Details

Name

Moore, Taggart & Co

Brief Biography

1868 - 2007, British / Scottish

Occupation

drapery warehouse, warehousemen, department store, uniform manufacturer

Description

Moore, Taggart & Co. was a general drapers and outfits established by William Moore and Henry R Taggart that opened on 26 September 1868 in the newly refurbished Tontine Buildings, Trongate, Glasgow. Both partners and their wives were from Ireland originally. The firm advertised regularly in the Glasgow Herald from just before its opening and was listed in the Post Office Directory for Glasgow from 1869. The 1871 Census records that they employed 80 people, expanding to employing 100 men and 200 women by 1881. In 1878 the business expanded into 14 Trongate, which adjoined Tontine Buildings. In 1905 the company underwent a large expansion taking over neighbouring 34-54 Trongate as well as 2-18 Albion Street, with 18 Albion Street housing their military and railway clothing contractors. Their main warehouse at Tontine House was gutted by fire on 4 September 1911. However, the business survived and continued trading there for two more decades. In late 1929 or early 1930 the department store closed, leaving only the smaller company operating from 18 Albion Street, which specialised in manufacturing military and railway clothing, overalls and heavy drapery for public institutions. Business continued for several decades with the company becoming limited in 1942. Moore, Taggart & Co. Ltd. appears to have become dormant in 1977, but was not officially dissolved until 16 March 2007.