22:
889:
129:
The
Swindon store however continued to operate. The famous clock tower was removed in the 1960s for safety reasons and replaced with a smaller, less ornate clock front. In 1975 a grand sale took place to celebrate 100 years. The Caernarfon store was destroyed by a fire in 1992 and was not rebuilt.
145:
and the
Designer Outlet Centre. This confused many as in 1997 a report claimed McIlroys to be the UK's eighth most profitable department store. The store was demolished and rebuilt as a branch of H&M and is now home to the fashion chain Flannels.
118:
During the First World War, McIlroys were given an order by the War Office for 45,000 beds. During the 1930s the grand ball room was added to the
Swindon store, with the chandeliers and panelling coming from the cruise liner
908:
913:
72:
The business grew, with
William's brother-in-law James Wheeler and son Ewart joining the business, and 22 branches were opened up across England and Wales amongst them
923:
918:
824:
842:
489:
479:
111:
The McIlroy family had strong connections with
Reading, with William McIlroy being the mayor as well as donating land to form
626:
704:
647:
554:
126:
In the 1950s the business started to struggle and changed hands. Stores were closed, including the
Reading store in 1955.
533:
427:
447:
Revealing
Reading Hidden History - Take a closer look at YOUR local heritage .... Oxford Road - Reading Museum Handout
137:
However, on 13 January 1998, the store was closed by its owners
Mackays, citing that it could not compete with rivals
225:
608:
893:
705:"Messrs William McIlroy Ltd. Situate in Aylesbury, Maidenhead, Bath, Banbury, Horsham, Marlow, Gosport and Newbury"
34:
754:
265:
61:
William McIlroy was an Irish draper who moved to
England, where he opened his first store on Regent Street,
269:
185:
249:
205:
97:
30:
290:
280:
255:
101:
81:
21:
485:
66:
50:
26:
142:
584:
406:
211:
194:(formerly Brymer & Davies known as the Nelson Emporium; destroyed by fire in 1992)
170:
77:
860:
381:
902:
779:
729:
311:
340:"Swindon's 160 greatest headline makers...part 7 - The Argus published 12 July 2014"
457:
236:
112:
668:
512:
360:
339:
295:
108:
because of its 2000 feet of plate glass windows, and employed over 1000 people.
285:
260:
197:
191:
131:
93:
813:. The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre - Havant History Booklet no. 45 p.13.
201:
175:
160:
138:
888:
825:"A former High Wycombe department store - and how Pann Mill used to look"
648:"Good time in store at McIlroys reunion - Swindon Advertiser 16 May 2008"
555:"Good time in store at McIlroys reunion - Swindon Advertiser 16 May 2008"
275:
85:
123:. Stars who performed there included Diana Dors and The Beatles (1962).
306:
245:
221:
216:
181:
165:
73:
62:
534:"New apartments in store for old building - Reading Post 29 Nov 2005"
428:"New apartments in store for old building - Reading Post 29 Nov 2005"
300:
231:
89:
843:"The Wonder of Woolies - memories of High Wycombe's much-loved shop"
627:"Shrinkage at Courtaulds Textiles - The Independent p.3 August 1995"
20:
104:. The Oxford Road store was opened in 1903, and was known as the
481:
Great War
Britain: Swindon: Remembering 1914-18 By Mike Pringle
154:
585:"Rewind: When a big Mac reigned supreme - Bournemouth Echo"
407:"REWIND: When a big Mac reigned supreme - Bournemouth Echo"
361:"In Pictures: England's Department Stores - BBC Website"
53:
started in Swindon in 1875 and finally closed in 1998.
458:"McIlroy Park - Exploring the Thames Wilderness"
909:Defunct department stores of the United Kingdom
811:The Development of Denvilles, Havant, Hampshire
609:"Sheer devastation - memories of McIlroys fire"
134:was sold to Mackays Stores in the early 1990s.
914:Defunct retail companies of the United Kingdom
69:with a grand clock and plate glass frontage.
