McManus 168

Allan Edward was born the youngest surviving son of Alexander Edward and Marjory (May) Low.^[1] His father, a tobacconist and candlemaker,^[19] operated from premises at the ‘top of Murraygate.’^[19] At the time of Alexander’s death in 1823, (when his son Allan was approximately 12 years of age) he also had shares in a number of vessels and interests in the ‘Union Whale Fishing Company.’^[19] Two vessels belonging to that concern – namely the ‘Thomas’ of Dundee and ‘Three Brothers’ of Dundee, together with another named ‘Mercury’ of Dundee were partially owned by Alexander. His estate amounted to over £3000. So, for Allan and his older brothers, Alexander, David and James, a mercantile life, acquainted with shipping, was perhaps not a first venture but one to which the brothers had already been introduced through their father.

Having embarked on a life spent trading goods in 1834, (at the age of 23 years) Allan Edward was not tardy in gaining a foothold among merchants, agents and manufacturers of the town. An early foray was in becoming one of the original subscribers (along with his older brother Alexander) towards the establishment of the ‘Baltic Coffee House’ – the incarnation of Dundee’s Chamber of Commerce, which materialised in 1835.^[10] It was recorded that

“…as the Cowgate had become the meeting place of the merchants and manufacturers of the town engaged in the textile trade, and of others with whom they had business connections – such as shipping agents, bankers, etc. – there arose a desire to possess a convenient meeting place of their own, a common roof under which they could gather in inclement weather, and a resort where they might in comfort obtain the latest trade news and might readily be found by enquirers.”^[10]

It could be said that Allan was becoming a young gun among older campaigners as he added his voice to a number of causes within trading circles (see images).

Allan Edward’s position during the 1840s enabled him to gain further recognition among the merchants and shipping fraternity. He was reputedly one of the first to import jute. Reportedly, “…about the year 1840, the ‘Selma,’ belonging to Dundee owners, arrived from Calcutta with a cargo of jute and other produce, being the first jute which was ever brought from Calcutta to Dundee direct.”^[20] Shortly thereafter, Allan Edward, David Martin and Gilroy Brothers also began to import various cargoes directly from India, jute being one their imports.^[20]

The 1840s was also a decade of expansion for Allan Edward, witnessed through the commissioning of five major vessels form the Dundee yards of ‘Calman & Martin.’^[16] Having already built an extensive trade in the Baltic, Allan Edward widened his horizons to establish a thorough going trade in the East Indies.

By 1850, Allan Edward owned 10 vessels, totalling 3522 tons, more even than those owned by the ‘Dundee, Perth & and London Co.,’^[21] engaged in the East India trade. His company ‘Allan Edward & Co.’ imported flax and jute of varying grades (not without risks – see images) and, in periods when when trade was slack, he supplemented his imports with timber.

It was during the 1850s too that Allan Edward must have gained recognition and a degree of stature within Dundee’s society, with the building of his west end residence ‘Farington Hall’ (named surely after his mother in law – Mary Isabella Farington). It was here that Allan Edward and his wife Ermin Elizabeth Kenrick raised their family. Coincidentally, Ermin’s older sister Fanny Georgina Catherine Kenrick married Allan’s older brother James Edward.

With the death of Allan’s older brother Alexander in 1863,^[18] Allan assumed the role as ‘partner‘ within the long established firm of ‘A & D Edward & Co,’ together with his remaining brother James. The brothers continued to operate the successful works in the Scouringburn. In 1864, “the Logie Works was the second largest in the town, its internal arrangements were excellent and its machinery kept pace with the times.”^[22] Allan Edward also became a partner within the company of ‘Daniel Drimmie & Co,’ bleachers at Panmurefield,^[23] ensuring an interest in all processes of the trade.

For the following decade, he continued to act as owner and partner in all three companies – his original ‘Allan Edward & Co.’ (merchants and agents); that established by his brothers, ‘A & D Edward & Co.’ (merchants and flax spinners); plus that of ‘Daniel Drimmie & Co’ (bleachers).^[23]

And what of Farington Hall? It had been designed by the architects ‘Coe and Goodwin’ and erected between 1853-55.^[24] It had the reputation of being the most handsome mansion in the West End. It was, much later, destroyed by fire in 1913, in what was popularly believed to have been an arson attack by suffragettes. The house had lain empty for some years following the death of Mrs Allan Edward in 1907.^[25]

At the time of his death in 1874, Allan Edward was described as having been one of the oldest and most respected of ‘Cowgate merchants’ and, for many years, had held a leading position in the trade.^[9] Known for his ‘shrewdness and sagacity,’^[9] Allan Edward enjoyed success to the end, having also left estate amounting to over £60,000.