With the recent interest in J & R Wilsons, I’m bumping this old thread up again for the benefit of new members. Some time ago Simon at My smoking shop included an old tin of J&H Wilson Finest Menthol Snuff with my order. This was discontinued some time ago, but I can’t remember when. On Googleing I found this forum, and this thread Thought I’d share it.

Thanks, John. The memories of the guy that used to work there are rather interesting.

Cheers Snuff Head, that was fascinating. So J&H Wilsons used to supply McChrystals with the base snuffs ? I wonder if McChrystals are still being supplied from Liverpool, or whether they switched suppliers or started grinding themselves.

There’s a whole mysterious world to snuff with the contract brands and what not. You get nowhere fast asking any of them who makes what.

@ BradMajors, Here’s McChrystals. It doesn’t look very much like a mill! < Image has been removed >

looks like a driving school.

It sure does look like a driving school! LOL! McC might be made by Toque… Roderick has mentioned that he does make contract brands.

I’m guessing the Liverpool factory is the Imperial one that was shut a couple of years ago. I think St. Bruno was made there and that is now made by MacBaren so I suppose they found someone else to make the snuff.

Notice Mr. Ian McC car is blocking his workers from leaving

Looks like a Beer distribution building up the road from me! Not as pretty as Wilson’s Of Sharrow, I must say.

That’s Roderricks car. He’s making sure the shipments can’t leave on time. Of course I kid.

Really? You think…? Wait… Wow, maybe you are right.

Well I would never have thought that McChrystals was a contract brand. I feel somewhat cheated now lol. Stefan

@ John, thanks for sharing this info. I paid a visit to the forum and was wondering how active it is?

It’s very active Pieter, that was just an old thread I found. This is their home page But I don’t think you will be interested as to what goes on in ‘The Blades’

I wonder if they have a thread on my team Sheffield FC,the oldest in the world, even though they play in Derbyshire lol. Stefan

Sounds a lot like Grimsby Town FC. They always play away as their pitch is in Cleethorpes.

There’s an abandoned snuff mill up the creek from me where Levi Garrett used to be made. A few million in renovations and some nice politiking with the historical society, and I’m sure you’d be in business.

Roderick, come to South Africa!!! Lots of affordable buildings available here and I will assist you in getting settled. And for every British pound you bring here, you will have R11.00

Very interesting to read accounts of those who worked there. Almost arouses feelings of envy. At one time both Sheffield mills organised guided tours and advertisements proclaiming the latter could be seen in Sheffield tobacconists. It was at Westbrook Mill that I bought the very informative little book ‘The Manufacture of Snuff’ ‘J&H Wilson Ltd Westbrook Mill Sheffield.’

I met this older Irish gentleman in pub yesterday and he asked about my snuffing, ‘Do you know Wilsons of Sharrow?’. He lived and worked in Sheffield back in 50’s and 60’s and did business with both Wilson mills and knew the Sharrow Wilson family personally!

Haha. Come to South Africa! You are guaranteed to get your land stolen by the Government in the next 10 years or so!!! On topic though, McChrystals has a very “modern” and “youthful” website that some of you may want to check out: http://www.mcchrystals.co.uk/mcchrystals.php They’ve got a store on that site as well where they sell large tins of pretty much every snuff they offer.

Hmm, checked out the McC site, the store only sells five different snuffs, are they slimming down their range?

@ khalid: I don’t think so. The website is just incomplete. Its been that way as long as I’ve been here, and their range has actually expanded in that time (Riley’s B.M. to be specific). Various online vendors have all or most of McCs varieties in stock, and if you want to buy direct from McC, just ask for the snuff if you don’t see it on their website. For the record, Samuel Gawith’s website is also incomplete and Gawith Hoggarth’s has been under contstruction since I’ve been here.

@Xander Thanks for that, I was puzzled. I guess it is a wonder that any on these older producers have got an online presence at all.

Wilsons of Sharrow has pretty good online presence. They seem to be the black sheep of old school snuff mills…

I’m going to close it now as it will just run along side the other threads