9 Christchurch Street (Church Street)

History of 9 Christchurch Street

1891

Donald Mackay, 29, ironmonger, b Scotland

Jane, 25, b Scotland, b Scotland

Duncan, nephew, 7, b Scotland

Isabella, niece, 6, b Scotland

Donald Mackey would found Mackays on East Road.

In 1901 the family were living at 143 Cherry Hinton Road.

Donald MacKay had come down from Scotland after training as an engineer around the shipyards of Rosyth. he had had a job as a foreman at the Carron Ironworks in Edinburgh. Once in Cambridge he got work with Laurie and McConnal in Fitzroy Street. In Christchurch Street he was joined by his mother and father and sister Joan. Donald and his son Duncan became the mainstay of Laurie’s hardware department. Donald was sent to America to bring back ideas.