William Macadam

William Macadam (3 November 1783 – 1853[1] ) was an industrialist, a burgess and bailie (magistrate) of Glasgow. He owned a weaving mill and calico printing works in Kilmarnock near Glasgow.

William Macadam
Calico printer and weaver
Burgess and bailie of Glasgow
Personal details
Born
William Macadam

3 November 1783
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Died1853
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
Spouse(s)(1)Rachel Gentle, (2)Helen Stevenson
EducationWeavers Guild
OccupationOwner textile printing and weaving business

He was the patriarch of a small dynasty of chemical scientists including his sons William Macadam, John Macadam and Stevenson Macadam, grandsons William Ivison Macadam and Stevenson J. C. G. Macadam and great granddaughter Elison A. Macadam.

Businessman and public figure

A burgess and a bailie (magistrate) of Glasgow,[2][3] he became a prominent Glasgow businessman who owned and operated a mill near Glasgow[4][5] and a mill and textile, calico (and shawl) printing works at Greenholm in Kilmarnock,[6] Ayrshire, south of Glasgow on the River Irvine.[7]

William was the son of John McAdam[8] and Margaret Finlay.[9] His father had also been a burgess of Glasgow and an owner of the Mile End Spinning Company.

William Macadam's operation together with that of his fellow industrialists in similar business, used new chemical processes in textile printing which enabled them to develop into large scale industries for the printing of cotton fabrics, the plants in the area soon became internationally known.[10] Producing colours for textile printing required extensive chemical knowledge coupled with technical expertise. Each colour and its varying degrees of brightness had to withstand the different fixing processes and this was particularly difficult when printing Turkey Red.[11]

The fabrics were then made into cotton polka dot handkerchiefs (particularly favoured in France), cotton calico scarves, shawls, garments and chintzes that were used in Britain and exported to Europe and throughout the world. His plants seemed to have been largely involved in the weaving and printing of the heavier of these cotton cloth materials. The process required a lot of water hence the location on the River Irvine.

After Macadam's death in 1853, the US Civil War (1861–1965) reduced the vital cotton supplies through Glasgow from 8,700 tonnes (17,055 cwt) in 1861 to 366 tonnes (7,216 cwt) in 1864. Without the basic raw material for their needs, this became a period of major hardship for these companies until India and West Africa became major exporters.[12] Thus Macadam's former Kilmarnock plant was sold and part of it was converted into a flour mill.[13]

The family's involvement in business as burgesses of Glasgow

Originally burgesses were inhabitants of a city where they owned land and who contributed to the running of the town and its taxation. The title of burgess was later restricted to merchants and craftsmen, so that only burgesses could enjoy the privileges of trading or practising a craft in the city (Macadam belonged to the Weaver's Guild). And only burgesses had the right to vote in municipal or Parliamentary elections. However, these political privileges were removed by the Reform Act in 1832, and the burgesses' ancient exclusive trading rights were abolished in 1846. Thereafter a burgess became a title which gave social standing to the office and usually carried with it a role which involved charitable activities, as it does today.[14]

Macadam's burgess ticket is dated 25 August 1815, allowing him entry into the Weaver's Guild and thus permitted him to carry out business on his own, (his father John McAdam is given as 'deceased' on it).[15]

He was a third-generation burgess of a family of ten burgesses and guild brothers of Glasgow.[16] He was also enrolled as a burgess of Calton,[17] Burgh of Barony, 6 February 1816.[18]

William was the eldest son of John McAdam,[19]
John in turn was the eldest son of Alexander McAdam.[20]
Alexander was in turn the eldest son of an earlier burgess John McAdam, tanner, of Glasgow.[21]

Impact on the future developments in science and chemistry

The various types of new complex chemical processes and inventions involved in Macadam's factory for the manufacturing and printing of cotton, calico, and linen textiles excited his sons and they soon became interested in the new field of chemistry. This meant that they largely did not follow their previous generations in business but went on to play a leading scientific and academic role in developing chemical innovation and knowledge.

