Alexander Mathieson & Sons began making planes in 1822, at 25 Gallowgate in Glasgow. In the following year he took over the plane-making business of John Manners, who had been making planes since 1792 in his nearby shop on Saracen's Lane; Mathieson would later claim "Since 1792", and his premises would be called the Saracen Works.

Over the years Mathieson expanded his product lineup beyond planes to also include braces, augers, chisels, saw, hammers, and numerous other kinds of hand tools for woodworkers. By 1851 he had eight employees, and son Thomas A. Mathieson was running an Edinburgh plane-making business, Thomas A. Mathieson & Co. Alexander Mathieson died in 1851, and the Glasgow business became Alexander Mathieson & Son, and at some point in or before 1856 the Edinburgh business name had changed to be the same as that of the Glasgow operation.

Under Thomas's leadership the company continued to grow and to expand its product offerings, including a full lineup of edge tools for woodworkers plus a more modest line of tools for tinsmiths, i.e., sheet metal workers. By 1852 they were also making vises and wood lathes. By 1856 they had added cooper's (barrel maker's) tools. By 1861 they had over 100 employees, and by 1871 they had over 200. In 1899 Thomas Mathieson died, and at about that time the business incorporated as Alexander Mathieson & Sons, Ltd., the "Son" becoming pluralized even though it seems that none of Alexander's sons other than Thomas ever joined the business. Thomas's sons, James Harper Mathieson and Thomas Ogilvie Mathieson, were both involved in the business.

By 1933 their product lineup still primarily consisted of edge tools and other tools—rules, levels, screwdrivers, taps and dies, etc.— but also included items of interest to this Vintage Machinery website: mortising machines, screwing machines (for threading pipes and tubes), and small sheet-metal machines (burring machines, swaging machines, folders, benders, punches, circle cutters).

Information Sources

• Grace's Guide page on Alex Mathieson & Son.
• Wikipedia page on Alex Mathieson & Sons.
• 1852 ad for "Alexander Mathieson" of 24, Saracen's Lane, Glasgow: "Planes, Braces, Bits, Augers, Cramps, Hammers, Axes, and all kinds of tools for Joiners, Cabinet Makers, Turners, Carpenters, Coopers, &c., &c." See the above-linked Grace's Guide page on Alexander Mathieson & Son.
• 1862 Catalogue of the London Exhibition lists "Mathieson, Alexander, and Son, Tool Works, East Campbell Street, Glasgow. Planes, mechanical, engineering, and edge tools."
• 1873-74 Post Office Directory of Glasgow lists Alexander Mathieson and Son as Edge Tool Makers; Machine Makers and Millwrights; and Turning Lathe Manufacturers.
• 1877-78 Post Office Directory of Glasgow lists Alexander Mathieson and Son as Turning Lathe Manufacturers.
• 1899 catalogue from Alex. Mathieson & Sons. No machines are shown in this catalogue.
• 1922 Who's Who in Engineering lists "MATHIESON, Alex. & Sons, Ltd., Tool Manufacturers, Saracen Tool Works, East Campbell Street, Glasgow. T. A.: 'Mathieson, Glasgow.' T. N.: 2741 Bell (3 lines). Established 1792. Products.—Planes, joiners' tools, augers, bits braces, chisels, screwstocks, taps, twist drills, rimmers, K; ratchets, hammers, tinmen's tools, all tools for artisans."
• 1933 catalog from Alex. Mathieson & Sons, Ltd.
• Hand-powered shaper from "Alex Mathieson & Sons Ltd., Glasgow & Edinburgh".