Johnston Grocers

[ore-dragon]

Hi Kathleen,

I remember Johnston Stores when I was a lad, but that was a long time ago, so I asked my father.  My father was a message boy for Johnston Stores in the shop at the top of the Hilltown (opposite the clock).  My mother worked in the Allen St store, this was the head office.  My Aunts and Uncles also worked in the various stores.  My father seems to recall a store in Cleppington Rd, by the park (just past the round about that comes up from Coldside). My Great Aunt took my sister and I there when we were kids for sweets.

My father seems to think there were branches in Downfield, Charleston and the Perth Rd.  He also said there was a store in Kirriemuir (where my mother was born and brought up).  He is going to aske around the family to see if anyone has any photographs from when they worked there.

Regards,

Ore Dragon

[adee7]

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in this.  According to my cousin who provided me with much of the story of my late father's family and history, there were many Johnston Stores and the central warehouse was located in Dundee. 

I truly enjoy and appreciate the responses to my query and hope that somewhere there is a picture of one of the Stores. 

Again, I thank you and your family members for this.

Kathleen

[geejayboy]

Hi Kathleen,
 
My grandfather was Charles Johnston and was one of George.A.Johnstons and as such your great uncles brother.

They were from a family of fifteen.

There parents were William Johnston and his first wife Isabella Kidd and his second wife Isabella Anderson.

My grandfather also had a Grocers business and I have a photograph of it, but as my father passed away several years ago I cant locate it in Dundee

I was brought up in the sixties in Dundee and can remember  one of Johnstons stores in Arbroath Road at the bottom end of the Kingsway.

I have a small amount of Johnston family history information and would be interested in any information you may have.

Cheers

Gordon

[adee7]

Hello Gordon,

Nice to meet you.  My Great-Grandparents were William Johnston and Isabella Kidd. 

My Father's parents were William Johnston and Elizabeth Ramsay Dorward.

My Father, Gilbert, died in Dundee in 1974 and had not given much of his family history.  Some years ago I wrote to the one Scottish cousin I had met here in Canada and he and his brother provided me with quite a lot of information. 

If we share our info on this board it could be helpful for others as well.

Regards,     Kathleen

[geejayboy]

Hi Kathleen,

Sorry for not replying sooner....things have been a little hectic here recently.

Now regarding Johnston Stores, I have got myself a copy of the Dundee Directory for 1972 and in it are the following locations for Johnston Stores

It looks like the main store was at 5/19 Douglas Street, and had supermarkets at 116 Whitfield Drive, 219 Perth Road, 189-191 Blackness Road, 81 Fintry Road, 133 Pitkerro Road, 40 Dundonald Street, 65 Provost Road, 168 Arbroath Road, (the one I remember)
20 St Giles Terrace, 24 Harefield Road, 9 Orleans Place, ........and butchers at 25 Overgate, 32/34 Strathmartine Road, 22 St Giles Terrace, 26 Harefield Road, 7 Orleans Place, 46 High Street, Newport, and Station Road Carnoustie.

I also have a picture of one of the Stores (address unknown) but have tried unsuccessfully to attach it (why things have been a bit hectic), but I will not let it beat me.

As my late father was the only Johnston I could ask about the family, it looks like the trail from my side has gone cold, and was wondering if you could tell me about your Grandfather, William (was he born in 1857 ??) and his older sister Mary was born (c1854) but I cant find her birth records.

I would also be any other information you have.

Regards

Gordon

[Betty Boo]

Hi Gordon,

When was there a Johnston Stores at the bottom of the Kingsway in Dundee. I know they went out of business in the late 1960's but can't remember that shop although I lived nearby.

Elizabeth
p.s. Do you need help attaching the picture?

[adee7]

Hi Gordon,

Tomorrow I'll put some info together and post it here for you.  What is the starting point that you need -- my Grandfather William and his sister?

Regarding the stores -- According to family records, JOHN JOHNSTON'S stores were many, and were sold to a conglomerate in 1967.  After John died several family members who worked in John's stores took over management at board level.  GEORGE ANDERSON JOHNSTON'S stores were apparently a few high end stores. 

