Hello,
I am posting some information on a Linen Company called McCaw, Allan , Taghnevan.Lurgan, dating back to the early 1820`s with the hope of finding some photographs of the workforce and and any stories of their time spent working at the factory at Taghnaven Lurgan.
I have some photogrpahs that I will be posting and would look forward to any replies.
Below is a short history of the company and also the explanation of the nmae McCaw, Allan.
McCaw Allan`s linen and handkerchief factory at Taghnevan Lurgan can be traced back a far as 1820. This was the start of the McCaw family linen business. One McCaw succeeded another, until 1904, when Robert Johnston McCaw went into partnership with Harry Allan to form McCaw, Allan & Co.
Harry Allan was the son of one of Lord Lurgan`s estate Managers and had served his time locally to the linen business, specializing in sales. Allan, the marketing expert, with his former Lurgan College classmate, R.J. McCaw, the production expert, proved to be an ideal partnership, and the market for the company`s products was rapidly expanded. Sales for 1906 were £15,624, in to-days money this is equivalent to £960,000 of sales.
Until his retirement in 1936, Harry Allan mostly lived and worked in London where he managed the company’s sales office at 149 Cheapside, London EC2. He returned to Ireland for the remainder of his retirement and passed away in 1950 at the age of 82 in Holywood Bangor Co Down. Robert McCaw lived beside the factory in Lurgan and managed the day-to-day production, accounting and administration functions. He passed away in 1950 and was succeeded by his son Mr. George McCaw.
Photographs below shows 1904 photograph of the workforce with R.J McCaw front far left of the photograph.
The other photograph is the Laundry Dept 1939 with names below.
Douglas.
