Records of Steel, Coulson & Co Ltd, brewers, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland

Scope and Content

  • Corporate records, 1888–1955;
  • Shareholding records, 1890–1974;
  • Financial records, 1934–1960;
  • Production records, 1937–1955;
  • Staff records, 1947–1957;
  • Licensed premises, 1954–1960;
  • Property records, 1987;
  • Promotional material, 1861–1960s;
  • Public relations, 1987;
  • Family papers (research notes), 20th century;
  • Photographs, 1895–1970s.

Administrative / Biographical History

James Steel (1821–1891) inherited his father's brewery in Tureen Street in Calton, Glasgow, in the 1840s. In 1853 he moved his brewing operations to the Greenhead Brewery in Canning Street, Glasgow, which he purchased from Robert Struthers. In 1858 he acquired the Craigend Brewery in Cannongate in Edinburgh, from J & W Burnett. The Glasgow brewery specialised in the brewing of stouts and porters, while mild and pale ales were brewed in Edinburgh. George F Coulson joined Steel to form the partnership, Steel, Coulson & Co, in 1865. In 1874, Steel, Coulson & Co sold the Craigend Brewery to Andrew Drybrough & Co and acquired the City of Edinburgh Brewery Co 's brewery on Abbey Hill in Edinburgh. The new brewery was renamed Croft–an–Righ ("The King's Field"). Steel subsequently sold his interests in the business to Coulson, who became sole partner. Coulson & Co Ltd was registered in May 1888 as a limited liability company to acquire the business at a purchase price of GBP 130,000. The joint managing directors were Frank Coulson and John Laurie Coulson, the sons of George (who had retired from the business). The company took over Robert Deuchar Ltd of the Sandyford Brewery in Newcastle–upon–Tyne in 1941. Most of the site of the Greenhead Brewery were leased to bottling companies in the 1930s, and the site was sold to James Calder & Co in 1946. Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd, Sunderland, acquired a controlling interest in the company in 1956 and completed the acquisition in 1959. The company owned 16 licensed houses at this time. The Croft–an–Righ Brewery ceased to brew in 1960 although Vaux continued to make beers in the Steel Coulson name at the Park Brewery in "Edinburgh". The maltings and bottling plant at the site continued in use until 1966, when the remaining buildings associated with the brewery were demolished.

Arrangement

The material is arranged according to the Scottish Brewing Archive classification scheme used within all SBA collections.

Access Information

Access to certain records within this collection is restricted in accordance with data protection legislation as they contain information about potentially living individuals. Please email Archives and Special Collections for advice: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk

Acquisition Information

Unknown.

Other Finding Aids

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. It moved to the University of Glasgow in 1991. Custody of the Scottish Brewing Archive was transferred to Glasgow University Archive Services in 2008.

Accruals

None expected.

Related Material

  • GB 248 GB: Records of Gordon & Blair Ltd;
  • GB 248 NEW: Records of Newcastle Breweries Ltd;
  • GB 248 RD: Records of Robert Deuchar Ltd;
  • GB 248 ARTEFACTS: Scottish Brewing Archive Artefacts Collection;
  • GB 183 DS/RD: Records of Robert Deuchar Ltd (Tyne and Wear Archives Service);
  • GB 205: Records of Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd (West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds);
  • GB 155 NRO 1115: Records of Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd (Northumberland County Archives Service).

Location of Originals

This material is original