John Macgregor
Encyclopedia
John Macgregor was a Scottish
shipbuilder.
, Stirlingshire
. He was the third son of James Macgregor a clockmaker and Annie McNicol. He also had one elder and two younger sisters and two younger brothers. His father qualified as a clockmaker and he moved through Balfron
, Fintry and Comrie
with his family working all the time as an engineer in the cotton mills that were developing in these parts of the Highlands
.
The family were incomers to Fintry, having moved from Balfron. They remained there for about 14 years, before moving on to Comrie in Perthshire
, where the last two of their eight children were born. The stay in Comrie must have been short, although John received a rudimentary education there. When John was 16, the whole family came to Glasgow
.
John began his apprenticeship as an engineer under David Napier at Camlachie
. Macgregor went to Lancefield Foundry with the others in 1821 and was a sea-going engineer on the Belfast - which had Napier machinery - while still in his early twenties. The Belfast plied between Liverpool
and Dublin, and was one of the earliest steamers to cross the Irish Sea
.
At David Napier’s he made the acquaintance of Mr David Tod. Together they ran the engineering department for a while. They gained considerable managerial experience during this period. They probably also acted as guarantee engineers from time to time.
Towards the end of 1836 Tod and Macgregor opened a shipbuilding yard on the south bank of the Clyde at Mavisbank. Finally in 1845 the firm moved to a new purpose built yard at Meadowside in the Borough of Partick. Tod and Macgregor were described as "the fathers of iron shipbuilding on the Clyde", building famous ships such as the City of Glasgow and the City of Paris.
In about 1830 he is assumed to have married Margaret Fleming (born 23 March 1809), the daughter of James Fleming and Margaret Biggar. Together they had seven children, of whom two boys and three girls survived.
In 1834 John was to be found at 90 Carrick Street, but by 1841 had moved to Clydebank with Margaret and the family, who were found there at the time of the 1841 census. In 1845 he gave his address as Rutland Place; which may have been the same as Clydebank. The family must have moved as the shipyard went to Meadowside in 1846 as John was registered as living at Meadowside House, Partick in 1848.
On the 18th September 1848 Margaret Fleming died, the cause is not known, she was only 39. Two and a half years later on the 9th of March 1851 John married Margaret York (born 20 April 1823), the daughter of William York and Janet Masterton, at Barony, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
At the time of the 1851 census, Margaret York, and the children from John's first marriage were found at Meadowside House in Partick. John had two further children with Margaret York:
William York (WY) Macgregor born Finnart, Dunbartonshire, 14 October 1855; died Oban, 28 September 1923
Peter Macgregor born 21 February 1857 at Partick; Died Hove, Sussex 22 April 1901
In around 1874, after the deaths of both David Tod and John Macgregor, the shipbuilding business was sold and renamed as D. and W. Henderson and Company
.
, a treatable problem today. When his funeral took place, at North Street, Anderston, the shops in Partick were closed, the route was lined with thousands of spectators with 'grieved countenances' the bells of the city churches were tolled from 2- to 3 o'clock’ and the flags in the harbour and on the shipping were at half-mast.
His obituary states: “At the comparatively early age of 57, in the full flush and vigour of his mature manhood, after an illness of only three days, of constipation of the bowels, Mr Macgregor departed this life, at half past eleven o'clock on Thursday night, at his town residence, Meadowside House, Partick.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
shipbuilder.
Birth and Early Life
John Macgregor was christened on the 24 August 1802 at FintryFintry
Fintry is a small village in central Scotland, nestled in the strath of the Endrick Water between the Campsie Fells and the Fintry Hills, some 19 miles north of Glasgow. It is within the local government council area of Stirling...
, Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
. He was the third son of James Macgregor a clockmaker and Annie McNicol. He also had one elder and two younger sisters and two younger brothers. His father qualified as a clockmaker and he moved through Balfron
Balfron
Balfron, is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is situated near Endrick Water on the A875 road, 18 miles west of Stirling and 16 miles north of Glasgow. Although a rural settlement, it lies within commuting distance of Glasgow, and serves as a dormitory town.-History:The name...
