Thomas Campbell McKean
Although Thomas Campbell McKean's family were from Gatehouse (his grandfather, Alexander, built the Ship Inn) Thomas was born in Manchester, where he worked for a while as a clerk to a wool merchant. He moved to Gatehouse in the 1860s, and bought the Gatehouse Brewery from David Hunter in 1869 for £2,000.
However, Thomas got into a bit of bother with the Kirk Session (he fathered a child out of wedlock with a Margaret Dalziell) and he decided to sell the brewery. It was bought by wealthy local land-owner Horatio Granville Murray-Stewart in 1874 for £2,200 and then tenanted by Horatio's butler, William Tomlinson, and Thomas Tomlinson, whose is presumed to be a relative.
Thomas Campbell McKean then emigrated to the United States, while Margaret Dalziell went to New Zealand to join her brother.
Location: Gatehouse of Fleet
Active: 1869 - 1874
Status: Closed
Breweries and other buildings
The Gatehouse Brewery was completed in 1771, and was described as "a large 3-storey brick and rubble building on an L-plan, with a 2-storey dwelling-house at one end". The buildings survive and are now used for a mix of residential and commercial purposes.
Objects
We do not currently hold any images of items related to Thomas Campbell McKean, and would welcome any information or images related to his business.
Other Sources of information
Web resources
Gatehouse folk - then and now. Last accessed 17th January 2016.
Books and periodicals
Donnachie, I. Industrial archaeology of Galloway (South-west Scotland, including Wigtown, Kirkcudbright and adjoining parts of Dumfries). Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1971.
Hume, J. R. The industrial archaeology of Scotland, 1: The Lowlands and Borders. London: B. T. Batsford, 1976.
