In 1897, as a young man, John McGregor from Springburn joined the Company. John Paterson wished to retire, but unfortunately, that year Richard Murray died suddenly, so Paterson and McGregor carried on and when the Limited Company was formed in 1900, John Paterson was appointed Chairman and John McGregor became Managing Director and later, Chairman. In 1946 he was succeeded as Managing Director by his son, who also became Chairman in 1962 when John McGregor died. The present Directors are J. G. McGregor M A., B.Sc., [Chairman], J.A. Dempster, [Managing Director], W. M. Grant, A.C.I.S. who is also Secretary and James McGregor, C.A.

The Policy of the Company was always to finance expansion from its own savings. The Machine shop area in Brown Street was quickly trebled in size and subsequently other additions were made to the premises. In recent years, the emphasis has been on the modernisation of Plant and Machinery, and in 1964 further expansion took place when The Mill Metals Company was acquired. This Firm manufactures Non-Ferrous Castings both Machined and Unmachined.

M. & P. has always been regarded as a training ground for Engineers, the origin of this going back further than any of the present staff can remember. “M. & P. trained” Engineers have been successful and risen to important positions all over the world and it is still true to say that any Engineer who claimed he was trained at M. & P’s is welcomed anywhere and is quite likely to meet someone else who has also served his apprenticeship here.

It was natural, therefore, that the Firm should be the Founder Members of the Lanarkshire Engineering Training Association Limited. The aim of the Directors is that the reputation of the Firm in the future will be as high as it has been in the past for turning out good Engineers and for giving good value and service to their customers.

The Company is indebted to James Houston of Plains and James Wood of Glasgow Museum and Art Galleries for much of the information available on the Firms history.
 

NOTES:

Cardowan Colliery was a three-shaft pit, with the two older shafts upcast. These have steam winding engines built by Murray and Paterson, Coatbridge, in 1924, both with piston valves operated by Stephenson valve gear. The engines are supplied with steam by six Lancashire boilers.

Murray and Paterson Steam Winding Engine from Cardowan

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31 Jan 2008  - Extract from Evening Times

The Mill Metals Company Ltd

Founded Circa 1920

This company manufactures non-ferrous castings which are supplied to customers in the cast condition or machined.

It was formed in the early 1920’s by Mr. James Russell who had previously worked with Stewart & Lloyds, and the firm has always maintained a close relationship with the local works and with the works at Corby.

Mr Russell was assisted by Jack and James Brownlee who carried on the business after his death and in 1964 The Mill Metals Co. was purchased by Murray & Paterson, who carried on the business in the existing premises in Kirkwood Street until 1979. In that year Murray & Paterson built a new foundry beside their engineering works in Brown Street with improved facilities and larger capacity.

The Firm can supply castings in Gunmetal’s, Phosphor Bronzes, High Tensile Brass, Aluminium Bronze, Copper, Zinc and Aluminium. It also manufactures castings in White Metal and carries out lining of bearings with Tin or Lead Base White Metals. The maximum cast weight is 1,600 lbs and machining facilities are available in its own machine shop or in Murray & Paterson’s machine shop which can handle much heavier weights; pattern making facilities are also available.

In addition to British Steel Company [BSC] factories The Mill Metal Co. supplies castings to other local customers and others situated throughout the country.

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