Empire Stove & Iron Works
Gillespie’s Ltd
Mitchell, Russell & Co Ltd
Chattan Stove Works
Sites & Monuments Record
| Bonnyside Rd, Bonnybridge | SMR 540 | NS 831 799 |
Timeline
1914: Established in January by Gillespie’s Ltd as a break away from Smith and Wellstood. Nominal share capital of £15,000 in £1 shares. The first directors were George Ure Gillespie of Bonnyside House, William James Steel Gillespie of Ureallan Park, Peter Gardiner Gillespie of Edinburgh, and John Reid Ure Gillespie of Edinburgh. Peter Gillespie as chairman and George Ure Gillespie as managing director.
1926: New suction plant in grinding shop.
1928, February: Liabilities too great and the firm went into liquidation and taken over by Messrs Mitchell, Russell and Co Ltd with Smith & Wellstood as majority shareholders with 51%. £20,000 was paid for the buildings and plant, with an additional £700 for the company’s housing stock. The capital was now set at £50,000. In April one of the directors, the solicitor PG Gillespie, was killed by an express train while viewing his works from the railway (suicide?).
1929: Work reorganised. Mr G Dearie Russell was made chairman (he was director of Wood, Russell & Co Ltd of London, designers and patentees of Sentry boilers), and James Mitchell of Smith and Wellstood became managing director. The new company made Courtier Stoves.
1951: Under the direct control of Smith & Wellstood.
1959: Closed.
Buildings now divided up as industrial units.
Workforce
1914: 20
1916: 48
1923: 200+
1935: 400
1954: c500
Products
Courtier stove, Chattandale portable range, combination grates, boilers, theatre seat standards, hot water systems.
Falkirk Local History Society 