According to a previous post here, the main store of JOHN'S was located on Allen Street.  A store on Cleppington was also mentioned.

Is it possible that the addresses you have include George's stores?

Regards,  Kathleen

[geejayboy]

Elizabeth1,

The store 'at the bottom of the Kingsway' was actually on Arbroath Road ........next to Scot Fyffe Garage, at the eastern end of the Kingsway, and having been brought up in Craigiebank it was how we, as a family, used to locate it
Regarding the picture I hope to have my new printer/fax/scanner up and running soon (computer dinosaur) but thanks for the help offered.

Kathleen,

Yes please, William and Mary's information would be excellent please.

Regarding the stores locations I don't know whether they included G.A. Johnstons or not.

I was always under the impression that the stores were taken over by William Low &Co., but as I say it was only an impression and has no factual evidence.

The following is a copy of an e-mail sent to me by the Dundee City Achives Dept. regarding George A. Johnston and might be of interest.

Dear Mr Johnston,


I have looked through Dundee street directories and property valuation
rolls
and have picked up some information about his business.  The earliest
directory
I have found him in is the one for 1884/5 where he is described as a
grocer and
tea dealer with a shop at 19 Stirling Street and living at 68 James
Street.  By
1891, he is living at Flowerdale Cottage, Downfield (at that time just
outside
Dundee's northern boundary).  His business expands over the years.  By
1900,
the directories record him as having five shops.   By 1910, he has
moved to
"Bellavista", Adelaide Terrace.  Around 1922/3, the business is
re-formed as
George A. Johnston Ltd.

George A. Johnston Ltd. continues in business for a few years after
George
Johnston's death.  About 1946/7, a Wm. Johnston and Co. appears as
proprietors
of one or two of the former George A. Johnston shops and this business
lasts
till c.1950 (the directory for 1942/3 shows a Wm. Johnston of G. A.
Johnston
Ltd. living at 6 Adelaide Terrace).  In the years after George
Johnston's death,
the business gradually disposes of its various shops.

Johnston's Stores Ltd. appears from the directories to be a totally
separate
business with its own portfolio of shops.  The directories indicate
that it
originated with a John Johnston, grocer and wine merchant who,
c.1918/19 is
living at Sunnyknowe, 14 & 16 Lawside Road.  By the late 1920s, this
business
has been formed into Johnston's Stores.  Although there appears to be
no direct
connection between the two businesses, Johnston's Stores acquires a
couple of
George Johnston's shops on the breakup of that business in the late
1940s.

I can send you copies of a selection of pages from the directories
showing the
main developments.  If you wish to find out more about the family
members, you
might check the entry for George Johnston's Downfield address in the
census
records for 1891 and 1901.  The 1881 census shows him as lodging with
the
family of Peter Cook, coachman, at Barkers Lane, Dundee.  He is
described  as
"grocer - manager".   Microfilm copies of the census records are held
by the
Local Studies section of Dundee Central Library, email <local.
studies@dundeecity.gov.uk>

Yours sincerely

Richard Cullen


Regards

Gordon

[adee7]

Hi Gordon,

The story of the stores, as written for me by a cousin.

George (G.A.) Johnston, b.1862, d.1937, was the first to in his family to leave home and become a grocer in Dundee.  He was successful and eventually had five very high-end shops in the city.

John Johnston (G.A.'s brother), b.1872, d. 1919) left home to work for G.A. in Dundee.  They eventually had a falling out when John wanted to establish his own business and sought financial help from G.A.  The business that John established on a third party loan of 2000 pounds was Johnston's Stores Limited.  These stores, where many young family members worked and trained were the ones I asked about initially because my Father also trained there.
The business flourished with many shops and a large central warehouse in Dundee.  Johnston Stores Limited was sold to a conglomerate in 1967.

William Johnston, b. 1892, my Father's brother, also trained with John then became his partner.  John's four sons, Harry, John, Alexander, and Peter were all Directors of the Stores, with Alexander being Managing Director.

John Jr.'s son John was the last Managing Director of the Johnston Stores Limited.

It's because my Father trained there that I would like a picture of one of Johnston Stores Ltd. if possible.

Regards,

Kathleen