William Cummings founded his box making business in 1876. The enterprise had expanded by 1888 to premises covering an area of 80 feet by 80 feet and buildings four storeys high. The ground floor was taken up with the sawmill machinery - numerous circular saws of all different types. Once cut to size, the prepared boards were taken to the second storey by a steam-powered hoist where the boxes were formed using a box-nailing machine. Also on the first floor was a machine invented by Mr Cummings for 'dressing off' the finished box. It was reported in the Timber Trades Journal of 1889 that Mr Cummings was 'ever at work devising means for the saving of labour and producing work of greater efficiency, and thereby enabling his manufactures to be produced at a minimum of cost'.
On the 3rd floor the boxes for export were given their metal lining and the top floor was used as a store area for drying and seasoning the turned and finished goods. All the machines across the building were driven by a 40 horse power engine. The premises also included offices, stables and a work yard piled high with stocks of raw materials. The company benefitted from its close proximity to Leith Docks where supplies came and went.
The 1891 census shows William living with his family at Rosslyn Street (now Crescent), a short walk from Leith Walk. In 1891 he is aged 40 and widowed, and head of a family of 3 sons and 4 daughters. His eldest son, Andrew is aged 16 and working as an apprentice clerk (presumably in the family business) and his youngest child is Minnie aged 2. The next year, William Cummings has died leaving his son, Andrew to look after the practicalities of the business at only 17 years of age.
In 1900, Andrew Cummings formally took responsibility for the firm with the change of name to Wm. Cummings & Son Ltd. In 1907 there were 150 employees across the different departments of sawmill, home and export case, confectionery box, tin lining, fancy paper box, leatherboard box and turning department. Under Andrew Cummings' direction the firm continued to apply mechanical innovations and labour saving devices to improve efficiency.
The company was still in operation into the late 1960s, although the exact date and details of how it ceased operations is uncertain.
The image library for the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries