🥃 The Lost Distillery of Septimus Parsonage
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
Some names just can’t be ignored.
Although the topics for my weekly emails are usually decided a month or two in advance, this week’s subject went by the wayside after stumbling upon this piece of ephemera.
Put simply, I defy anyone to look the other way when coming across a name as fabulous as that of Septimus Parsonage. But who was he?
Throughout the 1880s and early 1890s, Septimus ran a very successful wine and spirit merchants based in London and Liverpool and was, in fact, the London agent for Bandon Distillery (Cork, Ireland)
as well as the sole agent in England and Wales for a number of reputable wine producers.
In fact, his business was so successful that in August 1895, he opened a third branch, this time in Dublin.
The following year, in November 1896, Septimus joined forces with one of the wine producers he was already acting as an agent for – James Violett, Bird & Co – and a Scotch whisky merchant, based in Dundee – James Isles & Co – to form a new limited company.
Septimus Parsonage & Co Ltd was formed with a capital of £220,000 (about £25½ million today) not only to acquire those wine and spirits businesses already mentioned but also a number of other valuable properties, including those in Dundee’s Commercial Street and the bonded warehouses in Seagate belonging to James Isles & Co.
James Isles himself was to continue as managing director of the new firm in Scotland.
The new company had already acquired the land belonging to the Sunnyside Bleaching Works, just north of Montrose, and plans were afoot to build a brand spanking new distillery there: Highland Esk.
The prospectus stated that contracts for the construction of the distillery (designed by the famous architect Charles Doig) and its equipment were already in place and the distillery itself would be completed by 1st July 1897.
Except it wasn’t.
Now, has there ever been a distillery built within the predicted time frame? Answers on a postcard...
Anyway, issues regarding the transfer of the title deeds, followed by an engineers’ strike, caused long delays with the result that the distillery didn’t open until November 1898.
That’s just a month or so before Pattisons Ltd stopped payment and sent the entire industry spiralling. So, really, not the best time at all to be opening a distillery.
Despite major concerns in the trade regarding overproduction and a downturn in the demand for Scotch whisky (at least) domestically, the directors of Septimus Parsonage were still incredibly optimistic that their new distillery would succeed.
But the cost of construction had reached £30,000 – the equivalent of nearly £3½ million today – which was far in excess of original estimates and now money was required urgently to purchase barley, yeast etc so that distilling could actually continue.
And so, with approximately £42,000 (£4.7 million today) of the share capital yet to be issued, the directors took the decision to raise more capital by making these shares available.
Unfortunately, the directors had been too optimistic because by August 1899, it was announced that the firm of Septimus Parsonage & Co Ltd was to be wound up and reconstructed - put simply, it had run out of money.
Although the firm was reconstructed (hence the dates of 1899 / 1900 on the above share certificate), production at Highland Esk distillery ceased:
By 1901, the waters had become too choppy for Septimus Parsonage & Co Ltd to navigate and the firm was wound up once again. Highland Esk Distillery was subsequently put up for sale.
After that, the distillery operated not only under a series of different owners but also under several different names. Right up until the mid-1980s, when – as Glenesk Distillery – it was mothballed.
But the story of Highland Esk doesn’t end there. If you’re curious as to how it unfolds – think closures and revivals blended with a few unexpected twists and turns towards Leith – you might like to consider upgrading to receive tomorrow’s follow-up email.
Slà inte!
Justine