The following article was published by Eddie McRorie on 11th May 2025 on the Johnstone History Facebook page and is reproduced here with his kind permission.

Death of the Oldest Manufacturer in Johnstone - 1879

On Thursday morning, Mr William Malloch died at the ripe age of 68 years at his residence, Mount Pleasant. He had been suffering from Paralysis Agitans (Parkinson’s disease) for some 5 years.

William was associated with the cotton spinning trade in Johnstone for at least half a century. His father also named William is shown to be in trade as a cotton spinner before him.
He was a partner of the firm of Messrs Brown, Malloch & Co., whose mills were the first built in Johnstone at the latter end of the last century, when only a few houses formed the nucleus of the now rapidly expanding burgh. The mill had been purchased from the partners Corse & Burns in 1782. Robert Corse of Greenlaw in Paisley was a wealthy merchant who, along with George Houstoun of Johnstone and others, established at Paisley and Glasgow the Paisley Union Bank.

It is singular to relate that this firm of Brown, Malloch & Co., which also owns the Elderslie Cotton Mill has survived all the cotton mills in Johnstone, no fewer than some 18 cotton mills at one time being in operation in the town. The last cotton factory disappeared when the Thorn Mill was burnt.

William Malloch was a gentleman of unbounded liberality, to the poor, but he studiously concealed his charity from the outside world. He was a highly esteemed member of the West U.P. Church, being one of its most liberal and honoured supporters, and he took a deep and constant interest in its welfare.

He was a Liberal in politics, but never identified himself with any public bodies.

His father William Malloch senior had a house and estate named Mount Pleasant erected, over the period (1783-1790),next to his mill as was fairly common among mill owners with his son William (c1810-1879) later taking up residence with his wife Margaret, daughters Margaret and Isabella and son William.

An interesting article appeared in a local newspaper in 1870 that mentions the orchard and flower bed-

GARDEN THEFT AND MALICIOUS MISCHIEF
David Bell, millworker; Matthew Fleming, labourer; and George White, millworker, all residing in Johnstone, were brought up at the Police Court on Monday morning, before Bailie Jaffray, charged with breaking into the garden of William Malloch Esq. of Mount Pleasant on Sabbath day, and with stealing about three stones of apples, besides considerably damaging and destroying a large quantity of flowers.
The police apprehended the whole of the offenders on Sabbath night, and recovered a large quantity of the stolen fruit in a plantation at Haig Mill. They all pled guilty, and were fined 7s 6d each, or five days imprisonment.

This map shows the layout of the estate in 1860

Brown and Malloch - Old Mill