McDougall's
McDougall's is a nationwide brand of self-raising flour, developed originally in Manchester.
1864 The McDougall Brothers (Alexander, Isaac, James Thomas, John and Arthur) had businesses in various part of London and Manchester - see McDougall Brothers and McDougall Brothers (of Manchester), covering a range of chemical products as well as flour and especially self-raising flour which they had developed.
1880 The various business activities carried on by McDougall Brothers were split apart. Arthur McDougall would henceforth 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, Manchester[1]
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.
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.[2]
1926 The two McDougall companies involved in flour and foods were re-united as McDougalls Ltd
1933 The McDougalls Trust was incorporated to acquire all of the shares in McDougalls Ltd, makers of McDougall's Self Raising Flour. Although a public company, only the preference shares were made available to the public, the ordinary shares being held privately[3]
It owned flour mills at Millwall Docks, Andover and Hellingly. The operating company was McDougall's Ltd
1930s At the end of the 1930s, it was realised that, if War broke out, the Wheatsheaf Mills, located in the heart of London’s Dockland, would be vulnerable to the aerial bombardment. The decision was taken to acquire other mills and source production in less susceptible areas such as Ashton-under-Lyne.
1957 McDougall's merged with Hovis to form Hovis-McDougall.
1962 The new company merged with Ranks Ltd to form Ranks Hovis McDougall, now known as RHM.
2007 The McDougall's brand of flour became part of Premier Foods when that company acquired RHM.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] McDougalls website
- Trademarked. A History of Well-Known Brands - from Aertex to Wright's Coal Tar by David Newton. Pub: Sutton Publishing 2008 ISBN 978-0-7509-4590-5