'Enterprising Caithnessman' who made his name in the shirt trade
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NORTHERN ROOTS: Our monthly column from Caithness Family History Society
A few years ago, Caithness Family History Society (CFHS) had an intriguing enquiry: a Cheshire woman was researching the history of her office building and had found that it was once a private house called Watten Mains! Its name had been bestowed by Caithness-born Dunbar Murray and she asked if CFHS would be willing to help her find out about him.
We discovered that Dunbar Murray was born in Watten Parish on December 20, 1846, to David Murray and his wife Mary Ann Macdonald. David was a shepherd at Watten Mains, where the family lived in a farm cottage.
Dunbar appeared in the 1851 and 1861 census records with his parents and siblings but by 1871 he was living in London. Dunbar's obituary mentioned that he had worked there with a wholesale hosiery firm.
In 1874, he married Annie Francis Broadway in Islington. Their son, Dunbar, was born in Manchester in 1883. Sadly, Annie died in 1895. Dunbar lived until 1928 and both are buried in Willow Grove Cemetery, Reddish, Stockport.
Old newspapers are a very useful resource and can be searched online. We found Dunbar's name appearing dozens of times in the John O'Groat Journal. The issue of July 24, 1903, carried a long article entitled Enterprising Caithnessman in Manchester. It reported that, in 1880, Dunbar and Robert M Browne established a shirt-making firm in the city. Dunbar carried on the business after Browne's death in 1897. Mention is made of favourable conditions of labour and remuneration for the workforce of 450 at two factories in Manchester and Macclesfield. Their silk, woollen, cotton and union shirts were sold all over the world.
The Groat tells us that in 1899, at the annual tea party and ball for his employees, Dunbar introduced them to his son, who was about to join the business. In 1896, he and young Dunbar were on holiday in Watten and the Groat of July 10 recorded that he was a keen angler. He had been very generous to the New Hall Fund and the Watten Churchyard Improvement Fund.
He was patron and honorary president of the Watten Ploughing Association and donated prizes for its competitions every year. These included cutlery sets, tea services and clocks and there were always lots of shirts! A Groat report of 1897 tells of his intention to give a silver cup, to be competed for by ploughmen resident in Watten Parish. Perhaps it is still used as a ploughing prize in the county.
The building which had initiated the research, Watten Mains, Cheshire, was a 10-roomed house, built between 1861 and 1871. Dunbar moved there (from a house across the road) sometime between 1891 and 1895.
Dunbar's obituary in the Stockport Advertiser mentioned his involvement in the Heaton Moor Reform Club, the Freemasons, the local ratepayers' association and the Manchester Caledonian Society. He was also a very keen gardener and was particularly fond of tulips, his garden being well known for its fine spring displays.
It described him thus: "He will be characteristically remembered for his grey tall hat and white waistcoat. This gave him quite a dignified aspect which was heightened by his fine physique. He was, when in his prime, over 6ft."
We also found some photos of Dunbar, his wife and his father in the Wick Society's Johnston Photographic Collection.
Caithness Family History Society can be contacted at enquiries@caithnessfhs.org.uk
CFHS also has a website and a Facebook page.
