Glen Mhor Invoice 22nd May 1895

 

Each document in the recently acquired collection are considered and assessed as I work through them, regardless of how plain they may seem. This banking receipt is perhaps the most modest and unassuming we've unearthed so far, but it provides insight into where Glen Mhor, or specifically, Mackinlay's & Birnie conducted their banking business. 

While it does not provide information about the reason for payment, these small details contribute to a greater overall understanding. The handwriting has been examined in layers to decipher...

'Three months after date pay to me or my order within the 6 ??? Bank Office here the sum of two hundred & seventeen pounds thirteen shillings and ten pence sterling for value received.

Messers Mackinlay's & Birnie

Glenmhor Distillery 

Muirtown

Inverness'

Across the receipt is the following comment:

'Accepted payable at the Bank of Scotland Inverness, Mackinlay's & Birnie'

The reverse of the Glen Mhor documents, No.17, shows the filing once again. A stamp below suggests that D. Petrie was likely at the Bank of Scotland. The payment appears to be to The Caledonian Banking Company, Limited, with Alex Comnessy as manager. 

The Caledonian Banking Company was well established in the 1890s, having started business in 1838. Its head office was located in Inverness High Street, as shown below in an image from British Listed Buildings:

According to an article in the Inverness Courier, the bank was popular among Highland individuals and businesses, including those in the whisky and grain industries. It faced financial difficulties in the 1880s and eventually merged with the Bank of Scotland in 1907.

It'll be of interest to see if any more banking receipts confirm consistent business with the Caledonian, or if the ownership change in 1907 prompted any discussion from the Glen Mhor ownership. However, it seems a likely conclusion that Glen Mhor, or Mackinlay & Birnie, conducted their banking business via this branch and brand, following many other distilling competitors.