One of Cork's oldest companies donates treasure trove to city 

Amy Nolan

A TREASURE trove of artefacts from one of Cork’s oldest companies is set to be donated to Cork City Archives today.

Johnson & Perrott motor group has announced its decision to donate its historical archive to the city with material dating back to 1861, when the business was acquired by James Johnson, from whom the current owners are direct descendants.

As well as the archive, Johnson & Perrott is loaning two significant pieces to the Cork Public Museum, namely a fully restored James Johnson carriage dating back to the middle of the 19th century and an original sign from the original carriage works on what was then called ‘Nelson Place Carriage Works’.

Among the artefacts are handwritten diaries written by William Perrott, which detail his experiences of Cork during the War of Independence and the Civil War; accounts, minute books, and other material from the period following the incorporation of the company in 1907 and documents relating to the introduction of motorised vehicles to Cork for the first time in the early 1900s, with the first second-hand car sold in 1903.

William Perrott was also an avid amateur photographer and the record contains never-before-seen images, shown here, including of Oysterhaven, Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) and point-to-point races.

CEO of JPMG, Mark Whitaker, said the decision to donate the archive stems from the fact that it was nearly lost to history.

“Some of what we are donating was recovered when a solicitor on the Mall cleared out an old strong room and I am hugely sensitive to protecting our archive for the benefit of future generations who might like to research it.

“Personally, I found it fascinating to read through my great- grandfather’s diaries where he spoke of the practical difficulties of life during the War of Independence and the Civil War, including brief references to the burning of Cork and the death of Michael Collins.

“I hope that this donation will help future historians to paint an accurate picture of what life was like in our city and the people who helped build it.”

The archive is being donated to Cork City Archives at a special ceremony today set to be attended by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Damian Boylan, and Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin.

An exhibition entitled ‘From Carriage to Car — The Early History of the Johnson & Perrott Group’, will also be officially opened at Cork Public Museum today.

Mr Martin said the archive shows “a remarkable insight into how life in Cork changed so dramatically with the introduction of the motor car and how that same period coincided with such upheaval in the city”.

“Donations such as this greatly help tell the story of Cork and I am very grateful to Mark Whitaker and his family for their efforts to ensure their availability for future generations.”

Curator of Cork Public Museum, Daniel Breen, said the exhibition gives a fantastic insight into Cork’s commercial and business history, particularly during the 19th and early 20th centuries when it was “taking shape as a modern city”.

“We are keen to emphasise that there is huge scope for collaborations like this between public bodies and private companies with a long history like that of Johnson & Perrott.”