, Fintry and Comrie
Comrie
Comrie is an affluent village and parish in the southern highlands of Scotland, towards the western end of the Strathearn district of Perth and Kinross, seven miles west of Crieff. The village has won the Royal Horticultural Society "Large Village Britain in Bloom Winner" in 2007 and 2010...
with his family working all the time as an engineer in the cotton mills that were developing in these parts of the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
.
The family were incomers to Fintry, having moved from Balfron. They remained there for about 14 years, before moving on to Comrie in Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, where the last two of their eight children were born. The stay in Comrie must have been short, although John received a rudimentary education there. When John was 16, the whole family came to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
John began his apprenticeship as an engineer under David Napier at Camlachie
Camlachie
Camlachie is an area of the city of Glasgow in Scotland. Formerly a weaving village on the Camlachie Burn, it is located in the east end of the city, between Dennistoun to the north, and Bridgeton to the south....
. Macgregor went to Lancefield Foundry with the others in 1821 and was a sea-going engineer on the Belfast - which had Napier machinery - while still in his early twenties. The Belfast plied between Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Dublin, and was one of the earliest steamers to cross the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
.
At David Napier’s he made the acquaintance of Mr David Tod. Together they ran the engineering department for a while. They gained considerable managerial experience during this period. They probably also acted as guarantee engineers from time to time.
Tod and Macgregor
In 1833 Macgregor and his friend David Tod formed a partnership to build steam engines themselves. The partnership Tod and Macgregor was initially based at Carrick Street, Glasgow in 1834. The business grew quickly and moved to a larger property in Worroch Street, where they added boiler making to their engineering activities.Towards the end of 1836 Tod and Macgregor opened a shipbuilding yard on the south bank of the Clyde at Mavisbank. Finally in 1845 the firm moved to a new purpose built yard at Meadowside in the Borough of Partick. Tod and Macgregor were described as "the fathers of iron shipbuilding on the Clyde", building famous ships such as the City of Glasgow and the City of Paris.
In about 1830 he is assumed to have married Margaret Fleming (born 23 March 1809), the daughter of James Fleming and Margaret Biggar. Together they had seven children, of whom two boys and three girls survived.
In 1834 John was to be found at 90 Carrick Street, but by 1841 had moved to Clydebank with Margaret and the family, who were found there at the time of the 1841 census. In 1845 he gave his address as Rutland Place; which may have been the same as Clydebank. The family must have moved as the shipyard went to Meadowside in 1846 as John was registered as living at Meadowside House, Partick in 1848.
On the 18th September 1848 Margaret Fleming died, the cause is not known, she was only 39. Two and a half years later on the 9th of March 1851 John married Margaret York (born 20 April 1823), the daughter of William York and Janet Masterton, at Barony, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
At the time of the 1851 census, Margaret York, and the children from John's first marriage were found at Meadowside House in Partick. John had two further children with Margaret York:
William York (WY) Macgregor born Finnart, Dunbartonshire, 14 October 1855; died Oban, 28 September 1923
Peter Macgregor born 21 February 1857 at Partick; Died Hove, Sussex 22 April 1901
In around 1874, after the deaths of both David Tod and John Macgregor, the shipbuilding business was sold and renamed as D. and W. Henderson and Company
D. and W. Henderson and Company
David & William Henderson and Company was a Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding company, based on Clydeside. The company was founded in 1872 and continued to operate until 1936...
.
Death and Obituaries
Macgregor died on 16 September 1858 from constipationConstipation
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
, a treatable problem today. When his funeral took place, at North Street, Anderston, the shops in Partick were closed, the route was lined with thousands of spectators with 'grieved countenances' the bells of the city churches were tolled from 2- to 3 o'clock’ and the flags in the harbour and on the shipping were at half-mast.
His obituary states: “At the comparatively early age of 57, in the full flush and vigour of his mature manhood, after an illness of only three days, of constipation of the bowels, Mr Macgregor departed this life, at half past eleven o'clock on Thursday night, at his town residence, Meadowside House, Partick.