Records of L R Grant Ltd, timber and esparto merchants, Edinburgh, Scotland

Scope and Content

  • Minutes 1928-1940
  • Journals 1925-1940
  • Financial records 1929-1939
  • Purchase book 1935-1938
  • Register of members 1928-1936
  • Memoranda and articles of association 1928
  • Correspondence 1927-1936
  • Papers relating to Society Anonyme Alfatiere 1928-1935

Administrative / Biographical History

L R Grant Ltd was incorporated as a limited liability company in  1928  in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company traded in timber and esparto, a tough wiry grass from northern Africa whose fibre is used to make paper and cordage. The company's first directors were John D Tod, chairman, the esparto importer Leslie Renwick Grant, William Jardine and James Stewart. A share capital of £25,000 was raised with the issue of 25,000 shares valued at £1 each.

In  1932  , the company established a subsidiary,  Society Anonyme Alfatiere , to manage the growing of the company's esparto grass in Tunisia and Algeria. The manager of this company, Mr Melca, went on to defraud the company of at least £12,000 in  1936  . This lead to the winding-up of the company's North African interests which by 1937 included 63 baling stations. In  1940  , the company entered into voluntary liquidation.

Leslie Renwick Grant continued to have business interests in the esparto trade. He was a founder, in 1955, of  W Grant & Co (Agents) Ltd  , timber and esparto merchants, Edinburgh, and was also a director of  William Sommerville & Son Ltd , producers of high quality printing and paper, Milton Bridge, Edinburgh, from 1934 until at least 1969.

Arrangement

This material is arranged into series, which consist of numbers of items related by format and/or function. Within series, the items are generally arranged chronologically.

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Deposit : via BAC(S) surveying officer: March 1987 : ACCN 0090

Other Finding Aids

Digital file level list available in searchroom.

Manual file level list available at the National Registers of Archives in Edinburgh (NRA(S)) and London (NRA)

Alternative Form Available

No known copies

Conditions Governing Use

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use & condition of documents

Appraisal Information

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 248 procedures

Custodial History

Unknown

Accruals

None expected

Related Material

GB 248 UGD 237/1 Records of W Grant & Co (Agents) Ltd

GB 248 UGD 237/3 Records of Berner Nicol & Co Ltd

Material in other repositories: no material associated by provenance

Bibliography

No known publications using this material

Additional Information

Material relating to Society Anonyme Alfatiere is predominantly photocopied. The location of the originals is unknown.

No alterations made to date