G is for Gloag
& Co.
It is generally accepted that Walworth is where the manufacture of cigarettes in theUK first began.
A Scotsman called Robert Peacock Gloag, in his post as a paymaster general in
the Crimean War, saw how popular the smoking of roll-ups was among soldiers of
all nations. On his return in 1856, and with a large quantity of mild Turkish
leaf tobacco, he set up his ‘factory’ in a garden shed at No.12 Boyson Road .
It is generally accepted that Walworth is where the manufacture of cigarettes in the
Very soon after
cigarettes were invented the smoke filled room became popular. It was the
perfect place to hear loud music especially when accompanied by dim lights.
After acquiring a few more properties in the same street, Gloag converted them
into more workshops to produce his ‘Sweet Threes’ brand. Soon, he had a
workforce of a hundred local girls who could each turn out four cigarettes a
minute. Despite the anti-smoking lobby’s claim that tobacco was nothing more
than “fashionable poison,” the mass production of cigarettes was well and truly
on its way.
The location of Gloag's cigarette factory in Boyson Road
Female workers at a cigarette factory
very useful information for future research project. Any further details about his life available?
ReplyDeleteAdrian