Law family: iron foundries

[lomerlaw]

I am trying to make connections or track down information on members of the Law family who owned or worked at foundries in Glasgow and area. John Law, James Law, Alexander Law, Robert Law. Company names include J. & A. Law Ltd. (1858-1962), John Law & Co., Pinkston Foundry, Broomhill Foundry, and perhaps Rae Street Foundry. Any insight appreciated.

[Currie]

Hello David,

You’ll find odds and ends about the people you mentioned in the 19C British Library Newspapers, available down this track. If you want to limit your search to Scottish newspapers paste what’s inside the brackets into the Publication Title box. ("1ZSV" OR "1ZTN" OR "2FXN" OR "1ZTB") viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15443

Here’s some:

Glasgow Herald, Friday, March 29, 1850
BROOMHILL FOUNDRY AND GROUND, PORT DUNDAS.
Upset price reduced to £1500, to ensure competition.
To be sold, by Public Roup, in the Royal Exchange Sale Rooms, Glasgow, on Wednesday the 17th April, at 2 o’clock.
The IRON FOUNDRY, at the corner of Dobbie’s Loan and Canal Street, Port Dundas, lately occupied by Ure & Law. The Foundry was erected within the last five years on the most approved principles, and is complete in every department for carrying on an extensive business, and is in excellent order. The ground contains 3495 Square Yards.
A purchaser can have the fixtures, &c., conform to Inventory, at a fixed price, so that the Works may be started immediately, and the whole Utensils, and Plant at a valuation.
If the Subjects are not sold, the Utensils, &c., will be Sold separately in a few weeks.
Apply to Mr. Alexander Jamieson, Accountant, No. 6 Nelson Street, Edinburgh; or Reid & Towers, Writers, Glasgow, either of whom will show the Titles, Inventories, &c.

Glasgow Herald, Friday, August 9, 1850
Broomhill Foundry, with 3495 square yards of ground, corner of Dobbie’s Loan and Canal Street, Port Dundas, sold at £1000.

Glasgow Herald, Monday, March 1, 1858
FOUNDRY TO LET.
To be Let, for any Number of Years as may be agreed upon.
BROOMHILL FOUNDRY, as presently possessed by Messrs. J. & A. Law.
The business can be commenced by a very small outlay, as the Premises are complete.
For particulars apply at the Broomhill Iron Works. 11th Feb., 1858.

Here’s some Edinburgh Gazette entries concerning the 1849 sequestration of Ure & Law http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issu ... 22/start=1

According to this list the Pinkston foundry was in Rae Street. http://www.scottishironwork.org/historicaltable.htm

You should also find many references in the Glasgow Directories available here http://www.archive.org/search.php?query ... pe%3Atexts

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

[Montrose Budie]

A check with Glasgow University Archives who hold extensive Glasgow company records could be worthwhile, as well as The Mitchell Library.

mb

[Brat]

My ancestor, Robert Law, was an agricultural implement manufacturer in Shettleston. I don't know if it was also a foundry.

[lomerlaw]

Certainly your Robert Law seems to be in a similar profession. He would be listed in the 1852-53 Glasgow Directory, as "agricultural implement-builder, engineer, boiler-maker, millwright, cartwright, and machine-maker" which dovetails nicely with foundries. I wonder if your Robert Law from that listing is one-and-the-same as the Robert Law listed immediately above as "Law, Robert, of John Law & Co., house, 42 Port-Dundas road" with one address being the residence and the other the business he owned in Shettleston? Any chance you could share information on his ancestors/siblings/descendants?

[Brat]

Robert Law (1789-1865) had two sons: Robert Law who died in 1866 and Alexander Law. I know that Alexander Law was in business at Port Dundas from August 1853 until January 1857. Alexander was my ancestor...what is your connection to the Laws?

[johnniegarve]

lomerlaw, have you tried the National Archives online catalogue for info, http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/ don't be too specific just trawl through the entries. Johnnie.

[Currie]

You’ll find many references in the Scottish newspapers between the mid 1840s and mid 1860s to a Robert Law of Shettleston. He’s winning prizes for various types of agricultural implements, and there’s mention of military activities, sale of property, and all sorts of odds and ends. There’s material for him available by Googling and by a separate search in Google Books etc, but, if you haven’t already been there, the newspapers are sure to reveal something extra.

The link to the 19C newspapers mentioned in the second posting in this thread appears to be still functional. Just a search for Law Shettleston will keep you busy for a good while.

Alan

[lomerlaw]

Hello Brat. My gggf was James Law, ironfounder, who died Apr 13, 1889. I believe that my James Law and your Alexander Law may have co-owned Rae Street Foundry in Port-Dundas, under the corporate name "J. & A. Law". I wonder if James and Alexander were cousins? I have no information on James (ancestors, siblings, etc.) except that he was married four times, to Ann Thomson, Jane _____, Jane Jack, and finally to an unknown spouse. In know that at one point in his life (I believe his latter years), James Law lived in a house called Pinkston Villa in Lenzie. He had lived at 33 Shamrock Street, Glasgow when he married Ann Thomson, and lists at 17 Buccleuch Street, Glasgow in the 1863 Directory.

My ggf, John Law, was the child of James Law and Ann Thomson, and he emigrated to Canada and established Caledonia Foundry and Iron Works in Ottawa, Canada.

I believe that James Law might be the son of a John Law (b. 1780 or 1781)and Isobel Mair, but have no way of confirming that. Any light that you can shed on Alexander Law or the two Robert Law might help. How far back are you able to trace your Law lineage?

[lomerlaw]

Thank you to Johnnie and Alan for your advice. I will follow up as soon as I have time. Right now I am stuck in the middle of a ghastly bathroom renovation that requires my full attention!