William Murray & Co. Ltd Oval Black Backed Steel

William Murray & Co. Ltd black backed steel tray dating from the 1900s. William Murray was a brewer and farmer who founded his business at Ednam, near Kelso in 1880. His brewery was destroyed by fire in 1886 forcing him to establish the Craigmillar Brewery in Duddingston, Edinburgh. The Company was registered as William Murray & Co. Ltd in 1897. The firm grew steadily and in 1922 it took over the North British Brewery of John Somerville & Co. Ltd in Duddingston, Edinburgh. The North British Brewery was close to the Craigmillar Brewery and it continued to operate as William Murray's No 2 brewery. The two breweries collectively became known as the Craigmillar Breweries which was reflected in some of the Company's advertising. In 1926 Murray's acquired John & George Brown's Macduff Brewery, with 8 public houses, in East Wemyss, in 1943 it purchased William Halley Brown's Craigie Brewery in Dundee, and in 1946 it bought John Wallace & Co., which was a whisky blender and wine and spirit merchant in Aberdeen. Brewing ceased at the Craigmillar Brewery in 1950 but the No 2 North British Brewery continued to operate. William Murray & Co. Ltd was acquired by Northern Breweries Ltd of Great Britain Ltd in 1960, later named United Breweries Ltd, which merged with Charrington & Co. Ltd through a holding Company, Charrington United Breweries Ltd, in 1962. The Company continued production until May 1962 when it transferred all its brewing to the Heriot Brewery of Aitchison Jeffrey Ltd. Brewing ceased at the North British Brewery in 1963 but bottling and malting continued until 1964. This truly stunning tray has a manufacturer's mark which states - W.& A.K.Johnston Ltd, Edinburgh, Glasgow & London.