The history of Belfast as a major urban centre dates to the 18th century. Belfast was, throughout its modern history, a major commercial and industrial centre. It suffered in the late 20th century from a decline in its traditional industries, particularly shipbuilding.
Belfast thrived in the 18th century as a merchant town, importing goods from Great Britain and exporting the produce of the linen trade. Linen at the time was made by small producers in rural areas.
W. M. McMaster Ltd was founded by William McQuoid McMaster in 1896. He was a joiner at Harland and Wolff but after he fell and broke both his wrists he decided that if he couldn’t use his tools he would sell them. He opened a shop in Ann Street, Belfast before moving to Church Lane in 1910. Saws were sharpened and repaired on the top two floors of the premises for some years.
The shop as it looked in the early 1900's
In the 19th century, Belfast became Ireland's pre-eminent industrial city with linen, heavy engineering, tobacco and shipbuilding dominating the economy. Belfast, located at the western end of Belfast Lough and at the mouth of the River Lagan, was an ideal location for the shipbuilding industry, which was dominated by the Harland and Wolff company which alone employed up to 35,000 workers and was one of the largest shipbuilders in the world.
Throughout these years William McMaster was busy supplying tools to all the tradesmen in the city, even the tools used to build the ill-fated RMS Titanic which was built in Belfast in 1911.
RMS Titanic and RMS Olympic under construction at Harland & Wolff shipyards
The next generation of McMasters - his three sons - took over the shop in 1936.
During the Second World War, Belfast was one of the major cities in the United Kingdom bombed by German forces.The Belfast Blitz occurred on Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941,when two hundred German Luftwaffe bombers attacked the city, pounding working class areas of Belfast around the shipyards and north Belfast-in particular. Belfast was targeted due to its concentration of heavy shipbuilding and aerospace industries.The tool shop survived this devastating attack on Belfast and continued to grow as Belfast recovered from the war.
Peaceful years were to follow until the begining of the troubles in 1969. In 1972 the shop was badly damged by a terrorist bomb. From the 60's to the 90's the shop was run by William's sons and grandsons and is now continued by the fourth generation of McMasters.
The shop on Church Lane as it is today
The McMaster Family have a proud tradition of supplying quality tools to business, the tradesman and the general public for over 115 years. We have survived some of Belfast's most difficult times that have seen great changes in the city and in the economy.
We will now look to the future and look forward to many more years in the tool business along with our most important asset....
Our Customers