Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1883-1978 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
59 production units.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The firm was incorporated in Calcutta in 1949, formed by the merger of the partnerships Macneill and Company and Barry and Company.
MACNEILL AND COMPANY: established in Calcutta in 1872 by Duncan Macneill and John MacKinnon, nephews of William MacKinnon (for details of the shipping, trading and agency firms established by MacKinnon, see the Inchcape Group introductory note at CLC/B/123), the firm operated as an agency house for shipping, coal, tea and jute companies. Among the most important businesses represented were Rivers Steam Navigation Company Limited (see CLC/B/123-47), Equitable Coal Company Limited, Kalline Tea Company (see CLC/B/123-36) and Ganges Manufacturing Company Limited. An associated partnership, Duncan Macneill and Company (see CLC/B/123-23), was established in the 1870s to manage the London end of affairs.
BARRY AND COMPANY: this firm was also based in Calcutta and had been set up in the 1860s by Dr J B Barry, a tea garden doctor (or horticulturist) from Assam. Its managerial and agency interests were broadly complementary to those of Macneill and Company: jute and tea. Barry's son established a London office at this time, J B Barry and Son, to handle the firm's tea exports.
In 1915 Lord Inchcape, as commercial successor to Sir William MacKinnon (for bibliographical details of both men see the Inchcape Group introductory note at CLC/B/123), took over the Macneill and Barry partnerships in England and India. During the 1920s and 1930s, there was considerable expansion of business into commerce and industry.
Two years after incorporation in 1949 as Macneill and Barry Limited, the company acquired a minority interest in Kilburn and Company, a trading and agency house which acted, inter alia, for a further tea company, the Assam Company (see CLC/B/123-05), and for India General Steam Navigation Company Limited.
Following the partition of India, it became necessary to establish wholly-owned subsidiaries to manage Pakistani affairs locally. Thereafter, the management of the tea companies and of the 'Joint Steamer Companies' (Rivers Steam Navigation Company and India General Steam Navigation Company had operated jointly since 1889) was in the hands of Macneill and Barry (Pakistan) Limited and Kilburn and Company (Pakistan) Limited. Remaining equity in the parent company, Kilburn and Company, was bought out by Macneill and Barry Limited in 1956, thereafter the two subsidiaries merged to form Macneill and Kilburn Limited.
Macneill and Barry Limited was brought into the Inchcape Group in 1960. In 1975 it merged with the Calcutta agency house Williamson Magor Limited to form Macneill and Magor Limited.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0074 CLC/B/123-42 1883-1978 Collection 59 production units. Macneill and Barry Ltd , general merchants and agents of Calcutta, India
The firm was incorporated in Calcutta in 1949, formed by the merger of the partnerships Macneill and Company and Barry and Company.
MACNEILL AND COMPANY: established in Calcutta in 1872 by Duncan Macneill and John MacKinnon, nephews of William MacKinnon (for details of the shipping, trading and agency firms established by MacKinnon, see the Inchcape Group introductory note at CLC/B/123), the firm operated as an agency house for shipping, coal, tea and jute companies. Among the most important businesses represented were Rivers Steam Navigation Company Limited (see CLC/B/123-47), Equitable Coal Company Limited, Kalline Tea Company (see CLC/B/123-36) and Ganges Manufacturing Company Limited. An associated partnership, Duncan Macneill and Company (see CLC/B/123-23), was established in the 1870s to manage the London end of affairs.
BARRY AND COMPANY: this firm was also based in Calcutta and had been set up in the 1860s by Dr J B Barry, a tea garden doctor (or horticulturist) from Assam. Its managerial and agency interests were broadly complementary to those of Macneill and Company: jute and tea. Barry's son established a London office at this time, J B Barry and Son, to handle the firm's tea exports.
In 1915 Lord Inchcape, as commercial successor to Sir William MacKinnon (for bibliographical details of both men see the Inchcape Group introductory note at CLC/B/123), took over the Macneill and Barry partnerships in England and India. During the 1920s and 1930s, there was considerable expansion of business into commerce and industry.
Two years after incorporation in 1949 as Macneill and Barry Limited, the company acquired a minority interest in Kilburn and Company, a trading and agency house which acted, inter alia, for a further tea company, the Assam Company (see CLC/B/123-05), and for India General Steam Navigation Company Limited.
Following the partition of India, it became necessary to establish wholly-owned subsidiaries to manage Pakistani affairs locally. Thereafter, the management of the tea companies and of the 'Joint Steamer Companies' (Rivers Steam Navigation Company and India General Steam Navigation Company had operated jointly since 1889) was in the hands of Macneill and Barry (Pakistan) Limited and Kilburn and Company (Pakistan) Limited. Remaining equity in the parent company, Kilburn and Company, was bought out by Macneill and Barry Limited in 1956, thereafter the two subsidiaries merged to form Macneill and Kilburn Limited.
Macneill and Barry Limited was brought into the Inchcape Group in 1960. In 1975 it merged with the Calcutta agency house Williamson Magor Limited to form Macneill and Magor Limited.
The archives of Macneill and Barry Limited were deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library in 1987-88 by the Inchcape Group Plc, together with those of other companies in the group. They were catalogued in 1988-9. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.
Records of Macneill and Barry Limited, general merchants and agents of Calcutta, India, comprising: records of Macneill and Company, 1908-67 (Ms 27851-63); Barry and Company, 1883-1944 (Ms 27864-73); Macneill and Barry Limited, 1905-78 (Ms 27874-86); Kilburn and Company Limited, 1942-65 (Ms 27887-91); Kilburn Properties Limited, 1960-5 (Ms 27892); Kilburn and Company (Pakistan) Limited, 1964 (Ms 27893); and Macneill and Kilburn Limited, 1963-4 (Ms 27894). The records include articles of association, deeds, annual reports, financial accounts, reports on business operations, plans, and photographs.
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. Business records Transport Maritime transport Shipping Trade (practice) Tea trade Food trade Agents Agricultural land Plantations Extractive industry People People by occupation Personnel Mercantile personnel Merchants Industry Coal industry Information sources Documents Plantation records Shipping agents Commercial agents Business people Water transport Jute industry Manufacturing industry Macneill and Barry Ltd , general merchants and agents of Calcutta , India London England UK Western Europe Europe Calcutta West Bengal India South Asia
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The archives of Macneill and Barry Limited were deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library in 1987-88 by the Inchcape Group Plc, together with those of other companies in the group. 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 Macneill and Barry Limited, general merchants and agents of Calcutta, India, comprising: records of Macneill and Company, 1908-67 (Ms 27851-63); Barry and Company, 1883-1944 (Ms 27864-73); Macneill and Barry Limited, 1905-78 (Ms 27874-86); Kilburn and Company Limited, 1942-65 (Ms 27887-91); Kilburn Properties Limited, 1960-5 (Ms 27892); Kilburn and Company (Pakistan) Limited, 1964 (Ms 27893); and Macneill and Kilburn Limited, 1963-4 (Ms 27894). The records include articles of association, deeds, annual reports, financial accounts, reports on business operations, plans, and photographs.
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
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
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