Records of Archibald Arrol & Sons Ltd, brewers, Alloa, Scotland

Scope and Content

  • Prospectus, 1895;
  • Patents and trademarks, 1891-1894;
  • Production records, 1916-1936;
  • Sales records, n.d.;
  • Staff records, 1862;
  • Promotional material, 1953-1989;
  • Photographs, c1900-1980s.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Alloa Brewery Company and its brewery, the Alloa Brewery, were established in 1810 by William Foote, Ebenezer Thompson and Andrew Roy, who was the manager of the concern, in Alloa, Scotland. By 1825 Andrew Roy had bought out his partners and the brewery was trading under the name of Andrew Roy & Co. After 1837 the neighbouring Hutton Park Brewery of John H Syme was also acquired. In 1848 Andrew Roy was joined by his eldest son Robert M Roy. However, after Andrew Roy's death in 1855 the Alloa Brewery and the Hutton Park Brewery were conveyed to trustees by way of Deed of Settlement. The business was run by the trustees until 1860 when the whole business was acquired by Robert Roy, but in 1866 the Alloa Brewery passed into the hands of Archibald T Arrol of Glasgow, Scotland.

Archibald Arrol was originally from the Buchlyvie area of West Stirlingshire, Scotland, where his family were farmers. As a young man Archibald Arrol moved to Glasgow where he became a merchant and eventually a burgess of the city. He became involved in the liquor trade, entering into the partnership of Taver & Arrol of Glasgow who held the Glasgow and West of Scotland agency for Roy's Alloa Ales. When the Alloa Brewery came on the market in 1866 it was purchased by Archibald Arrol. After Arrol's death in 1888 the business passed to his younger sons Walter and Archibald who continued the recovery of the company which had been initiated by their father.

In 1895 Archibald Arrol & Sons Ltd was registered as a limited liability company to acquire and amalgamate the business of Walter & Archibald Arrol with the brewery businesses of J Meikle and William Turnbull, both of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. In 1901 the company purchased Dove & Newsome Baxter Ltd of Newcastle-on-Tyne and Thornton-le-Moore, North Yorkshire, England (est. 1898, brewing ceased 1909). In 1910 Arthur's Hill Brewery Co Ltd (est. 1865), Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was acquired and from 1921 on the company took over the production of lager for Samuel Allsopp & Sons Ltd, Burton-on-Trent, England. In 1930 a controlling interest in Archibald Arrol & Sons Ltd was acquired by Samuel Allsopp & Sons Ltd. In 1951 the company went into voluntary liquidation and its undertaking, including 29 licensed houses was acquired by Ind Coope & Allsopp Ltd, Burton-on-Trent. Brewing continued on the site, operated from 1984 to 1998 by the Alloa Brewery Co Ltd.The brewery was taken over by Carlsberg-Tetley plc, Northampton, England, in January 1990.

Sources: McMaster, Charles. "Alloa Ale. History of the Brewing Industry in Alloa" (Edinburgh: Alloa Brewery Co Ltd, 1984)

Richmond, Lesley and Turton, Alison (eds). "The Brewing Industry. A Guide to Historical Records" (Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 1990)

Arrangement

The arrangement of this material reflects the original order in which it was received

Access Information

Access to records within this collection is open, however an appointment may be required. Please email Archives and Special Collections for advice: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk

Acquisition Information

Carlsberg-Tetley plc

Other Finding Aids

See also University of Glasgow Collections

File level list available in searchroom. The collection is to be relisted

Alternative Form Available

No known copies of this material

Conditions Governing Use

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents. Applications for permission to quote should be sent to Archives and Special Collections, please email: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk

Appraisal Information

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

Custodial History

The collection was previously stored with the rest of the Scottish Brewing Archive at Heriot-Watt University. It moved to the University of Glasgow in 1991. More material was deposited by Carlsberg-Tetley plc in 1998. Custody of the Scottish Brewing Archive was transferred to Glasgow University Archive Services in 2008.

Accruals

None expected

Related Material

  • GB 248 JC: Records of the James Calder & Co (Brewers) Ltd;
  • GB 802302 BAC: Records of Archibald Arrol & Sons Ltd (private collection, see Richmond & Turton, 'The brewing industry', 1990);
  • GB 802302 BAC: Records of Samuel Allsopp & Sons Ltd (private collection, see Richmond & Turton, 'The brewing industry', 1990);
  • GB 169 D3233: Records of Samuel Allsopp & Sons Ltd (Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archive Service: Staffordshire Record Office)

Location of Originals

This material is original

Geographical Names