🥃 Lest We Forget 🌺
Email newsletter originally sent to subscribers on 7 November 2024
One of the largest Scotch whisky firms in Leith, albeit one not often mentioned in great detail in any of the history books, is that of F.W & O Brickmann.
Brothers Frederick William and Francis Ivan Oskar Brickmann were not only business associates of the Pattisons, they were also their neighbours in the well-to-do area of Trinity.
Together, these sons of a Prussian immigrant built their business up from scratch. As well as co-owning Oban and Aultmore distilleries with the Pattisons, they were also involved in other ventures with them, namely Ardgowan Distillery.
Fred Brickmann was also the co-founder of Benromach Distillery and the co-owner of Benrinnes Distillery, both in Speyside. In addition, the brothers were the agents for Glen Albyn Distillery, in Inverness.
So, all in all, the brothers ran an extremely successful business. Successful, that is, until March 1899.
As a result of the money owed to them by the then bankrupt Pattisons Ltd - a staggering £30,000; the equivalent of about £3 million today - the firm of F.W & O Brickmann came crashing down.
It didn’t really come as much of a surprise to those in the industry. For the family, though, this was disastrous. It was, however, nothing compared to what would unfold seventeen years later.
In 1916, Fred Brickmann received the devastating news that two of his sons had died.
Lieutenant Hugh Brickmann, aged 27, and his younger brother, Captain Noel Brickmann, aged 20, both serving in The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), lost their lives in France that October. Hugh succumbed to wounds sustained in combat, while Noel was killed in action.
Image Credit: Callander Heritage Society
The Brickmann’s sorrow deepened further the following October, when a third son, Lieutenant Frederick William Brickmann of the Machine Gun Corps, was also killed in action.
Image Credit: Callander Heritage Society
The Brickmann family had moved to Callander after the collapse of their business and it’s here, in the square, where a memorial to the three Brickmann brothers, as well as the many other Callander men who fought for their country, is located.
Photo Credit: Jen Laird - The Grail
The Brickmanns weren’t alone in their sacrifice. Many men from the Scotch whisky industry, or connected to it, served courageously, with some, sadly, making the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Their contributions should never be forgotten, and perhaps this Sunday, you might consider raising a dram in their honour.
Slà inte!
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