John Ure
John Ure ( -1901) of John Ure and Sons
From ‘Captains of Industry’ by William S. Murphy. Published 1901.
MR. JOHN URE, OF MESSRS. JOHN URE & SONS, FLOUR MILLERS, GLASGOW.
THE stranger touring round the city of Glasgow goes through Kelvingrove Park, and, having reached the western end, takes his stand on Partick Bridge to view from that point the University on Gilmorchill, the Western Infirmary, and the now Art Galleries. Turning to look down the Kelvin, he sees a group of imposing buildings, plain yet well-proportioned, and composed of good stone, standing alone above the river, and wonders what these can be. If he is of average eyesight he will read across the pediment of the gable, "Regent Mills." Those imposing buildings arc merely a flour mill, one of the mills possessed by the firm of Messrs. John Ure & Sons. That our universities, art galleries, and infirmaries should be splendid edifices is to be expected; but it has not hitherto been considered necessary to house industry so nobly, and the architectural grace of newer mills and factories in Glasgow may be taken as both an evidence of wealth and of enlightened industrial policy.
The firm of Messrs. John lire & Sons attained its high position within the lifetime of the original founder, Mr. John Ure. His father began business as a baker in the heart of the city in 1817, succeeding his father-in-law, who was of the same name, although not previously related in any way. He seems to have prospered fairly, for we learn that his residence was in Bridgegate Street, then a fashionable quarter.
Here, on 19th July, 1824, Mr. John Ure was born. When a boy of eight years old Mr. Ure narrowly escaped drowning in the Clyde. He was wading in the river a short way above the wooden bridge, since replaced by Hutcheson Bridge, and slipped suddenly into deep water. His companions fled, but the boy's cry was heard by the son Of the bridge toll-keeper, who plunged into the water and brought him unconscious to the bank. Dr. M'Corkindale was quickly called, and by his exertions the half-drowned child was restored to consciousness, and soon recovered from the effects of his immersion. By a curious coincidence Mr. Ure afterwards repaid the debt of rescue by proxy on two occasions. Once he saved a schoolfellow from drowning in the canal at Port-Eglinton, and at a later time plunged into the river at Mavisbank Quay in time to save a man from drowning.
As boy and youth Mr. Ure showed, pluck and resource, and enjoyed keenly the adventurous sport of yachting in rough waters. Being fond of adventure his mind did not lie toward mercantile pursuits, but rather to a life on the ocean wave; his father, however, dying while a comparatively young man, Mr. Ure relinquished his wishes and undertook the management of the family business. Shortly after, he allowed the bakery branch to drop, and continued the Flour-dealing.
Up till 1865 he was content to have his willing done by the Bakers Incorporation Mills at Clayslap and Bunhouse; but in that year he built the Crown Flour Mills in Washington Street, Glasgow, and undertook the flour-milling himself. Before that event, however, the young flour merchant had been unfolding his powers. While a customer of the Bunhouse Mill, he arrived one day at the place to find the mill deserted and idle. Inquiring the cause, he learned that the men of the two mills had struck work, and, having acquainted himself of their grievance, he went over to the field where they were holding a conference. Standing up on the dyke bordering the field, he addressed the men, advising them to return to their work, and undertook to have their grievance redressed. His impromptu speech had speedy effect; the men returned to work, and the strike ended.
Shortly after this informal performance; Mr. Ure was called, in 1855, to act as chairman of the grain and provision trades' soiree, then a considerable function. Before this time he was elected a member of the Master Court of the Bakers' Incorporation, and for two years held the office of Deacon. Once before the public eve, his popularity and calls to public service rapidly increased. Frank, winning, of clear speech and transparent honesty, he could hardly fail of success.
In 1856 the old 5th Ward, in which he was born, elected him its representative to the Tow, Council. The war scare of 1860 and the resulting Volunteer movement drew him to military interests. In co-operation with others he organised a Volunteer company composed of members of the grain trade, and was appointed captain. His municipal duty was not forgotten in these stirring days. In 1858 he was made chairman of the Health Committee and Depute River Bailie in 1859, Bailie of the River in 1860 and, Bailie of the Burgh in 1861. His promotion was rapid showing that his zeal and capacity were readily appreciated by the Town Council.
In 1865 he built Crown Mills in Washington Street, and was elected representative of that West-End Ward, and continued representing it till his final retirement. Mr. Ure's principal work in the Town Council was the sanitary improvement of the city. By his incessant labours the Health Committee, now regarded as one of the most important committees, was appointed and its duties assigned. A mere list of the measures Mr. Ure carried into effect shows how clamant were the needs of the city. He secured the appointment of a medical officer of health, the organisation of the cleansing department, inquiry into the disposal of sewage and drainage of the city, and other measures of a like character. It was no marvel, therefore, that when the civic chair was vacated by Sir William Collins, in 1880, Mr. John Ure was appointed by the unanimous voice of his colleagues. According to the testimony of all parties, Mr. Ure discharged the duties of Lord Provost with grace, dignity, impartiality, and ability. During his term of office the freedom of the city was conferred on five distinguished visitors:— In 1881, Sir William V. Harcourt; in 1882, Sir Stafford Northcote (Lord Iddesleigh); in October, 1882, the Duke of Albany; in December of the same year, Mr. W. E. Forster; and in March, 1883, Mr. John Bright. On 6th October, 1883, Mr. Ure was the chief figure in the great civic demonstration which signalised the laying of the foundation-stone of the Municipal Buildings, and amid the marshalled trades and assembled populace performed the ceremony.
