William Black & Sons Limited – Blackstoun Mineral Oil Company and Brickworks, Renfrewshire.
Info – From Scottish Shale Oil site
Info – Regarding William Black & Sons
Blackstoun Oil Works – Also referred to as Blackston, Blackstone, or Linwood by Blackstone oil works
Redwood notes “Blackston Oil Works, proprietor Blackston Mineral Company, and located at Blackston, Paisley, operated between 1872 and 1879″. He also lists ” Blackstoun Oil Works, proprietor Allen, Craig & Company and located Linwood, near Johnstone, Paisley operated between 1870 and 1886, equipped with 44 vertical retorts producing crude oil only.” Valuation roles suggest that both entries refer to the same site.
Allan Craig’s works were presumably supplied from the pits of William Black & Sons. (Operating as the Blackston Mineral Oil Company?), who obtained a lease on local minerals in 1872. The Blackston Mineral Oil Company, along with other businesses carried out by William Black & Sons, (including the Stanrigg Oil Company) merged to form William Black & Sons Limited in 1895. William Black & Sons Limited resumed brick production on the Blackstoun site c.1900, probably using spent shale. This continued when the company was amalgamated into United Collieries, in c.1905.
Background – There is little evidence to suggest that the Blackston Mineral Oil Company (often referred to as Blackston Mineral Company) manufactured mineral oils. The company file for William Black & Sons Limited makes reference to taking ownership of collieries and oil works at “Blackston and Achenledimont (sp?)” however this might be related to the former plant of Allan Craig & Co.? Valuation Records – Entries between 1872 and 1902. Download details
c. 1871 – 1886 – Available evidence suggests that Blackstoun Oil Works were operated by Allan Craig & Sons from c.1871 until c.1886. This company also manufactured bricks.
1874 – 1878 – Allan Craig & Sons, Brick manufacturers.
1878 – Blackstoun Mineral Co, coal, iron and stone masters and oil and brick manufacturers, Blackstoun near Paisley.
1882 – Blackstoun Mineral Co, coal, iron and stone masters and oil and brick manufacturers, Blackstoun near Paisley.
Below – 1895 – Blackstone Brickworks.
1896 – 1900 – William Black & Sons, Blackstone Brickworks.
1901 – Clayworkers Directory – Wm. Black & Sons Ltd, 18 George Square, Glasgow and Blackstone Brickworks, Paisley.
1905 – United Collieries, Blackston Brickworks.
Below – 1910 – Blackston Brickworks. (Marked as disused).
1911 – 1912 – Walter Gibb, manager of Blackston Brickworks, Blackston Cottage.
02/01/1914 – Kilsyth Chronicle – Brickworkers wanted. Apply Gibb, manager. Blackston Brickworks, Paisley.
Below – 21/04/1917 – Hamilton Advertiser – Blackston Brickwork, Houston for sale. Belonging to United Collieries.
Robertson, Love & Co were liquidated in 1916 but continued to make firebricks as part of United Collieries Ltd. When coal was nationalised in 1947, the brickworks were reorganised as United Fireclay Products Ltd. and comprised the Etna and Atlas Firebrick Works, the Bathville Pipe Works, the UNICOL Tile Works, all at Armadale and the…
Robertson, Love & Co were liquidated in 1916 but continued to make firebricks as part of United Collieries Ltd. When coal was nationalised in 1947, the brickworks were reorganised as United Fireclay Products Ltd. and comprised the Etna and Atlas Firebrick Works, the Bathville Pipe Works, the UNICOL Tileworks, all at Armadale and the Brownhill…
John Watson of Glasgow bought the Bathville site in June 1859 for £10, 000 and shortly after built a brickworks to use the fireclay being mined with the coal. John Watson & Co were to become one of the biggest coalmasters in Lanarkshire, but in 1874 they ran into financial trouble and the Bathville works…
Carfin Colliery Brickworks, Carfin, North Lanarkshire. (Note – SBH – When researching these works it is often very confusing whether information gleaned should be recorded on this page or the page for the Carfin Brickworks. If anyone believes information is wrongly recorded then please let me know). Canmore – This brickworks is not named on the…
Found on the old site previously occupied by the Etna Brick Works, Bathville. United Collieries, Bathville and thereafter United Fire Clay Products, Bathville. . . . .
Below – 1897 – Ellismuir Brickworks. The Brickworks are gone by 1910. Below – 11/03/1898 – Dundee Courier – The United Collieries Limited incorporated. Share capital £200,000 … The following brickworks were acquired – Ellismuir Brickwork, Ballieston and Wellshot Brickwork, Cambuslang. See link for the full prospectus. 1899 – 1900 – Ellismuir Brickworks, Glasgow. Office 109…
28/05/1898 – West Lothian Courier – With the transfer of the Southrigg Colliery to the firm of John Nimmo & Sons, Limited, which took place on the Whitsunday term day (16th inst.), an important step has been taken in the development of the extensive coalfield which extends from West Craigs southwards through the eastmost part…
Whiterig Tileworks, Near Rawyards, Lanarkshire. (Note – SBH – I believe these works were aka Whiterigg Brickworks) 1858 – 1861 – ScotlandsPlaces – Whiterig Brick and Tile Works. These works are the property of Ex Provost Rankin (Andrew Rankin?) now in the occupation of Mr William Black there is a coal pit adjoining connected with…
Alternative brickworks include: West Works, Armadale, West Lothian. Canmore – The works are situated between Bathville Pipe Works and Atlas Brickworks (NS96NW 38). The Ordnance Survey Map (OS 25-inch, Linlithgowshire, sheet ?NX.I) showed two 10 chamber Hoffman Kilns which were also shown on the map of 1897 … The westernmost kiln was still standing in 1978…
Found by Michael Fallone in the Glasgow area. United Collieries, Bathville and thereafter United Fire Clay, Bathville. . . . .
