Collection GB 0074 CLC/B/123-10 - BINNY AND COMPANY LIMITED

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 CLC/B/123-10

Title

BINNY AND COMPANY LIMITED

Date(s)

  • 1903-1972 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

75 production units.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Binny established himself in business in South India in 1799. In the early years banking was the mainstay of his business, but from the mid 19th century Binnys began to acquire steamship agencies and to diversify into trade in general commodities, particularly coffee. In the last quarter of the 19th century the company turned its attention to textiles, establishing the Buckingham Mill Company and the Carnatic Mill, both near Madras, in 1876 and 1881 respectively. A little later, they took over the managing agency of the Bangalore Woollen, Cotton and Silk Mill.

In 1906 the collapse of the banking house of Arbuthnot and Company in Madras caused a run on Binnys which forced it to wind up. Sir James Mackay, then managing director of British India Steam Navigation Company, and later first Earl of Inchcape, bought the old firm and formed a new public company, incorporated in London as Binny and Company Limited, which took over the agencies formerly held by Binnys. The new head office was in London, rather than Madras, located in the offices of BISN, and former partners were appointed as managers in Madras.

In 1920, Binny hived off all its Indian interests to a new company, incorporated in India as Binny and Company (Madras) Limited. Binnys in London acted as agent for its Madras associate. At about the same time, the Buckingham and Carnatic Company Limited was incorporated in India to consolidate the two Madras mill companies.

In 1924 Binny and Company (Madras) Limited became Madras agents for the P & O Company, thus bringing closer the connection with Lord Inchcape. Binny and Company (Madras) Limited also formed an engineering department, dealing chiefly with ship repairs at first, but later extending to structural steel work and becoming a subsidiary company, Binny's Engineering Works (Private) Limited.

Binny and Company Limited joined the Inchcape Group in 1958. The company had offices successively in East India Avenue, Fenchurch Street, Throgmorton Avenue and Leadenhall Street.

Archival history

GB 0074 CLC/B/123-10 1903-1972 Collection 75 production units. Binny and Co Ltd , steamship agency, traders and mill operators
Binny and Co (Madras) Ltd , steamship agency, traders and engineers
Buckingham and Carnatic Co Ltd , textile mills

John Binny established himself in business in South India in 1799. In the early years banking was the mainstay of his business, but from the mid 19th century Binnys began to acquire steamship agencies and to diversify into trade in general commodities, particularly coffee. In the last quarter of the 19th century the company turned its attention to textiles, establishing the Buckingham Mill Company and the Carnatic Mill, both near Madras, in 1876 and 1881 respectively. A little later, they took over the managing agency of the Bangalore Woollen, Cotton and Silk Mill.

In 1906 the collapse of the banking house of Arbuthnot and Company in Madras caused a run on Binnys which forced it to wind up. Sir James Mackay, then managing director of British India Steam Navigation Company, and later first Earl of Inchcape, bought the old firm and formed a new public company, incorporated in London as Binny and Company Limited, which took over the agencies formerly held by Binnys. The new head office was in London, rather than Madras, located in the offices of BISN, and former partners were appointed as managers in Madras.

In 1920, Binny hived off all its Indian interests to a new company, incorporated in India as Binny and Company (Madras) Limited. Binnys in London acted as agent for its Madras associate. At about the same time, the Buckingham and Carnatic Company Limited was incorporated in India to consolidate the two Madras mill companies.

In 1924 Binny and Company (Madras) Limited became Madras agents for the P & O Company, thus bringing closer the connection with Lord Inchcape. Binny and Company (Madras) Limited also formed an engineering department, dealing chiefly with ship repairs at first, but later extending to structural steel work and becoming a subsidiary company, Binny's Engineering Works (Private) Limited.

Binny and Company Limited joined the Inchcape Group in 1958. The company had offices successively in East India Avenue, Fenchurch Street, Throgmorton Avenue and Leadenhall Street.

These archives were deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library in 1987-8 by Inchcape Plc. They were catalogued in 1988-9. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Records of Binny and Company Limited, steamship agency, traders, textile mill operators and engineers, including articles of association; annual reports; financial accounts; investment ledgers; correspondence; memoranda; papers regarding company history; and photographs of staff, offices and works.

Records arranged by MS number, assigned during cataloguing at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section.

Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

English

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

This collection is a sub-fond within the Inchcape Group fonds. See CLC/B/123 for a list of all the companies represented in this collection and a history of the Inchcape Group.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

January to May 2011. Ships Steamships People People by occupation Personnel Industrial personnel Manufacturers Textile manufacturers Silk manufacturers Documents Information sources Business records Transport engineering Marine engineering Shipbuilding Industry Manufacturing industry Textile industry Cotton textile industry Cotton weaving Vehicles Transport Wool industry Construction engineering Buckingham and Carnatic Co Ltd , textile mills Binny and Co (Madras) Ltd , , steamship agency , traders and engineers Binny and Co Ltd , steamship agency , traders and mill operators India South Asia

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

These archives were deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library in 1987-8 by Inchcape Plc. They were catalogued in 1988-9. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of Binny and Company Limited, steamship agency, traders, textile mill operators and engineers, including articles of association; annual reports; financial accounts; investment ledgers; correspondence; memoranda; papers regarding company history; and photographs of staff, offices and works.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Records arranged by MS number, assigned during cataloguing at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

This collection is a sub-fond within the Inchcape Group fonds. See CLC/B/123 for a list of all the companies represented in this collection and a history of the Inchcape Group.

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area