Of the five sons, three took up chemical science as a profession, William Macadam, John Macadam and Stevenson Macadam[22] and a fourth, Charles, was involved in a chemical fertiliser company. Subsequently two more generations were involved: Stevenson's two sons William Ivison Macadam and Stevenson J. C. G. Macadam[23] and William Ivison Macadam's daughter, Elison Macadam[24] (later Desch).[25] A total of seven family members (if one includes Charles Macadam's involvement in chemical fertilisers).[26]

Family
Macadam's signature 1845 from book flyleaf
(John Macadam, Earthwords)

Macadam was the last in the family to have his name spelled in the various ways that Mac (son of) [27] was spelled at the time as McAdam, M'Adam, but usually using both "MacAdam"[28] and "Macadam", but the subsequent members of the family settled on the latter spelling.[29]

William's two wives

William’s first wife was Rachel Gentle[30] with whom he had one son, William.

William's second wife was Helen Ann Stevenson (1803 – 1857).[31] The wedding took place on 3 January 1825 at Cumbernauld.[32] She died on the 20 January 1857 at 6 Kelvinhaugh Street, Glasgow, and is buried with her husband in Glasgow Cathedral Old Burial Ground Glasgow.[33] She was the daughter of William Stevenson of Park Farm, Clackmannan.[34] and Helen Grindlay.[35] with whom he had a further seven children.[36]

His children
  • William Macadam (1814 – circa 1877),[37] was the first chemical scientist in the family, the eldest and a half-brother to his father's other younger children.[38]
  • Helen Grindlay Macadam (1825 – circa 1839)[39]
  • Dr John Macadam (1827 – 1865) emigrated to Australia, was a medical teacher, Australian politician and cabinet minister. After whom the genus Macadamia (macadamia nut) was named.
  • Stevenson Macadam (1829 – 1901) became a leading chemical scientist, analytical chemist and lecturer in Edinburgh and was a founder of the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain (now the Royal Society of Chemistry) and a founder of the Society of Chemical Industry.
  • Margaret Macadam (1831 – 1865)[40]
  • Charles Thomas Macadam (1832 – 1906)[41] became senior partner in Odams, a fertiliser company,[42][43] and was to hold the Royal Warrant as Purveyor of Chemical Manures to Queen Victoria and was a sponsor of the 1862 International Exhibition.[44]
  • George Robert Macadam (1837 – 1918), who followed his older brother John and emigrated to Australia where he became a teacher.[45]
  • Mary Elison Macadam (1835 – 1889)[46]

Residence

Macadam lived at 169 East George Street, (now the site of The Premier Inn Glasgow City Centre George Square). The street was subsequently re-named East George Street as it is known today.[47] The house backed onto St. David's "Ramshorn" Kirkyard or churchyard.[48]

Death

Macadam died in 1853. His wife Helen Stevenson Macadam died in 1857. He and his wife are buried in Glasgow Cathedral Old Burial Ground (St. Mungo's Burying Ground, Glasgow)[49]

