Founded by a former Confederate Army veteran, Murray’s Tobacco Factory is a landmark building that represented a major chapter in the industrial history of Belfast.
In 1901 Scotch-Irish American entrepreneur Robert Wallace Murray opened his factory specialising in the manufacture of pipe tobacco and snuff on the site of a former spinning mill at the junction of Linfield Road and Sandy Row.
The distinctive building, which features four towers, still has two mosaic friezes visible. One reads MURRAY SONS & CO LTD while the other displays the original name of the factory, WHITEHALL TOBACCO WORKS.
Murray’s prospered and by 1921 it shared a sizeable part of the lucrative market in manufacturing tobacco, cigarettes and snuff. Its most famous product, Erinmore (one of the oldest brands of pipe tobacco in the world) is still in production today.
In 1953 the firm was bought by Carreras, who later became Rothmans International and continued to produce goods until the factory closed its doors for the final time in 2005.
Robert Wallace Murray
Born in Jerusalem, Virginia, in 1836, Robert Murray fought as a Major in the American Civil War. Following the war he moved first to Warrington in England then Belfast, the home of his first wife, Marion. After Marion died, Murray moved from Belfast to a large country house on the Bryansford Road near Newcastle, County Down.
In addition to his career in industry, Murray became a Justice of the Peace in Antrim, was Honorary Secretary of the Royal Victoria Hospital, a Director of the Belfast Ropeworks Co. Ltd. and was a member of the Belfast Harbour Board.
He was also a great philanthropist, bequeathing large sums to Forster Green Consumptive Hospital, the Belfast Society for Providing Nurses for the Sick Poor, and Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. He died on Christmas Eve in 1904 aged 68.
Is foirgneamh suntasach é Monarcha Thobac Uí Murray, a bhunaigh iarshaighdiúir de chuid Arm na Cónaidhme, a léirígh mórchaibidil i stair thionsclaíoch Bhéal Feirste.
Sa bhliain 1901, d’oscail an fiontraí Albanach-Éireann Mheiriceá, Robert Wallace Murray, a mhonarcha a rinne speisialtóireacht i ndéantúsaíocht an tobac do phíopaí agus snaoise ar shuíomh iar-mhuileann sníomhacháin ag an acomhal Bhóthar Linfield agus Rae na Gainmhe.
Tá ceithre thúr ar an fhoirgneamh shuaithinseach, agus tá dhá fhríos mhósáice go fóill le feiceáil air. Ar cheann amháin acu tá MURRAY SONS & CO LTD scríofa, agus tá bunainm na monarcha ar an cheann eile, WHITEHALL TOBACCO WORKS.
D’éirigh go maith leis an mhonarcha agus fán bhliain 1921, bhí sciar measartha mór acu i margadh brabúsach an tobac, na dtoitíní agus na snaoise. Tá an táirge is cáiliúla a rinneadh ann, Erinmore (ceann de na brandaí tobac píopa is sine ar domhan) go fóill á tháirgeadh sa lá atá inniu ann.
Cheannaigh Carreras an gnóthas sa bhliain 1953, Rothmans International a bhí orthu ina dhiaidh sin, agus lean siad orthu de bheith ag déanamh earraí go dtí gur druideadh doirse na monarcha den uair dheireanach in 2005.
Robert Wallace Murray
Rugadh Robert Murray in Iarúsailéim, Virginia, in 1836, agus throid sé mar Mhaor sa Chogadh Cathartha i Meiriceá. I ndiaidh an chogaidh, bhog sé go Warrington i Sasana agus ansin go Béal Feirste, baile dúchais a chéad mhná, Marion. I ndiaidh do Marion bás a fháil, bhog Murray ó Bhéal Feirste go teach mór faoin tuath ar Bhóthar Áth Bhriain in aice leis an Chaisleán Nua, Contae an Dúin.
Chomh maith lena ghairm in earnáil na tionsclaíochta, bhí Murray ina Ghiúistís Síochána in Aontroim, ina Rúnaí Oinigh in Otharlann Ríoga Victoria, ina Stiúrthóir ar Oibreacha Téide Bhéal Feirste, agus ina bhall de Bhord Chuan Bhéal Feirste.
Ba dhaonchara mór é fosta, a d’fhág suimeanna móra ag Forster Green Consumptive Hospital, an Belfast Society for Providing Nurses for the Sick Poor, agus Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. Fuair sé bás ar Oíche Nollag 1904, agus é 68 d’aois.