McCaw Allan
History
McCaw Allan`s linen and handkerchief factory at Taghnevan Lurgan can be traced back a far as 1820 when the McCaw family rented 21 acres of land from Lord Lurgan. This was the start of the McCaw family linen business. One McCaw succeeded another, until 1904, when Robert Johnston McCawwent into partnership with Harry Allan to form McCaw, Allan & Co.
Harry Allan was the son of one of Lord Lurgan`s estate Manager and had served his time locally to the linen business, specializing in sales, Allan, the marketing expert, with his former Lurgan College classmate, R.J. McCaw, the production expert, proved to be an ideal partnership, and the market for the company`s products was rapidly expanded. Sales for 1906 were £15,624, in to-days money this is equivalent to £960,000 of sales.
Until his retirement in 1936, Harry Allan mostly lived and worked in London where he managed the companys sales office at 149 Cheapside, London EC2. He returned to Ireland for the remainder of his retirement and passed away in 1950 at the age of 82 in Holywood Bangor Co Down. Robert McCaw lived beside the factory in Lurgan and managed the day-to-day production, accounting and administration functions. He passed away in 1950 and was succeeded by his son George Edwin McCaw, 1903-1995.
McCaw Allan 1904
More Photographs
George Edwin McCaw
McCaw Allan 1954 Golden Jubilee Photograph
Robert Johnston McCaw and Harry Allan
D.Mowbray 2010
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