References
  1. Edwin Macadam: http://www.shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/macadam_history.htm
  2. The Scotsman, 25 January 1901.
  3. Belfast News, 30 January 1901
  4. Mile End Spinning Co., Mile End, Calton Burgh (later part of Barony Burgh and then Glasgow:Edwin Macadam: Shelwin.com Macadam History.
  5. In November 1831 it had 52 Spinners and 19,968 Mule Spindles. List of Cotton Mills and Spinners, and the number of Mule and Throttle Spindles in Lanarkshire, taken on November, !831. These Mills are all in Glasgow, or its immediate suburbs, with the exception of Blantyre and Lanark. Enumeration of the inhabitants of the city of Glasgow and county of Lanarkshire, James Cleland, November 1831, Page 151.
  6. McAdam & Co. [sic] Kilmarnock Post-Office Directories for 1833 - 1903 and McKay, Archibald. History of Kilmarnock 1st and 3rd edition, Edwin Macadam: Shelwin.com Macadam History.
  7. The factory occupied some ten acres: John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall. John Macadam has generously donated copies of his Earthwords Archives to and for the use of the Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton Old Hall, East Runton, Norfolk UK.
  8. Born: about 1760. Died: 1815 or before. Edwin Macadam: Sherwin Macadam History.
  9. Also spelled ffinlay on documents.
  10. For the method of printing Turkey Red: http://www.valeofleven.org.uk/famousfolk/industrials.html.
  11. Colouring the Nation: Dyeing and printing techniques, Stana Nenadic and Sally Tuckett, National Museums Scotland, https://www.nms.ac.uk/collections-research/our-research/highlights-of-previous-projects/colouring-the-nation/research/dyeing-and-printing-techniques/the-turkey-red-process/
  12. Bancroft’s Philosophy of Permanent Colours in two vols 1813. https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/media/4307879/turkey_red_pack_part_i.pdf
  13. Stevenson J.C.G. Macadam (grandson) letter in John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
  14. Archives The Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow.
  15. copy John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall supplied to Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk.
  16. William's Weaver's burgess ticket is dated 25 August 1815.
    The Trades House of Glasgow, which houses all the Guilds, records the entry (B. = Burgess and G.B. = Guild Brother).Register of The Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Glasgow, Craig R. Bryce, Trades House archivist, The Trades House of Glasgow. http://www.tradeshousemuseum.org
    25th August 1815
    M'Adam, William, merchant, B[urgess]. and G[uild].B[rother]., as eld.1. son to dec. John M'A., [--], B. and G.B.
    His brother-in-law William Stevenson, who had married William's sister Ann, daughter of John McAdam, had also become a burgess recorded as such on:
    26th May 1808
    Stevenson, William, merchant, B. and G.B., as mar. Ann, I. dau. to John M'Adam, weaver, B. and G.B.
    Register of The Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Glasgow, The Trades House of Glasgow.
  17. It was a separate Burgh at the time and was not incorporated into Glasgow until 1846: William Campbell (assessor, Glasgow.) (1883). History of the incorporation of corners in Glasgow, R. Anderson
  18. His surname is spelled as McAdam on the Calton Burgh enrolment. Photograph of Burgess ticket in John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
  19. John's Weaver's Burgess ticket dated 19 October 1789 (he was installed as a weaver burgess on the same day as his three younger brothers, James, Thomas and Walter McAdam and brother-in-law John Smellie, who married their sister Elizabeth).
    19th October 1786
    M'Adam, John, weaver, B. and G.B., as eld. son to Alexander M'A., weaver, B. and G. B.
    M'Adam, James, weaver, B. and G.B., as second son to Alexander M'A., weaver, B. and G.B.
    M 'Adam, Thomas, weaver, B. and G. B., as third son to Alexander M'A., weaver, B. and G.B.
    M'Adam, Walter, weaver, B. and G.B., as fourth son to Alexander M'A., weaver, B. and G.B.
    Smellie, John, weaver, B. and G.B., as mar. Elizabeth, dau. to Alexander M'Adam, weaver, B. and G.B.
    There are two further burgesses in the family through John McAdam's wife, Margaret, who was the daughter of William Finlay (Wright Burgess ticket 28 August 1754), who was the eldest son of John Findlay, Burgess, a Maltman.
    28th August 1754
    Finlay, William, wright, B. and G.B , as eld. L son to dec. John F., Maltman, B. and G.B.,
    :The Trades House of Glasgow.
  20. Alexander's Weaver's Burgess ticket dated 5 September 1755,
