McDougall Brothers
of Poland Street and other addresses in Manchester, and of London, flour millers.
1845 Alexander McDougall, previously a struggling Scottish shoe merchant from Dumfries and then a Manchester schoolmaster, finally achieved his ambition of setting up as a manufacturing chemist.
He recruited his sons into the business
1864 The brothers (Alexander, Isaac, James Thomas, John and Arthur) developed and produced a patent substitute for yeast. This was the starting point which was not only to revolutionise home baking but firmly position McDougall's as a household name especially for self-raising flour.
Also see McDougall Brothers (of Manchester) for the parts of the business mainly concerned with chemicals.
1869 Milling became an important part of the business, especially after using different millers the results of their flour was varied, and at this time the company opened the Wheatsheaf Mill in the East End of London. The market for their self-raising flour had now extended into the South of England.
1869 The first large mill to be built alongside any of the London docks was the Wheatsheaf Mill, at Millwall Docks, which stood on the southern quay of the Millwall Outer Dock. Its construction was started in 1869 by the Manchester-based McDougall Brothers.
1877 Henry Simon suggested to the McDougall Brothers that they try the new system of roller milling in their mills in Poland-street; a combined roller mill and disc machine was ordered from a German maker in 1877 and tested at the mills. This gave sufficiently satisfactory results as to induce the McDougalls to accept a further and more elaborate trial, using the then newly-invented three-high roller mills - Daverio's patent.[1] Further work especially by Simon led to wider acceptance of roller milling in Britain.
1880 Dissolution of the Partnership between Alexander McDougall the younger, Isaac Shimwell McDougall, James Thomas McDougall, John McDougall, and Arthur McDougall, carrying on business in partnership under the firm of McDougall Brothers, as Manufacturing Chemists at Port-street, in the city of Manchester, at the Irk Vale Chemical Works, Chadderton, in the county of Lancaster, at No. 10, Mark-lane, in the city of London, and at the Millwall Docks, London, and as Corn Millers, at the City Corn Mills, Poland-street, Manchester, and at the Corn Mills, Millwall Docks, and as Corn Merchants, at No. 99, Shudehill, Manchester, and as Bakers, at No. 133, Strangeways, Manchester on the retirement of Alexander McDougall. Isaac Shimwell McDougall, James Thomas McDougall, and John McDougall would carry on business in partnership under firm of McDougall Brothers, as Manufacturing Chemists, at Port-street, Manchester, at the Irk Yale Chemical Works, at No. 10, Mark-lane , and at the Millwall Docks , and as Corn Millers, at the Millwall Docks. Arthur McDougall would carry on business, under his own name, as a Corn Miller and Baker, at the City Corn Mills, Poland-street , at No. 99, Shudehill , and at No. 133, Strangeways.[2]
1881 Alexander McDougall handed over the Manchester end of the business in order to devote more time to public life as an alderman and magistrate.
c.1884 John McDougall, who had been running the London operation, did the same, eventually becoming Chairman of the London County Council and was knighted by Edward VII.
1886 Mills at London, Liverpool, Manchester[3]
1888 Dissolution of the Partnership between John McDougall, Isaac Shimwell McDougall, and James Thomas McDougall, carrying on business under the style of McDougall Brothers, as Manufacturing Chemists, Wood Pulp Manufacturers, Corn Millers, and Flour Dealers, at Mark-lane, in the city of London, the Millwall Docks, London, Port-street, Manchester, and Chadderton, near Oldham, by the retirement of John McDougall; Isaac Shimwell McDougall and James Thomas McDougall carried on the business at the places aforesaid, under the same style of McDougall Brothers.[4]
1900 Dissolution of the Partnership between Isaac Shimwell McDougall, James Thomas McDougall, Isaac McDongall, and James Stevenson Binning, carrying on business as Corn Millers, Bakers, and Flour Dealers, at 10, Mark-lane, London, Millwall Docks, London, and the Standard Bakery, Swan-street, Southwark, London, under the style of McDougall Brothers. James Thomas McDougall and James Stevenson Binning, continued the business as Corn Millers, Bakers, and Flour Dealers, at 10, Mark-lane, London, Millwall Docks, London, and the Standard Bakery, Swan-street, Southwark, London, under the style of McDougall and Co.[5]
The firm evolved into the first of Britain's giant flour milling concerns, more often known by the name of their product McDougall's. They owned several large mills in different parts of the country. The Wheatsheaf Mill, rebuilt several times over the following century, became one of the major landmarks of the Isle of Dogs.
1926 The two flour companies were re-united as McDougalls Ltd