Dr. Andrew Stewart (1832-1901) of Andrew and James Stewart, and A. and J. Stewart and Menzies
1832 Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, the elder son of John Graham Stewart, a coal merchant, and his wife, Andrina (Annie) Orr.
1839 The Stewart family moved to Glasgow
1849 Apprenticed as a trainee engineer to a Glasgow tube-making firm, Messrs Crichton and Eadie, with whom he worked for the next twelve years.
1858 Married Jane Cuthbert in Dundee[1]
1861 With modest savings of £400 and another £800 subscribed by friends and family, he set up his own business as a small-scale manufacturer of iron tubes. He set up the Clyde Tube Works in St Enoch's Wynd, Glasgow, close to the river and the engineering works on its banks.
1871 Jessie Stewart 55, Andrew Stewart 38, Iron Tube Maker, Master Employing 220 Men & 40 Boys, lived in Logie, Perthshire with Jane Stewart 37, John Stewart 9, Thomas C Stewart 7, Charles Stewart 5, Annie An Stewart 4, Jane Edith Stewart 2[2]
1881 Andrew Stewart 47, tube maker, lived in Logie, Stirlingshire with Jane C Stewart 45, Annie O Stewart 14, Jane E Stewart 12, Norman J Stewart 9[3]
1891 Andrew Stewart 58, iron and steel manufacturer, lived in Park Terrace, Glasgow with Jane C Stewart 58, John G Stewart 29, iron and steel manufacturer, Charles E Stewart 25, artist, Annie O Stewart 24, Norman I Stewart 19[4]
1901 Andrew Stewart 68, iron master, lived in Peebles with Jane Stewart 69[5]
1901 Died in Peebles.
1901 Obituary [6]
ANDREW STEWART died at his country residence, Kingsmeadows, Peebles, on August 16, 1901. It was in 1861 that he founded the first of the important enterprises connected with his name, the Clydesdale Tube Works, which has developed from a small affair into a company whose works cover eighty-five acres and whose employees number more than 6000. The original works were in Glasgow, but in 1867 he decided to erect new buildings and plant, and acquired a suitable site for this purpose at Coatbridge. In this undertaking he was joined by his brother James, and the business was carried on as Andrew and James Stewart. The works prospered, and in 1882 the undertaking was converted into a limited liability company, the shareholders being almost entirely composed of those actively engaged in the business.
Soon after the conversion the Sun Tube Works and the Clyde Pipe Foundry were acquired, and a little later on the British Tube Works were built by Mr. J. G. Stewart and Mr. T. C. Stewart, sons of Mr. Andrew Stewart, and these, together with the Clydesdale Iron and Steel Works, were amalgamated with Andrew and James Stewart, Limited, in 1890, and floated as a public limited liability company under the style of A. & J. Stewart & Clydesdale, Limited.
Following immediately on this amalgamation, the steel smelting and heating furnaces at Clydesdale were entirely rebuilt, and the laborious process of hammering or tilting the steel ingots was abandoned in favour of the modern system of rolling the steel, three new mills being put down for this purpose.
In 1898 another big development took place when the business of James Menzies & Co., of Phoenix Tube Works, Rutherglen, was taken over, the style of the firm being changed to A. & J. Stewart & Menzies, Limited. By this amalgamation the Company acquired the plant for manufacturing solid drawn steel tubes, which Messrs. Menzies had been amongst the first to adopt.
In 1900 the Imperial Tube Works at Airdrie were erected, and on an adjacent site the Climax Engineering Works, for the manufacture of the machines and tools required by the Company, were recently erected. He was founder of the Adam Smith Chair of Political Economy at the Glasgow University. In recognition of his help the University subsequently conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws.
He was elected a member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1873.
1902 Obituary [7]
ANDREW STEWART Was born at Johnstone, near Glasgow, on 9th September 1832.
In 1860 he founded the first of the many important enterprises connected with his name. It was known as the Clyde Tube Works, Glasgow, and occupied a portion of the site on which now stands the hotel and station of the Glasgow and South Western Railway.
In 1867 he commenced to lay down new works at Coatbridge, in close proximity to the coal and iron fields of Lanarkshire. In this undertaking he was joined by his brother James. In 1882 the firm was converted into a company, under the title of Andrew and James Stewart, Limited, the shareholders being composed entirely of those actively employed in the business. The progress and expansion of the business became so rapid, that the company acquired the Sun Tube Works, Coatbridge, and the Clyde Pipe Foundry.
Seven years later the British Tube Works were built by two of his sons, and in 1890 these works and the Clydesdale Iron and Steel Works of Mossend were amalgamated with those of the firm under the title of A. and J. Stewart and Clydesdale.
Following immediately on this amalgamation, the steel smelting and beating furnaces at Clydesdale were entirely rebuilt, and three new rolling mills were put down.
Is 1898 the company was amalgamated with that of Messrs. James Menzies and Co., of Phoenix Tube Works, Rutherglen, under the title of A. and J. Stewart and Menzies.
He was a liberal contributor to the schemes for the better development of the University of Glasgow, and founded there the Adam Smith Chair of Political Economy. These actions were recognised by the University conferring upon him the degree of LL.D. The Town Council of Coatbridge recently desired to present him with the freedom of the burgh, but the state of his health prevented its acceptance.
His death took place at his country residence at Peebles, after a long illness, on 16th August 1901, in his sixty-ninth year.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1887.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ BMD
- ↑ 1871 census
- ↑ 1881 census
- ↑ 1891 census
- ↑ 1901 census
- ↑ 1901 Iron and Steel Institute: Obituaries
- ↑ 1902 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Obituaries
- ↑ The Engineer 1901/08/30
- ↑ The Engineer 1901 Jul-Dec: Index: Miscellaneous