    5th September 1755
    M'Adam, Alexander, weaver, B. and G.B., as eld. I. son to John M’A., tanner, servant in the Glasgow tan work, B. and G.B.
    : The Trades House of Glasgow,
  21. Register of The Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Glasgow, The Trades House of Glasgow.
  22. The Scotsman 25 January 1901
  23. Edwin Macadam: Shelwin Macadam History
  24. Elison A. Macadam FIC become the first woman to graduate in chemistry from King's College, London. In this she valiantly persevered in spite of the hostility from the all-male students in the classes towards women entering what was up to then an all-male profession: Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk.
    Elison had studied under her father, Prof. William Ivison Macadam, and "had wished to continue study for a degree in Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh but at that time women were excluded. Curiously, despite the formal ban from King’s College London she was able to study chemistry under Professor F.C. Thompson and Professor Herbert Jackson (chemist) and sit the Chemistry examinations and was then hired by Professor Huntingdon about 1902 in his Laboratory". Chemistry was Their Life: Pioneer British Women Chemists, 1880-1949: Marlene Raynor-Canham, Geoff Raynor-Canham; Imperial College Press 2008.
    These two King's College, London professors of chemistry may have circumvented the college rule of male only students out of respect for her father in making this ground-breaking exception. Otherwise it is interesting to speculate why King’s made an exception in her case, and it may have been because of her determination. Her father Professor W. Ivison Macadam may not have felt he could make an exception for his own daughter at Edinburgh University because of their rule. However he actively fostered the academic involvement of women in other spheres (and one of his own pupils, Aleen Cust, became the first female veterinary surgeon in Britain against great odds).
    Her younger brother Sir Ivison Macadam subsequently attended King's College, London and for the last 18 years of his life sat on its governing body.
  25. Elison later married Professor Dr. Cecil Henry Desch in 1909. Cecil Henry Desch (1874–1958) was a prominent professor of metallurgy
  26. Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk.
  27. Mac is the same word as the Gaelic word "meic" meaning "son of".
  28. Flyleaf of book where William has written "Wm. MacAdam, 169 George Street, 1845", document in possession of John Macadam - Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
  29. Edwin Macadam: Shelwin.com Macadam History.
  30. William and Rachel were married 1 June 1813: John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
  31. Helen Stevenson was born 24 August 1803. Baptised 31 August 1803, in the Parish Church at Cumbernauld. John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
  32. Copy of the marriage certificate 3 January 1825 of William Macadam, merchant of Glasgow and Helen Anne Stevenson, daughter of William Stevenson, married at Cumbernauld (where the Stevensons had also come from and owned property) signed by J. Watson, Minister: John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
  33. "an old key which has cable attached saying key of Macadam's tomb St Mungo's Burying Gd." sent by her grandson S.J.C.G. Macadam to his uncle by marriage John St Clair Boyd, Belfast and by him on September 1955 to D.L.D. Macadam in possession of John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
  34. He was born 1765 (or 1764) and died 27 July 1839, aged 74 years: Clackmannan grave.
  35. Born 1776/1775 who died 8 November 1844, aged 68 (as on grave). They are buried in the churchyard (wall memorial) at Clackmannan. Only dates of death and ages given on the tomb memorial
  36. William Stevenson was born about 1765. (Using age and death date on grave stone), He died 27 July 1839, aged 74 years, at Clackmannan. Old Parish record for burial, present Clackmannan grave stone (photograph of which also in Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton) and Will.
    He married twice:
    1. Janet Hill, dau. of Robert Hill, a vintner in Greenock. Source, Old Parish Records marriage banns for both Greenock and Port Glasow. (Recorded in two Parishes because bride and groom resident in two parishes).
    Janet Hill was born 29 July 1764 at Kilburnie, Ayr, Scotland. She died sometime between December 1796 - 1801 at either Port Glasgow or Cumbernauld.
    Children of William and Janet:-
    • John Stevenson born 1 June 1793 Port Glasgow. Source, old Parish record for baptism.
