Business records, 1869-1892, of Walter Duncan, tea merchant in India, with his school copybook, 1846, printed sermon, 1900, from his funeral oration, with typescript and manuscript notes concerning his life.
Scope and Contents
Walter Duncan (1834 – 1900) began his career in the office of a Glasgow firm of merchants, Messrs. Playfair, Bryce and Co., possibly in 1855 or early 1856. After a short spell in Demerara working for Playfair, Allan and Co., a merchant company run by Patrick Playfair but not connected in a business way with Playfair, Bryce and Co., he returned to Glasgow in 1858. At this point Patrick Playfair offered him a prospective partnership to establish a business in Kolkata, India, under the name Playfair, Duncan and Co.. In 1875 the firm became Duncan Brothers and Co. and Duncan Brothers and Co., a private limited company, in 1924. In 1948 it was converted into a public company. The partnership of Walter Duncan and Co., of Glasgow and London, was formed in 1875, linked up with C.A. Goodricke and Co. in 1948 and became a public company, Walter Duncan and Goodricke, Ltd. in 1951.
The fonds consist of six private wet copy letter books, 1864 – 1892, of Walter Duncan, tea merchant in Glasgow and Kolkata, with his school copybook, 1846, a printed sermon, 1900, for his funeral, manuscript and typescript notes, c. 1950s, compiled by his grandson Walter Duncan and his great-great grandson James Wolffe QC, concerning the history of Duncan’s tea, and related correspondence, 1957 – 1959.
Dates
- Creation: 1846-1900.
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Extent
0.00 Linear metres
Language of Materials
English
Other Finding Aids
An inventory is available
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Presented, 201118 March 2011
Appraisal
Duplicates have been weeded and returned to donor.
Bibliography
Subject
- Duncan Brothers and Co Ltd, Kolkata (Organization)
- Walter Duncan and Goodricke Ltd, London (Organization)
- Duncan, Walter, Tea merchant, Kolkata, 1834 - 1900: former owner (Former owner, Person)
Genre / Form
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
- Author
- National Library of Scotland
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Prepared Using Local Descriptive Rules
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700
manuscripts@nls.uk