| Description | Records of Richard Irvin & Sons Ltd., trawler owners and fish salesmen. Includes minutes of directors, financial journals, ledgers and balance books, staff and marketing records. Also includes records for subsidiaries and associatied companies such as The Ships' Stores and Repairing Co. Ltd., and Hugh Twaddle & Son Ltd. (plumbers, Glasgow).
DD2865/1 Administrative
DD2865/2 Financial
DD2865/3 Correspondence, Photographs and Company History
DD2865/4 Subsidiary Companies
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| Administrative History | Founded by Richard Irvin (1853-1920), who bought his first sailing smack the "Zenith" in 1872 before seeing the gap in the fishing market for steam trawling. The company became Richard Irvin & Sons in 1907 with the amalgamation of the North British Steam Fishing Co Ltd., the Irvin Steam Fishing Co Ltd., The Castle Trawl and Lime Fishing Co Ltd., The East Coast Drifters Ltd., the African Fishing and Trading Co Ltd., and the whole of the businesses of Messrs R Irvine & Sons (Fish salesmen).
In 1920, just before the death of founder Richard Irvin, his son John H Irvin became Managing Director. John H Irvin (c. 1874-1952) joined the company in early 1887 and moved to Aberdeen in 1895 aged 21 to take over the business there. He spent 45 years as a member of the Harbour Board (26 of which were as Finance Convener), 20 years as a member of the Fishery Board for Scotland. He suggested the formation of the Steam Fishers Provident Society after the great storm of 1900, of which he was president for 47 years [See DD3223]. He was very active during WW1 and was captured as a Prisoner of War from 23 September 1916 - he was honoured by King George V in 1917.
Richard's other sons also joined the company: Richard (1876-1970) in 1889, George (b. 1882) and Thomas (1884-1916) in 1899. Richard was also an Alderman for North Shields and Mayor of Tynemouth for 2 years c. 1940s. George D. Irvin travelled to SA in 1903 to form African Fishing and Trading Company, almagamating with Mr C O Johnson to become Irvin & Johnson South Africa. Thomas W. Irvin was killed in action during WW1. |