    • Margaret Stevenson b.12 December 1794, Port Glasgow. Source, old parish record for baptisms.
    • Ann Stevenson was baptised 18 December 1796. No birth date given. Perhaps baptised day of birth. (No other mention of this child. She was not mentioned in William's will written in 1809, so the baby may have died shortly after birth, which was at Port Glasgow. The mother probably died during or shortly after this birth).
    William Stevenson then married a second time after his first wife's death
    2. Helen Grindlay, 22 March 1801 at Falkirk. Source: Old Parish records. (Although it is recorded as Falkirk, future records for Bonnybridge came under Falkirk Landward. They may have married in the old Dennyloanhead Church (its site is now flats) so possibly not in the town of Falkirk which was further away).
    Helen Grindlay was born 27 May 1781 (in Seabegs Farm house. Listed just as Falkrik in Old Parish records).
    She died at her daughter’s house Blindwell Cottage, Tranent on the 8 November 1844. Sources: the Old Parish records, her will and Alloa Advertiser.
    William Stevenson above research by Hazel Wylie, William Stevenson’s great-great-great granddaughter. Hazel Wylie Archives, Clackmannanshire, Scotland.
  37. William born about 1814, died sometime after September 1877, when his letters to his nephew Charlie (C T Macadam) cease, and the last letters mention his illness at that time. Letters in John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall, (copies supplied to Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk).
  38. John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
  39. Born. 29 Aug 1825, Glasgow and believed to have died aged 14: Edwin Macadam Shelwin.com Macadam History.
  40. Born: 11 January 1831 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Died: 1 August 1865 at Innerleithen, Peebles-shire, having been ill with cancer for the last 16 months.:Edwin Macadam, Shelwin.com Macadam History.
  41. Born: 5 November 1832, at 169 East George Street, Glasgow. Died 22 April 1906. [Christchurch, 2b p.407]: John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall
  42. The Scotsman, 25 January 1901
  43. Odams was later acquired by Fisons (and then by ICI, and subsequently Akko Nobel):John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall
  44. John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall
  45. George Robert Macadam (born 22 July 1837 - died 16 September 1918).
    After emigrating to Australia he became a teacher at Wickliffe, Gisborne and Flemington. He was appointed headmaster of schools at Avoca in 1866 and then at Malvern in 1884. He retired to “Clyde”, 11 Irving Street, Malvern, Australia and died there on 16 September 1918 aged 81. He was buried in Avoca General Cemetery, Australia. The Argus (Melbourne), 17 September 1918.
    He had married Elizabeth Standen (1848-1919) at Amherst on 30 November 1866. The Age (Melbourne), Thursday 27th December 1866.
    They had five children:
    * George Stevenson Macadam (1867-1933)
    (He died 14 Sept 1933, aged 66, having married E.M. [Bessie] Plunkett of Millicent, S.A. on 31 March 1896 and they had 5 children – Mona, Bob, Tom, Bill and Nell (or Neil!).
    * John Melnotte Macadam(1869-1874),
    * Charles William Macadam (died in 1947)
    * Robert Robertson Macadam (died in 1956)
    * Mary S. King (died sometime after May 1956)
    Avoca Mail, 24 Sept 1918 and research on children's dates by John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall from the Australian sources.
  46. Born: 9 September 1835 at 169 East George Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Died spinster: 21 July 1889, and buried at Farnham, Surrey.: Edwin Macadam: Sherwin Macadam History.
  47. Opposite the present George Street car Park and the University of Strathclyde Department of Mathematics and Statistics Building.
  48. Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk and John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall.
    St David's "Ramshorn" Kirk was designed by Thomas Rickman (1776 - 1841) facing down Candleriggs Street when the Georgian New Town was designed and created new streets in a grid pattern including George Street. The Glasgow Story: Industrial Revolution: 1770s to 1830s, Buildings and Cityscape, Charles McKean. The church is now the University of Strathclyde's Ramshorn Theatre.
  49. Key to grave sent by John St Clair Boyd Sept 1955 to D.L.D. Macadam copy of letter John Macadam, Earthwords Archives, Bodmin, Cornwall/copy in Ivison Macadam Archives, Runton, Norfolk.
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