James Watt & Co. acquired the Cartsdyke Brewery from James Knox. By 1836 the partners were James Watt, senior, James Watt, junior, and Matthew Brown, but after Matthew's death in August of that year it was restructured, with the new partnership consisting of James Watt, senior, and William Watt.
The partnership was dissolved in November 1845, by which time the partners were William Watt and J.A. Gourlay. The "whole stock and moveable utensils belonging to the estate of James Watt & Co., late brewers and maltmen, Cartsdyke" were offered for auction in 1846.
The company was one of the many Scottish businesses that countermarked coins to provide a stable currency for paying its employees. Very few silver coins were issued between 1751 and 1816 as the price at which the Royal Mint could buy silver had been set in law below the prevailing bullion prices. As a consequence merchants would buy Spanish and French silver coinage and stamp them with a guaranteed exchange value, and which their employees could use to buy goods in local shops.
Location: Greenock
Active: 1805 - 1845
Status: Dissolved
The Cartsdyke Brewery was established by Alexander Knox and had been sold to James Watt & Co.by 1805. The brewery was offered for sale in 1832, when it was said that "the trade carried on by the Cartsdyke Brewery is well known, and has been long established, and for home sale and exportation the locality is peculiarly well adapted" . The brewery was advertised for sale again in 1837, when it was noted "that a capital pier has been erected in connection with the works, [affording] great facilities of communication by water carriage".
Brewing had ceased by 1845 and the premises were eventually acquired by James Maclean & Co, who established a sawmill. The site has since been cleared for future development.
Books and periodicals
Anon. Extensive sale of brewer's stock. moveable utensils, &c., at Cartsdyke, Greenock. Glasgow Herald, 23rd February, 1846
