Page 8 - Microsoft Word - miniz-digest-98-103.docx
P. 8

The firm in question is D. & J. MacEwen & Co. Ltd., who started out in 1804 when brothers
            David  and  James  MacEwen  opened  their  first  outlet  as  grocers  and  wine  and  spirit
            merchants in Broad Street, Stirling. Up till then the family background had been in farming,
            with many generations of MacEwens working on the Drummond Castle Estates. Over the
            lifetime  of  the  business  they  opened  branches  in  Aberfoyle,  Bridge  of  Allan,  Callander,
            Comrie, Crieff, Doune, Dunblane, Fort William, Killin and Inverness. Today, this side of the
            family  business  is  no  more,  but  it  has  been  replaced  by  a  successful  property  and
            investment company still bearing the MacEwen name, and based in Callander. The current
            directors are Mrs Sheila MacEwen and Mrs I.J.R. MacEwen.

            From its inception the business did rather well, attracting all the wealthier customers from
            in and around the Stirling area. Ultimately they needed to expand, so in 1826 they bought
            land  in  the  area  which  is  now  Port  Street  in  Stirling,  and  built  larger  premises  to
            accommodate all the diverse operations of their business. Around this time a third brother,
            John MacEwen, joined the firm. He was by profession a lawyer, but was persuaded to give
            this up to enable him to manage the Port Street operation.

            In 1838 a new branch was opened in King Street in Stirling, and over the next decade or
            so three more family members, Daniel, John and Robert MacEwen, joined the firm. Over
            the following  forty  years  three more  branches  were  opened,  Callander  in  1857, Killin  in
            1895 and Aberfoyle in 1898.

            Around 1900 a huge fire all but destroyed the Port Street premises, but they were rebuilt,
            bigger and better than before. The new cellars covered some 3,000 square feet, and the
            stocks  held  there  included  casks  of  Cambus,  Glen  Grant,  Lagavulin,  Talisker  and  Ben
            Nevis.





























            By  1904,  they  had  opened  all  their  outlets  with  the  exception  of  Comrie,  Doune  and
            Inverness,  and  in  this  same  year  the  Lord  Provost  of  Glasgow,  Sir  John  Ure  Primrose,
            hosted a centenary celebration dinner for the firm in the Albert Hall, Stirling,  which was
            attended by 180 guests. The following evening a second function was held for all of the
            staff.






                                                           - 7 -
   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13