Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 164,342 pages of information and 246,084 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

W. and A. McOnie

From Graces Guide
1860. Exhibit at the L'Adventure du Sucre, Mauritius.
1860. Detail. Exhibit at the L'Adventure du Sucre, Mauritius.
1869. Seen in Guarenas, a city in Miranda State, Venezuela (near to Caracas) in 2020.
1869. Seen in Guarenas, a city in Miranda State, Venezuela (near to Caracas) in 2020.
1881 Inscription on furnace door. Barbados, St Nicholas Abbey.
Sugarcane mill ruins in Yabucoa Puerto Rico.
Sugarcane mill ruins in Yabucoa Puerto Rico.
Sugarcane mill ruins in Yabucoa Puerto Rico.
Sugarcane mill ruins in Yabucoa Puerto Rico.
Sugarcane mill ruins in Yabucoa Puerto Rico.
Hacienda Los Trapiches, Costa Rica
Hacienda Los Trapiches, Costa Rica
Hacienda Los Trapiches, Costa Rica
Hacienda Los Trapiches, Costa Rica
Hacienda Los Trapiches, Costa Rica

of Scotland Street Engine works, Glasgow

1840 P. and W. McOnie was established by the 3 brothers McOnie to manufacture sugar machinery in Glasgow.

By 1848 the McOnie's concern had manufactured fifty engines and fifty mills. In that year the partnership was dissolved.

1848 Peter McOnie joined with James Buchanan Mirrlees, forming McOnie and Mirrlees.

1848 or 1851 William McOnie and Andrew McOnie formed W. and A. McOnie

1857 W. and A. McOnie made sugar refinery machinery, including large waterwheel, supplied to Arnos Vale sugar factory, Tobago[1]

1866 Completed and dispatched a 60-hp engine, shafting and boilers to Japan. The steam hammers for the same place were made by Glen and Ross and the planing punching and plate-bending machines by Thomas Shanks and Co

1881 Employing 252 men and boys.[2]

1885 Partnership dissolved. 'The Copartnery of W. and A. M'Onie, Engineers and Millwrights, in Glasgow, of which the subscribers were the sole partners, has been dissolved by arrangement, as on the 30th day of June, 1885. The business in all its branches will in future be carried on under the firm of W. and W. M'Onie, by the subscriber William M'Onie, jun., who is authorized to collect all debts due to, and who will pay all debts due by, the dissolved concern. William M'Onie. Andrew M'Onie. William M'Onie, junr. Andrew M'Onie, junr....'[3]

1886 Andrew McOnie died.

1888 McOnie Harvey and Co was formed by the amalgamation of Harvey's and McOnie's.



  • McOnie of Glasgow. Sugar processing plant reported seen in Grenada
  • 2015 W. and A. McOnie machine manufactured in Glasgow in 1865 seen in full working order in Costa Rica. For a video of the machine in working order, click [here]

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. 'Old Glory' magazine No. 232, June 2009, features recent photographs on p.39
  2. 1881 Census
  3. The London Gazette Publication date:26 March 1886 Issue:25572 Page:1494
  • The Engineer of 23rd February 1866 p134