Scottish Business Archive

December 2008

James Finlay & Co Ltd archive

The James Finlay & Co archive provides a significant amount of valuable information on its employees through the Registers of Managers and Assistants (GUAS Ref: UGD 91/1/6/3/1). These registers, which date from the early 1900s into the final quarter of the twentieth century, record the careers of the many managers and assistants managers who travelled from the UK to work in Finlay’s estates in India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. The lives and employment of these managers and assistants are recorded in detail as the company ensured it made the most of its talented employees.

November 2008

Using business archives for family history

This month Clare Paterson, the Assistant Archivist (Scottish Business Archive) had an enjoyable visit to Troon, giving a presentation to the members of the Troon @ Ayrshire Family History Society.  The talk centred on using business archives to help build up a family history. 

Ernest Arthur Binstead

At the beginning of summer we were very pleased to receive (Ernest) Arthur Binstead’s sketchbook. This sketchbook is principally made up of pencil drawings and watercolours made during Mr Binstead’s journey on the S.S. Garmoyle from Glasgow to the Isle of Dogs in April 1901. More recently a second sketchbook, dated 1908, has been sent to us by Miss Lee for inclusion in the collections.