8:
804:
802:
800:
669:"England's Department Stores - BBC Website"
513:"England's Department Stores - BBC Website"
65:in 1875. The store was purpose built as a
699:
697:
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
685:
579:
577:
575:
573:
571:
924:Retail companies disestablished in 1998
331:
603:
601:
780:"A Guide to the Shops of West Street"
16:Former British department store group
7:
919:Retail companies established in 1875
130:The business owned by textile giant
730:"McIlroy's, High Street, Brentford"
14:
809:Jennifer Bishop (November 2014).
887:
478:Pringle, Mike (4 August 2014).
1:
734:Brentford Hish Street Project
178:(formerly Pierce & Lewis)
37:
759:Clifton Rugby Football Club
940:
106:Crystal Palace of Reading
861:"High Street Maidenhead"
43:
896:at Wikimedia Commons
270:John Morgan & Son
186:Baker, Baker & Co
24:
784:20th Century Fareham
25:The William McIlroy
755:"Hiat Cowles Baker"
849:. 8 November 2020.
256:Kirkby-in-Ashfield
250:Tanner & Chart
204:store, originally
96:and most famously
82:Kirkby in Ashfield
44:
892:Media related to
709:National Archives
322:
321:
303:(formerly Clarks)
206:Bainbridge Barker
51:department stores
931:
891:
876:
875:
873:
871:
857:
851:
850:
847:Bucks Free Press
839:
833:
832:
829:Bucks Free Press
821:
815:
814:
806:
795:
794:
792:
790:
776:
770:
769:
767:
765:
751:
745:
744:
742:
740:
726:
720:
719:
717:
715:
701:
680:
679:
677:
675:
665:
659:
658:
656:
654:
644:
638:
637:
635:
633:
623:
617:
616:
613:North Wales Live
605:
596:
595:
593:
591:
581:
566:
565:
563:
561:
551:
545:
544:
542:
540:
530:
524:
523:
521:
519:
509:
503:
502:
500:
498:
475:
469:
468:
466:
464:
454:
448:
445:
439:
438:
436:
434:
424:
418:
417:
415:
413:
403:
397:
396:
394:
392:
378:
372:
371:
369:
367:
357:
351:
350:
348:
346:
336:
155:
67:department store
42:
39:
27:department store
939:
938:
934:
933:
932:
930:
929:
928:
899:
898:
894:William McIlroy
885:
880:
879:
869:
867:
859:
858:
854:
841:
840:
836:
823:
822:
818:
808:
807:
798:
788:
786:
778:
777:
773:
763:
761:
753:
752:
748:
738:
736:
728:
727:
723:
713:
711:
703:
702:
683:
673:
671:
667:
666:
662:
652:
650:
646:
645:
641:
631:
629:
625:
624:
620:
607:
606:
599:
589:
587:
583:
582:
569:
559:
557:
553:
552:
548:
538:
536:
532:
531:
527:
517:
515:
511:
510:
506:
496:
494:
492:
477:
476:
472:
462:
460:
456:
455:
451:
446:
442:
432:
430:
426:
425:
421:
411:
409:
405:
404:
400:
390:
388:
380:
379:
375:
365:
363:
359:
358:
354:
344:
342:
338:
337:
333:
328:
323:
152:
143:House of Fraser
59:
49:was a group of
47:William McIlroy
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
937:
935:
927:
926:
921:
916:
911:
901:
900:
884:
883:External links
881:
878:
877:
852:
834:
831:. 16 May 2020.
816:
796:
771:
746:
721:
681:
660:
639:
618:
615:. 1 July 2010.
