THOMAS DUNLOP (b. 1831) (Position 20 on the Genealogy Report)

Thomas and his two sisters, Margaret and Hannah, were orphans by 1841 when Thomas, the eldest of the three, was ten years of age.  It is not known how the children survived, only that in 1851, at the age of twenty, Thomas commenced business on his own account as a provision merchant.

According to G. Rankin Taylor, author of Thomas Dunlop and Sons, Shipowners, 1851 - 1951, Thomas's first business venture was as a provision merchant at 231 Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow; but that is not quite accurate.  A search of the Glasgow Post Office Dierctories reveals that he was not at 231 Cowcaddens Road until 1855.  The first entry found for Thomas was in 1853, when he was a provision merchant at 169 Cowcaddens Road.  His home address then was close by at 96 Campbridge Street.  In 1855 when, according to the Post Office Directories, he was first in business at 231 Cowcaddens Road, he was living, again nearby, at 20 Buccleuch Street.  20 Buccleugh Street was probably a tenement building, at any rate, the Dunlop family shared the address with several other families. The businesses in Cowcaddens Road seem to have done well, for by 1857 he was trading as a grain merchant from Madeira Court, 257 Argyle Street.  His home address, not then nearly so close to his business, was still 20 Buccleuch Street.  By 1863 Thomas was trading as a grain and flour merchant, had moved to new premises at 249 Argyle Street, and he and his family were the sole occupants of a house at 2 Great Kelvin Terrace, Bank Street, Hillhead.  In 1868, although still living at 2 Great Kelvin Terrace, Thomas's business address had become 5 Corn Exchange Buildings, which seems to suggest that he was firmly established as a grain and flour merchant.

(The house flag of Thomas Dunlop & Sons)

It was also in 1868 that Thomas ventured into shipping.  He did so in partnership with his friend John Neil, a biscuit manufacturer in Glasgow.  The two men travelled to London together in order to purchase the three masted barque Wye (44529) from John N. Adamson of London.  Both friends had half shares in the vessel, and the purchase was completed at 11 a.m. on 26 November 1868 with a Bill of Sale dated 19 November.  It is not known where the Wye actually was at that moment, but on 27 November 1868 she was transferred from the London registers to the Glasgow registers, and Thomas became her manager.  The Wye had been built by Blumer of Sunderland in March 1863, was of 348 net registered tons, wooden, with a square stern, one deck, was 118 feet long, 27 feet broad and 17 feet deep.  She had been built for, and was originally owned by Robert Heydon Gayner, of Sunderland.  The two partners paid £2800 for her.  Thomas was pleased with the purchase, and wrote to his brother-in-law, Captain William Jack: 'The Wye is a nice little barque.  She requires no ballast to shift and carries 550 tons dead weight.  She sails fast in light winds and I think will do well for us'.  In fact, the partners initially lost money on the Wye.  Nonetheless, they gained valuable experience and, when she was sold in 1872, they already had another two barques in their fleet with more vessels soon to be purchased, and Thomas was firmly established as a shipowner and manager. Thomas, however, had not neglected his grain and flour business, and in September 1872 he joined the Incorporation of Bakers of Glasgow at the 'Far Hand', which was roughly equivalent, it is thought, to being an associate member of a trade association today.  No doubt much of Thomas's business was derived from the bakers of Glasgow and it was in his business interests to be a member of their society, but he could not have foreseen that he was establishing a long-running family tradition: no less than sixteen, and probably at least another three or four of Thomas's descendants (including sons-in-law) have been, or are presently, members of the Incoporation of Bakers, with five of them serving as Deacons.  Today it is entirely a charitable organisation, and for the most part looks after the widows of deceased members.  (My thanks to Robbie Dunlop for this information.)

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