Welcome to the History
Channel. We have extensive pages showing the history of
Healthcare, Shipbuilding, Education, Singer's Sewing
Machine Factory, Housing and the Clydebank
Blitz.
To view some fantastic
Scottish history captured on film from the BBC click here
: BBC History (Broadband
Only)
Why
Clydebank?
So, why did
the
World Market Leader in Sewing Machines come to of all
places, Clydebank?
Well, in 1867 they decided that UK demand was high enough
to justify opening a small plant there. Glasgow was
initially chosen as the region was famous for iron making
industries, and had plenty of cheap labour.
The General Manager of the US Singer Sewing Machine Co. at
the time was Scots born George Mckenzie, who obtained a
lease for land near to Queen Street station. Machinery was
shipped over from the US, and a small number of workers
started in October 1867. By the end of that year 30 sewing
machines were being produced every week.
Many parts of the sewing machines were imported from the
US, in a semi-finished state. As demand grew the US
production plants could not keep up, so the company decided
that the UK operation must be expanded. A new factory was
built near to Bridgeton Cross, which was completed in 1873.
Demand continued to grow, and by 1881 Singer employed over
2,000 people in Scotland alone.
Finding a new home
Still demand grew faster than machines could be produced,
so it was decided that a brand new huge factory had to be
built on a totally new site, where everything required to
build a Singer Sewing Machine could be carried out in one
place. So, the Singer Sewing Machine Co. purchased 46 acres
of what was then just farmland at Kilbowie, ideally placed
for transportation with railways north and south, and the
main Glasgow Road only yards away.
The ceremonial cutting of the first turf was performed by
George McKenzie (soon to become President of the Company)
in 1882.
The new factory
Two main buildings were constructed initially, 800ft long,
50ft wide and three storeys high. These were connected
together by three wings, with a huge 200ft high clock built
above the central wing. Two and a half miles of railway
line were laid into the site, connecting the various
departments (foundry, boiler shop, storage and shipping to
name but a few) to the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh
line (what we now call the "Singer" line).
The factory was designed to be fire proof, with sprinklers
installed practically everywhere. It was considered that
the contractor at the time Robert McAlpine & Co. had
built one of the most modern and extensive factories in
Europe.
As the buildings were completed, workers were moved from
the old sites to the new one at Kilbowie. The factory was
completed in the summer of 1885 by which time around 5,000
workers were employed there.
The US management were so pleased with the performance of
the Clydebank factory that they setup the Singer
Manufacturing Company Ltd. This was founded in 1905, and
was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Singer Company.
Supply and demand
Demand continued to exceed the production capacity of the
worlds largest factory - Singer's Clydebank, so each
building was expanded upwards to six storeys high. To help
with the expansion the railway line north of the factory
was moved about 200 yards further north, and a new station
constructed (what we now call Singer station).
The Clydebank factory produced an incredible 36 million
sewing machines from its' opening in 1884 until 1943.
Singer was the world brand leader, and sold more machines
than all of their competitors combined. This virtual
monopoly meant that the factory was producing as much as
could be sold, and contributed greatly to the growing
wealth and stature of Clydebank.