Business

Andrew Lumgair appears to have farmed Monkswellton with his father. He may also have owned some fishing boats at Auchiemichi and later at Arbroath. His son John Lumgair (born 1701) started up a cottage industry, supplying locally grown flax to spinners and weavers, and buying coarse linen and sailcloth they produced, for subsequent resale, initially locally. His son John Lumgair (born 1749) took over and expanded his father’s linen and sailcloth merchandising business and the cottage-industry which supplied it. Mostly he dealt in canvas, tarpaulin and sacking. He bought a ‘tenement’ on High Street, Arbroath where he build a house, offices, warehouse and stabling, and his business extended to Aberdeen and Dundee. His son David Lumgair (1775-1860) inherited the business and installed machinery in his Arbroath factory, selling Monkswellton to pay for the changeover. He opened an export agency in Leith and another in Liverpool. His eldest son John Lumgair (by David’s first marriage) and another son Robert (by his second marriage) took control of the business on David’s retirement, along with a nephew Archibald Crawford.

Disruption in Arbroath

David Lumgair was a Bailie of Arbroath. Until 1843 he was an Elder of Arbroath Parish Church. Following the Auchterader case in the Court of Session in 1838, he had attached himself to the evangelical or "non intrusion" party in the Church of Scotland; and was one of the signatories of the Arbroath Address to the Strathbogie Presbytery dated 11th June, 1841. He was a member of the Convocation which began the raising of a "Sustentation Fund" to pay the cost of providing new places of worship and to pay the stipends of dissenting Ministers, should the disagreement lead to an actual break. This Convocation met in 1841 and 1842. In 1843 the threatened Disruption became a reality, and the Minister of Arbroath with his Elders (including David Lumgair), and most of the congregation, walked out and formed the Arbroath Free Church; the actual "place of meeting" being largely paid for by David Lumgair. On his tombstone is the crest A Falcon preying on a small bird, with propers, with for Motto, “Vive ut Vivas”.

The Confederate States

John Lumgair (1806 -1890) was largely responsible for installing power looms into the weaving shed and for concentrating on the manufacture and selling of sailcloth. When his father retired in 1855 he took control of the business, in partnership with his half-brother Robert Lumgair and his cousin Archibald Crawford (who took over the selling side of the business). At that time the firm was exceedingly prosperous. But when the Civil War broke out in America five years later, John Lumgair and his partners made a bad error of judgement. They stepped up production and concentrated on exports to the Confederate States - despite the advice of their Liverpool Agent, Sir James Smith, who handled the shipping side of the business to the Americas. Then the Federal States came out on top, some £30,000 was owed to the firm by the Confederate Government, and none of it was ever paid. The firm still carried on, and even recovered some of its losses, but when Robert Lumgair died in 1884 (Archibald Crawford had died the year before) John Lumgair wound up the business (he was already 71 years of age) and retired. He died on 13th October, 1890.

The Provost

John Lumgair was a Bailie of Arbroath and was for nine years Provost of the Royal Burgh (1855 - 1858; 1861 - 1867). He was an Elder of the Parish Church, and, after 1843, of the Free Church. He laid the foundation stone of the building which his father built and paid for as the Free Kirk of Arbroath: that was in 1846. He was a keen Freemason; Right Worshipful Master of the Lodge of Arbroath and also held high Provincial rank - Provincial Grand Master. He married but had no issue.