Though earnestly pressed by a unanimous requisition of the Town Council to allow himself to be elected Lord Provost a second time, Mr. Ure respectfully declined, and demitted office at the end of his term. Probably he had made up his mind for some relaxation after his three years of municipal labour, for within a month of leaving the City Chambers he started with his good lady and the two younger members of their family on a tour round the world — visiting Egypt, India, Australia, New Zealand, the Fiji, Tonga, and Samoan Islands in the Southern and the Hawaii group in the Northern Pacific Ocean; then on to North America, entering the United States through the Golden Gate at San Francisco; visiting the Yosemite Valley and crossing the Rocky Mountains by the Rio Grand Railway to the Western seaboard, taking Salt Lake City and Niagara Falls on the way to Canada and New York - reaching Glasgow after an absence of ten and a half months of continuous travel.
Within a year of his return he was appointed deputy chairman of the Clyde Navigation Trust, and retained that office till June, 1901; from October, 1889, till October, 1891, he filled the double office of Lord Dean of Guild and chairman of the Merchants' House. To men of high public spirit the best recognition of service is greater power to perform still higher service. Mr. Ure declined a knighthood offered by Mr. Gladstone, and gave as his reasons for not accepting it that he felt amply rewarded by the generous recognition of his labours by his fellow-citizens; but he accepted, in 1896, the degree of LL.D. from Glasgow University, was appointed a Deputy-Lieutenant of Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire, and also of the County of the City of Glasgow. In all his public duties Mr. Ure continued to give sufficient attention to his business, which, in 1886, had so grown as to necessitate the building of another mill.
In 1886 the Bunhouse Mill, at which Mr. Ure's grinding was principally done before he erected the Crown Mills in Washington Street, was accidentally burned to the ground, and the Incorporation of Bakers, to whom it still belonged, determined that they would not rebuild it again, as but few of the members used it—the practice now being to purchase the manufactured flour, rather than as in former times buying the wheat and having it ground at the mill—accordingly they resolved to sell the site with its valuable water-power. It was not without a feeling of regret that the members parted with that portion of the Incorporation's property, which, according to the tradition carefully handed down from generation to generation, had been gifted to them from the Regent Moray for valuable assistance rendered to his army at the battle of Langside in 1568; but when it became known that it was purchased by Mr. Ure, whose ancestors had for five generations back been members of the Incorporation, who had himself been a member of the trade for over half a century, and in the Master Court for many years, and who had held the office of Collector and twice that of Deacon: and, further, when it was thought that the ancient prestige of the mill as being at one time the largest and best in Scotland would again be upheld, there was a general feeling of satisfaction that the old association with the Incorporation was in some manner still to be maintained. In no sense have they been disappointed.
This is the third successive mill that has been erected on the ancient site since it came into the possession of the Bakers, and each in its turn has been better than its predecessors. The present one is the first that has adopted the name of the original donor, known as "The Good Regent." In capacity and equipment it is far beyond any of the mills that have preceded it, and is said to be fitted up with all the newest machinery, driven by powerful steam engines - the water power which in the olden times did all the work is now principally used for driving the dynamos for the electric light and working the hoisting and elevating tackle throughout the mill and warehouse adjoining.
Mr. Ure was assisted by three active sons - the elder of the three taking charge of the office department, a younger brother the oversight of the out-of-doors buying and selling, etc., whilst the youngest is employed in looking to the machinery and manufacturing processes within the mills. His one other son is not in the business, having chosen the legal profession, and served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Roberton & Ross, in St. Vincent Street, latterly taking charge of their Sheriff Court work, which he liked so well as to influence him to seek a wider sphere in the Parliament House, Edinburgh, about the year IS81. He is a K.C., and Member of Parliament for Linlithgowshire.
To be at the head of so large a concern, involving so much capital, might well tax the whole energy of any man; but Mr. Ure carried the burden of business and civic duty with the joyous buoyancy of the free and healthy man. He greatly restricted his activities in his own business some time before his death, but not one whit lessened his interest in all that concerned the welfare of his fellow-citizens. For many years lie was the chairman of the Glasgow Savings Bank, the largest in the Kingdom, and also a member of the Inspection Committee of Trustee Savings Banks, having the oversight of all the Trustee Savings Banks in the three Kingdoms, a duty which took him frequently to London, but did not appear to be burdensome to him in any way. The only relaxation he enjoyed was equestrian exercise.
Mr. Ure died on 1st August, 1901, at his residence, Cairndhu, Helensburgh, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. For many days afterwards the tributes to his worth were heard at Town Council Board, at Clyde Trust meeting, at gatherings of public bodies of many functions. A testimony so general and heartfelt has not often been given to the worth of a public man.
1901 Obituary [1]