The Beginning

HENDERSON THE JEWELLER was first established in 1886 in Coatbridge by Matthew McLaren Henderson. The youngest of six children, he grew up in a mining community in Lanarkshire before starting as an apprentice with a local jeweller at the age of 14. It was another twelve years before he fulfilled his dream of seeing the Henderson name above the door of his own premises.

Maintaining Tradition

Matthew married Mary Scott at the age of 29 and went on to have a family of nine, six of whom helped in the early development of the business. It was not until 1925 that the organisation was incorporated into a limited company taking the name of the founder. The resulting company, M.M.Henderson Ltd, continues to develop to this day, absorbing new technologies and working practices but never forgetting the traditional virtues instilled by the founder. The growth of the business led to the opening of a registered office attached to the shop premises in Argyle Street, Glasgow in 1934. Matthew Henderson retired at the age of eighty-one after a working life of almost seventy years and died in 1947.

Growth & Expansion

As the war ended, the company moved its office premises to a townhouse in Newton Terrace. The six sons had continued to expand the operation, including a very lucrative tea-room in Glasgow's 'Cadora' building, but had also witnessed the division of the company. While Matthew (junior) headed off to take control in Dundee, David ventured even further and assumed ownership of the Aberdeen end of the operation. The main business continued with its base in Glasgow and under the stewardship of Donald Henderson, had grown to eight branches by the 1950's.

More Recently...

The current Chairman, Harry Henderson, joined the company in 1956 and after learning the trade selling diamonds in the Argyle Street store, he has overseen expansion as far south as Leeds. In 1994, Hendersons took over the glass and china business of J.W. Baker, based in Aberdeen for over 100 years. The Bakers business now has stores in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Bathgate. Henderson and Baker branches can be found throughout Scotland and the North of England.

The fourth generation of the Henderson family are now involved in the business and are represented by the current Managing Director, Alastair who joined in 1990, and by Mo who followed in 1995.