597:
567:
546:
525:
504:
490:
470:
449:
440:
419:
398:
373:
352:
330:
329:
327:
324:
320:
319:
315:
314:
309:
304:
298:
293:
288:
283:
278:
273:
263:
258:
253:
241:
240:
239:
234:
229:
219:
214:
212:East Grinstead
209:
195:
189:
179:
173:
168:
163:
153:
151:
148:
78:East Grinstead
58:
55:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
936:
925:
922:
920:
917:
915:
912:
910:
907:
906:
904:
897:
895:
890:
882:
866:
862:
856:
853:
848:
844:
838:
835:
830:
826:
820:
817:
812:
805:
803:
801:
797:
785:
781:
775:
772:
760:
756:
750:
747:
735:
731:
725:
722:
710:
706:
700:
698:
696:
694:
692:
690:
688:
686:
682:
670:
664:
661:
649:
643:
640:
628:
622:
619:
614:
610:
604:
602:
598:
586:
580:
578:
576:
574:
572:
568:
556:
550:
547:
535:
529:
526:
514:
508:
505:
493:
491:9780750957687
487:
483:
482:
474:
471:
459:
453:
450:
444:
441:
429:
423:
420:
408:
402:
399:
387:
383:
377:
374:
362:
356:
353:
341:
335:
332:
325:
318:
313:
312:Waterlooville
310:
308:
305:
302:
299:
297:
294:
292:
289:
287:
284:
282:
279:
277:
274:
271:
267:
264:
262:
259:
257:
254:
251:
247:
244:
243:
242:
238:
235:
233:
230:
227:
223:
220:
218:
215:
213:
210:
207:
203:
199:
196:
193:
190:
187:
183:
180:
177:
174:
172:
169:
167:
164:
162:
159:
158:
157:
156:
149:
147:
144:
140:
135:
133:
127:
124:
122:
116:
114:
109:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
70:
68:
64:
56:
54:
52:
48:
36:
32:
28:
23:
19:
886:
868:. Retrieved
864:
855:
846:
837:
828:
819:
810:
787:. Retrieved
783:
774:
762:. Retrieved
758:
749:
737:. Retrieved
733:
724:
712:. Retrieved
708:
672:. Retrieved
663:
651:. Retrieved
642:
630:. Retrieved
621:
612:
588:. Retrieved
558:. Retrieved
549:
537:. Retrieved
528:
516:. Retrieved
507:
495:. Retrieved
480:
473:
461:. Retrieved
452:
443:
431:. Retrieved
422:
410:. Retrieved
401:
389:. Retrieved
385:
376:
364:. Retrieved
355:
343:. Retrieved
334:
316:
237:High Wycombe
226:William Rowe
200:(formerly a
136:
128:
125:
120:
117:
113:McIlroy Park
110:
105:
71:
60:
46:
45:
18:
674:14 November
653:14 November
590:14 November
560:14 November
539:14 November
518:14 November
497:14 November
463:14 November
433:14 November
412:14 November
382:"Pinterest"
366:14 November
345:14 November
296:Southampton
98:Oxford Road
41: 1920
31:Oxford Road
903:Categories
326:References
286:Portsmouth
261:Maidenhead
224:(formerly
198:Darlington
192:Caernarfon
184:(formerly
132:Courtaulds
121:Mauretania
94:Portsmouth
865:Pinterest
386:Pinterest
202:Debenhams
176:Brentford
161:Aylesbury
150:Locations
139:Debenhams
870:26 March
276:Minehead
86:Minehead
307:Swindon
291:Reading
281:Newbury
246:Horsham
222:Gosport
217:Fareham
182:Bristol
166:Banbury
102:Reading
74:Bristol
63:Swindon
57:History
35:Reading
789:17 May
764:17 May
739:17 May
714:17 May
632:28 May
488:
391:6 July
317:
301:Stroud
266:Marlow
232:Havant
90:Stroud
872:2023
791:2021
766:2021
741:2021
716:2021
676:2014
655:2014
634:2015
592:2014
562:2014
541:2014
520:2014
499:2014
486:ISBN
465:2014
435:2014
414:2014
393:2022
368:2014
347:2014
171:Bath
100:in
33:in
29:on
905::
863:.
845:.
827:.
799:^
782:.
757:.
732:.
707:.
684:^
611:.
600:^
570:^
484:.
384:.
141:,
115:.
92:,
88:,
84:,
80:,
76:,
38:c.
874:.
793:.
768:.
743:.
718:.
678:.
657:.
636:.
594:.
564:.
543:.
522:.
501:.
467:.
437:.
416:.
395:.
370:.
349:.
272:)
268:(
252:)
248:(
228:)
208:)
188:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
