Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Canmore

1852 – Gavin Pettewgrove (Pettigrew?), brick and tile maker, Cambesnethan. (Note  – SBH – I am not certain this entry relates to the Allanton Works but I have detailed it here meantime to ensure it is recorded).

12/01/1855 – Glasgow Herald – Royal Patriotic Fund, Lanarkshire. Contributors – Allanton Brick and Tile Work.

1858 – 1861 – ScotlandsPlaces – A brick and tile works near the village of Morningside the property of Lady Seton Steuart (Stuart or Stewart?) now occupied by Gavin Pettigrew.

Below – 1859 – Allanton Brick and Tile Works.

24/09/1861 – Edinburgh Gazette – Sequestration of James Steel, Builder in Cambusnethan, near Wishaw. William Thomson, Accountant, Wishaw, has been elected Trustee on the estate; and Thomas Dean, Brick Manufacturer, Wishaw, Gavin Pettigrew, Allanton Brick and Tile Works, near Wishaw, and James B. Honeyman, Blacksmith, Wishaw, have been elected commissioners. The examination of the bankrupt will take place -within the Sheriff-Court-house at Hamilton, upon Tuesday the 1st day of October, at 12 o’clock noon. The creditors will meet in the office of William Brown, Writer, Beckford Street, Hamilton, on Thursday the 10th day of October 1861, at two o’clock afternoon.  (Note – SBH – I have included this reference here at its suggests that Gavin Pettigrew was involved with the Allanton Brick, Tile, Fireclay, Pottery and Terracotta Works. He was also involved with the Morningside Fireclay Works, Newmains).

23/04/1864 – Hamilton Advertiser – On Friday last a man named George Scott, a labourer employed by Mr Gavin Pettigrew, met with a serious accident at the brick and tile work, in the immediate vicinity of the terminus of the and Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company. The clay used is conveyed in a waggon to the grinding mill, drawn by a rope attached to the engine up an inclined plane, and Scott was in the act of stepping over this rope when his leg became entangled and was he dragged forward against the guiding guards of the rope. The engine was immediately stopped, and the poor man extricated. Opportunely, Dr James Livingstone was the neighbourhood and Dr Buchanan having been sent for from Newmains, the medical gentlemen examined the man and found that, besides several bruises on his limbs, one of his legs was broken in two places. So severe were the injuries and shock on his nervous system, that he gradually sank, and expired on the Sabbath evening. Deceased has left a and little family. He was a steady, active, and industrious man, and was much respected by his employer and fellow workmen.

02/05/1867 – Glasgow Evening Post – Marriages. At Bank Street, Falkirk on the 30th April by the Rev L H Irving, Mr George Loudon, Allanton Brick and Tile Works, Wishaw to Rachel, second daughter of Mr John Forgie, Falkirk.

Below – 25/09/1869 – Hamilton Advertiser – ln the Sheriff Court, here, an action was recently raised at the instance of Matthew Steel, who is tenant the lands of Jackton, Parish of East Kilbride, to have the defender, George Loudon, who is the lessee of the clay and limestone on said interdicted from interfering with the lands by cutting up, digging juts, and excavating any portion of the lands, and to have him ordained to restore them to the state in which they were before the cutting was made. The Sheriff-Substitute (Mr Veitch), after proof had been led, found that pursuer was a tenant of the subjects in dispute for the period of ten years, from Whitsunday 1869, under a regular tack between him and the proprietor: that the defender had a lease of minerals consisting of clay and limestone the lands in question; that the lease could not be looked at as it was not stamped; that in point of law the defender was not entitled to enter upon the said lands so let to the pursuer without some previous engagement being mode to indemnify the pursuer for the surface drainage; that the defender had so entered the said lands and had dug boles therein; and therefore ordained him within 14 days to restore the said lands to the condition in which they were before the defender commenced the operations complained of and granted an interdict against the defender making any further operations of the description complained of on the lands in question till the future order of Court. The defender appealed against the judgment. The Sheriff (Glassford Bell), after allowing the defender to obtain the missive stamped, pronounced an interlocutor recalling the Sheriff-Substitute’s judgment and dismissing the action, but reserving to the pursuer all claims competent to him for damages against the defender or his authors. The Sheriff found the pursuer also liable in expenses, subject, however, to considerable modification, in respect, that it was not till the formal tack of the minerals was produced, or till the missives No. 6-1 were duly stamped, that the defender instructed any valid right to work the minerals. (Note – SBH – I am uncertain as to which brickworks this refers to so I have added it here meantime because of the George Loudon connection).

Below – 06/08/1881 – Peebleshire Advertiser – Sales of horticultural and rustic ware at Peebles. Manufactured by Loudon and Russell at Allanton Fireclay Works, Newmains. (Note – SBH – George Loudon and James Russell)

Below – 1882  – Advert -Loudon & Russell, Allanton Works, Newmains

14/09/1882 – Glasgow Herald – International fruit and flower show at Edinburgh … Some very fine stands with horticultural implements, fireclay ware for fern cases, flower stands etc are on exhibition, and among these, one of the most beautiful collections was that of Loudon and Russell, of the Allanton Pottery, Lanarkshire …

Below – 1886 – Allanton Brick, Tile, Fireclay, Pottery and Terracotta Works.

