A NATIVE of Mauchline, born in 1855, Ex-Bailie Alexander began the business of life as an apprentice to the box-making trade, then the staple industry of the Ayrshire village. Migrating afterwards to Beith, he wrought for a time in the West of Scotland Chair-making Company's factory, but successively moved to Paisley, to Glasgow, and to Edinburgh, where he occupied the position of foreman in a chair factory for several years. At last he began chair-making on his own account in French Street, Bridgeton. His project was to compete with the cheap American chairs then flooding the market. Some idea of his success may be obtained from the fact that, with wonderful arrays of labour-saving machinery, the firm employs over 400 men, and every year consumes some 100,000 cubic feet of wood in its products. In 1894, finding expansion necessary, Mr. Alexander and his partner, Mr. Plant, purchased the dye work at Eastfield, Rutherglen, owned by Mr. Reid of Kilmardinny, and there the undertaking has since thriven and grown. More recently Mr. Alexander found time to take an interest in Municipal affairs, and became an active member of Glasgow Town Council, where, among other work, he held the responsible position of Convener of the Tramways Committee, Chairman of the Licensing Court, etc., etc. He is a Justice of the Peace for the County of Lanark and for the City of Glasgow.
Back to
Index of Glasgow Men (1909)