History Alloa

1 history

1.1 14th century
1.2 17th century
1.3 18th century
1.4 19th century
1.5 20th century

1.5.1 wool
1.5.2 weaving , glass making
1.5.3 brewing
1.5.4 malt distilling
1.5.5 barrel cooperage
1.5.6 military history
1.5.7 police

history

alloa grew under protection of alloa tower may have been built before 1300 ad. name of town has had different spelling @ different periods. in charter granted king robert bruce in year 1315, thomas de erskyne, called alway; in subsequent ones, aulway, auleway; , more alloway. dr jamieson stated probable etymology of name aull waeg - way sea.

14th century

sir robert erskine granted lands of alloa , environs in 1368 services king david ii , , descendants stewards, developing estates , innovating.

17th century

one of earliest maps of area made surveyor , cartographer john adair in 1681.

18th century

the earl of mar owned many of coal mines, , robert bald, local mining engineer, contracted provide water power gartmorn dam operate mines , other industries. water supplies , availability of barley carselands encouraged george younger set brewery in 1760s , followed others. alloa became 1 of scotland s premier brewing centres.

unfortunately, 6th earl of mar, oversaw many far-reaching developments including substantial harbour improvements, customs house , building of gartmorn dam, forced flee country , forfeit lands after disastrously backing jacobite cause in 1715. however, brother allowed purchase forfeited lands , future generations continued tradition of creative industry launching glass-works in 1750 , laying 1 of scotland s earliest railways (a waggonway) sauchie mines down harbour in around 1766.

before 1775, colliers attached properties in born , virtual serfs or slaves, supported master. after act of parliament abolished system, colliers move between collieries @ will, , supported in needs alloa colliers fund or friendly society founded in 1775.

traces of waggonway , gartmorn dam can still seen today, , although dam no longer used energy production or water supply, used fishing , leisure purposes. clackmannashire library founded @ alloa in 1797 , contained upwards of 1500 volumes.

19th century

in 1813 first steamboat started operate out of alloa harbour. rival companies later united stirling, alloa , kincardine steamboat company . in 1822 water brought town , in 1828 gas works built. while building road alloa academy in 1828, ancient burial site found @ mars hill, several finds including 2 gold armlets. alloa academy built in 1824, being paid subscription. alloa swing bridge opened public on 1 october 1885.

20th century

after improvements made harbour during 18th century, alloa thrived river port through products of glasgow manufacture exported continental europe. @ time, , until 1950s, main industry north , east of town coal mining.

wool

wool locally plentiful , in part of 19th century, john paton set small yarn-spinning business in town, later establishing kilncraigs mill. firm merged j. & j. baldwin of halifax in 1924 become world-famous paton & baldwins ltd.

united glass works in alloa


weaving , glass making

the town continued known weaving , glassmaking industries 19th , 20th centuries.

brewing

alloa long associated brewing industry, @ least 9 major breweries producing ales @ height. industrial decline during late 20th century has led economy relying more on retail , leisure. first brewing firms in town younger in 1762 , meiklejohn in 1784. alloa ale sent london , george younger had extensive export trade west indies, egypt , far east. alloa home alloa brewery co, developing graham’s golden lager in 1927 renamed skol in 1950s. closures , mergers during mid-20th century reduced number of breweries 2 , 1999 after closure of maclay s thistle brewery, 1 remained, forth brewery became williams bros. in 2003.

malt distilling

in addition brewing of beer, alloa site of former carsebridge distillery. according alfred barnard, victorian historian of british distilling , brewing, distillery founded malt distillery john bald in 1799. in 1840s converted grain distillery , time of barnard s visit in mid 1880s distillery covered 10 acres, employed 150 people, , had annual output of 1.4 1.7 million gallons of pure grain whisky. distillery s owner john bald , co 1 of 5 companies combined form distillers company limited in 1877. in 1902, fire devastated distillery, after world war refitted , started producing yeast. yeast production lasted until 1938. in 1956 distillery modernised, expanded in 1966 , in 1970s new still house, cooperage , animal feedstuffs plant added. 1980 carsebridge distillery largest grain distillery in scotland, closed in 1983 , demolished in 1992. 1 of distillery s coffey stills in use @ cameronbridge distillery.

barrel cooperage

after whisky ceased produced @ carsebridge, cooperage remained 1 of 2 owned diageo in scotland. in 2008, 30 people worked there rebuilding or repairing 400 bourbon casks, imported us, each day. however, in 2009 company announced intended close carsebridge cooperage , move work nearby cambus. new cambus cooperage opened in december 2011 earl of wessex.

military history

alloa linked historic argyll , sutherland highlanders housed @ stirling castle. many of soldiers in ww2 fought under montgomery @ battle of el alamein , wadi akrit commanding officer lorne campbell won v.c. part of 7th argylls under 51st highland division.

police

as of 2014, temporary national headquarters of police scotland located in alloa.