1887 – 1888 – Robert Ure, fruiterer, florist, and greengrocer (also sole agent in Edinburgh and Mid-Lothian for London & Russell’s (*Loudon) rustic flower pots and garden ware), 144 Princes Street and Central Avenue Princes Arcade; ho. 18 Valley Field St.

1889 – Loudon & Russell. Allanton Brick, Tile & Fire Clay, Pottery & Terracotta Works. Newmains.

1889 – 1890 – Robert Ure, fruiterer, art pottery and Japanese ware, also sole agent in Edinburgh and Mid-Lothian for London & Russell’s (*Loudon) rustic flower pots and garden ware, 144 Princes Street; house, 41 Lothian Road.

Below – 1889 – Allanton Brick, Tile, Fireclay, Pottery and Terracotta Works.

03/12/1891 – Invoice – Loudon and Russell, manufacturers of agricultural drain pipes, common and fire bricks, vitrified pipes, chimney cans, red roof and ridge tiles, fire clay paving tiles, garden edging, wall cope, ground fire clay, vent linings, fire covers, vases, feeding troughs etc. Hermand Brick, Tile and Terra Cotta Works, West Calder, N.B and Hallcraig Tileworks, Carluke N.B and Allanton Brick, Tile and Fire Clay Works.

19/10/1892 – 24/01/1906 – Invoices – Loudon and Russell, manufacturers of agricultural drain pipes, common and fire bricks, vitrified pipes, chimney cans, red roof and ridge tiles, fire clay paving tiles, garden edging, wall cope, ground fire clay, vent linings, fire covers, vases, feeding troughs etc. Allanton Brick, Tile and Fire Clay Works, Newmains.

1893 – I believe Russell is Robert Russell, mineral manager, Whitestripe, Newmains.

1893 – George S Loudon, brick and tile maker, Newmains.

Below – 1893  – Loudon and Russell advert.

Below – 1896 – Allanton Brick and Tile Works.

1896 – Loudon & Russell. Allanton Brick, Tile & Fire Clay, Pottery & Terracotta Works. Newmains R.S.O. Lanarkshire & Hermand Brick & Tile Works, West Calder.

Below – 1896 – Advert  Loudon & Russell, Allanton Works, Newmains.

1903 – Loudon & Russell. Allanton Brick, Tile & Fire Clay, Pottery & Terracotta Works. Newmains R.S.O. Lanarkshire & Hermand brick & tile works, West Calder.

Below – 1903 –  Loudon and Russell advert.

1909 – 1910 – Loudon & Russell, Allanton Brickworks, Newmains NB.

Below – 1910 – Allanton Brick and Tile Works.

Below – 1911–  Loudon and Russell advert.

07/12/1920 – Edinburgh Evening News – Can and trap maker, also pipe maker wanted. House available. Apply Allanton Fireclay Works, Newmains.

11/03/1932 – Edinburgh Evening News – Veteran Scots Manufacturer –  The death took place yesterday of Mr James Russell, Sedan, Newmains near Wishaw at the age of 90. First a clerk with the Coltness Iron Company Ltd, Mr Russell afterwards became a partner in the firm of Loudon  & Russell Fire Clay Manufacturers, Morningside. He was 1 of 12 local businessmen who founded Pather Iron & Steel Company Limited, Wishaw. In 1889 he was appointed as secretary and treasurer of the company and only retired from active service a few years ago, although he still retained an interest in the firm as a director.

15/06/1943 – The Scotsman – Wills and Estates – John Loudon, Fire Clay Manufacturer, some time of Craigenvar, Newmains and late of Dunara, 185 Bonkle Road, Newmains – £23, 879.00.

Below – 1944 – 1967 – Allanton Brick and Tile Works.

Below – Feb 1963 – Refractory Journal – Loudon and Russell and the Heathfield and Cardowan Fireclay Company supplying fireclay to Ravenscraig. Members of the ‘National Salt Glazed Pipe Manufacturers Association’.

1964 – Hepworth Iron Company (HIC) – A subsidiary company – The Lochside Coal and Fireclay Company Ltd. – has acquired the whole of the issued shared capital of Loudon and Russell Ltd. of Newmains, Wishaw, Lanarkshire and also the fixed assets of the Cumbernauld Pipeworks from the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company Ltd.

Early 1970’s – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests the company closed around this time.

25/03/1977 – Wishaw Press – Several mining applications were recommended for approval by the committee … Wellwood Brick Company Limited for the working of Allanton Fireclay Works, Newmains was approved …

Below – Loudon and Russell trademark.

Below – The Scottish Industrial Archaeology Survey published a report in 1985 entitles ” A survey of Scottish brickmarks. During the compilation of this report in which the survey officers visited working and derelict brickworks sites, many items of interest were donated or found. Many of these items were thereafter donated to the National Museum Scotland. The item below is one of these items. It is a sager cone which was found at the “Loudon and Russell Pipeworks, Newmains” (Note – SBH – This may relate to the Allanton or the Morningside Works).

Below – An iron grating embossed Loudon and Russell, Newmains. Photo by Ian Suddaby.