Trying to find where great-aunt might have worked - Glasgow area

[PandoraM]

Hi

I've recently started looking into my family history and have just found this site, so this is my very first post.

My great-aunt who died in Govan (I believe at the old Southern General Hospital) in 1958 had her occupation listed as 'seed packer' on her death certificate.  Does anyone know where she might have worked?  I'm assuming that it is in or near to Govan as that is where she lived.

Thanks in advance.

Pandora M

[greenrig]

In 1958 most need for seeds etc. would be met from the local nurseries, farms, and ironmonger shops.  Perhaps she worked for one of these.
However, a "Seed Packer" does sound like a factory job.   Bird Seed maybe.....
https://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/archive/85315120?mode=transcription
 

[josey]

Welcome to rootschat, you'll fond lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here!

Maybe have a look at this 6 inch to the mile map [dated ca 1915]
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=55.85865&lon=-4.31890&layers=6&b=1
and this 25 inch to the mile
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=55.86356&lon=-4.32615&layers=168&b=1
find your great aunt's address & look around for likely factories. How old was she when she died so when would she have been working?

[Lodger]

My guess would be that your aunt worked at Shieldhall in one of the many SCWS (Scottish Co-Operative Wholesale Society) factories. They made everything from furniture to foodstuffs, so having a department dedicated to the packaging of seeds would have been plausible.

[RJ_Paton]

  Does anyone know where she might have worked?  I'm assuming that it is in or near to Govan as that is where she lived.

You may need to widen your search - Travel from Govan to the City Centre by Subway or bus/tram was easy and there were plenty of ferries across the river to the Partick side.

As pointed out by Lodger one possible is the Co-op (SCWS) but looking at the directories there are numerous seed merchants and suppliers in the St Enoch and Hope Street areas of the City Centre and a couple over in Partick.

[PandoraM]

Thanks for all the very helpful replies.  They've certainly given me food for thought.

The SCWS factory at Shieldhall is a possibility, as that would have been very close to where my great-aunt lived in Copland Road, although she could quite easily have travelled somewhere else.

She was 59 when she died and from what I've seen on her death certificate, it was a quick illness that caused it, so I'm assuming that she was still working until shortly before she died.

[sancti]

John McAslan established the business in 1717  in Glasgow, Scotland. He was succeeded by Robert Austin and Alexander McAslan , the son of John, who traded as Austin & McAslan . They were the proprietors of the Little Govan Nursery, Glasgow. The firm remained in the hands of their descendants until 1860  when James Hunter acquired the business. He was succeeded by his son Alexander N Hunter. In 1923  the business had offices and a warehouse located at 89 Mitchell Street, Glasgow, with nurseries at Cathcart, Glasgow, covering about 50 acres and seed stores at Wallace Street, Glasgow. The firm employed over 100 staff. It was subsequently incorporated as a limited liability company, as Austin & McAslan Ltd . In 1957  the firm's head office was located at 106 Salkeld Street, but the business transferred to Edinburgh, Scotland, in the 1960s  . It is unclear as to when the company ceased trading.

https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/0b9c3aea-713d-3422-ad48-187c0b3b0f8f

[oldfashionedgirl]

Have you looked for her in the recently released 1921 census as it states the person's employer.

It may be a long shot as she would have been aged 22/3 but she may heave worked for the same company all her life.

Also I think the 1939 register has an employment column.

Definitely worth a try as you will get some information though perhaps not her employer at her time of death.

Good luck