The following article was published by Eddie McRorie on 13th June 2025 on the Johnstone History Facebook page and is reproduced here with his kind permission.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE NEAR JOHNSTONE
£50,000 DAMAGE
May 1879

Last night, at about half-past six o’clock, a disastrous fire broke out at the extensive spinning factory of Messrs Storer & Sons at Thorn, near Johnstone. The factory, which is situated by the roadside, occupied approximately four acres of ground. It consisted of two large mills, each five storeys high with attics, along with intermediate buildings and adjoining premises. These housed around 34,000 spindles, in addition to other machinery, and employed between three and four hundred workers.

The fire was first observed in the west mill. Fanned by a strong westerly wind, it spread rapidly, and within half an hour nearly the entire premises were engulfed in flames. The Paisley and Johnstone fire brigades arrived as quickly as possible, but by the time they reached the scene, any hope of saving the main buildings had vanished.

Within about an hour, the entire factory—except for several detached buildings—had been gutted. Many of the side and gable walls had collapsed. The cause of the fire remains unknown. The damage is estimated at upwards of £50,000, though it is believed to be nearly covered by insurance. The firm had been very busy at the time of the incident.