Background – Available evidence suggests that Merry & Cunninghame (Iron and coal masters with substantial mineral interests throughout the West of Scotland), established coal and ironstone workings at Clippens during the late 1850s. Worker’s housing was built by the company at Clippens Square, known locally as Balaclava following the victory in the Crimean war. The Clippens pits appear to have been referred to sometimes as the Balaclava pits.
Successive editions of Mineral Statistics list “Clippens” as being worked as a colliery by Merry & Cunninghame (in 1870, 1871, and 1874) and by Clippens Shale Oil Co in 1877. It is listed in 1879 as worked by Clippens Oil Co. for ironstone and coal (Wm. Archibald, manager) and for ironstone alone in 1885. There appear to have been at least three Clippens Pits. The index of mine abandonment plans, lists the abandonment of coal and shale workings at Clippens No.2 in 1878, of coal workings at Clippens No.1 in 1880, and coal and shale workings at Clippens No. 3 in 1883. Watson’s Directory for Paisley lists Clippens coal, shale and ironstone pits, James Scott proprietor, from 1876 to 1881, listing Clippens Oil Co. Ltd as proprietor from 1882 to1884.
When the Clippens Mineral Oil Co. established their Clippens oil works in 1872, they contracted with Merry and Cunninghame for the supply of oil shale. The Clippens Oil Co. purchased Merry & Cunningham’s Clippens pits in 1876, and continued mining operations for coal, shale and ironstone until at least 1885.
The location of the Clippens pits (and indeed the precise location of Clippens Oil Works), remains uncertain. The “Clippins Ironstone Pit” shown on the 1857 OS map, and marked as “old shaft” on the 1895 OS map, seems likely to be Clippens No.1 pit. OS maps show no further shafts that might represent Clippens No.2 & 3 pits, but it seems possible that one or both pits lay to the northeast of No.1 pit, within the large area of derelict ground around the supposed site of Clippens oil works (centred on 55.853269, -4.498055).
Clippens – shale, coal and ironstone pits.
Clippens Oil Company Limited – which appears to have been part of Pentland Oil Works, Loanhead, Edinburgh. From this link, the Company appears to have operated from c.1893 – c. 1912. The aims of the Company were “The leasing and acquiring of shale, coal, fireclay and other minerals, and limestone, clay and raw or unpurified oil and other materials, and searching for, working, raising and manufacturing the same into oil, and paraffin and other products. The selling and disposing of the said shale and other minerals and materials and the products thereof, and the purchasing and dealing therein, and in other materials and products and carrying on the business of oil manufacturers and merchants”
Canmore – Infers a slightly different life span for Clippens Oil 1881 – 1897.
Graces Guide states – Clippens Oil Co of Pentland Works, Loanhead, Midlothian.
1882 – The business merged into what became Clippens Oil Co Ltd.
28/06/1893 – The company was registered, to take over the properties of a company of the same name.
Below – 1895 – Clippens House, Clippens Pit and employees houses (Clippens Square). No reference to a brickworks. The Sun Foundry does not appear to be connected to the Clippens enterprise.
The operations of the company had been stopped since 14th July 1897, and from that date, there had been no output of shale whatever from the mines. The result was that the retorts and refineries had been lying silent and unused for almost two years. The workmen had been dismissed and had left the neighbourhood. The cause of the stoppage of the mines was the interdict of the Edinburgh and District Water Trust brought against them for working across the whole of the field. The result of the stoppage was that the mines were in a state of collapse, and it would take at least two years to re-open the works. Before the works were stopped, they were assessed in 1896-97 at £1980, but witness could not understand upon what basis the assessor had fixed £800 as the valuation of the works which were now lying useless. The appellants suggested that the valuation of the works should be fixed at the nominal figure of £100. When the Hermand Oil Works stopped the assessors entered them at the nominal valuation of £50. The Clippens Works were double the size of the Hermand. While they were not objecting to any items in the valuation roll in respect of houses that were at present occupied, with regard to the 280 houses that were unoccupied they suggested the nominal figure of £1 per house, having pointed out the possibility of having these houses let otherwise.
Cross-examined by Mr Lynch, the assessor, the witness said there was no possibility of re-starting the works until the present litigation with the Water Trust was settled, as it was now a matter of physical impossibility of having these houses let otherwise. Evidence was also given by Mr Love, manager of the Shotts Iron Company, Loanhead; Mr Ormiston, surveyor, Edinburgh; and Mr Rankine, mining engineer, Glasgow, in corroboration of the dilapidated condition of the mines and the groundworks. After consultation between the parties, an agreement was come to with the assessor, fixing the valuation of the work at £500 and the houses at £400 for the year.
05/05/1908 – Clippens Oil Company decide to voluntarily wind up the business.
(Many thanks to Ian Roy for identifying much of the information on this page). Shotts Sand-Lime Brickworks, Shotts, North Lanarkshire aka locally as the ‘White Brickworks’. See also:- Northfield Brickworks, Shotts. (Note – SBH – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests these were two different brickworks albeit they were situated very close together….
The entries may or may not be the same company or different companies based on the same site over the years. They could also very well be connected with brickworks associated with the Straiton Oil Works or the Clippen Oil Company or the Midlothian Oil Company. 1878 – Straiton Estate Co Limited, manufacturers of bricks,…
Straiton Oil Works. 17/07/1882 – Edinburgh Evening News – Midlothian Oil Company. The first general meeting the shareholders of this company was held in Mr Dowell’s Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh, today. The company, which has been organised for purchasing the estate of Straiton, near Edinburgh, was formally constituted and directors and office-bearers appointed. 30/05/1885 –…
Found by Michael Fallone in the Glasgow area. Merry & Cuninghame Limited, Colliery Proprietors, Iron Masters, 105 St Vincent Street, Glasgow and Glengarnock, Carnbroe and Ardeer Iron Works, and elsewhere. They also owned the Walkinshaw brickworks at one point in time. (AKA Cunningham) This brick is highly likely to be a product of theirs and…
Milton Brick & Tile Works, Carluke, South Lanarkshire. Scottish Clay Hollow-Ware Limited appears to have operated from Milton Brickworks and were incorporated in 1937 with registered office at the works. Final closure came with the voluntary liquidation of T B Gibson & Co Ltd t/a Milton Tileworks, Carluke on 14th August 1978. Canmore Below –…
Canmore Info – Inkerman Shale Oil Works owned by Duke of Abercorn. Below – Inkermann Brickworks – Many thanks to Roddy Boyd. Inkerman Oil Works has been known at various times as Abercorn oil works, Walkinshaw oil works and Hermand oil works, (but should not be confused with the Abercorn oil works, Paisley of Anderson &…
Walkinshaw Brickworks, Renfrew, Renfrewshire Available evidence indicates that Merry & Cunninghame (coal and iron masters with extensive mineral interests in the west of Scotland), began working ironstone at Walkinshaw (No.1) pit during the mid-1850s. The first edition OS map (surveyed c.1857) shows the engine house buildings of the pit, but no rail link. An 1862…
Found in Locherburn, Kilbarchan by Bill Spiers. Clippens Shale Oil Works and Brick Works, Renfrewshire and Pentland Oil Works, Loanhead, Edinburgh . . . .
Canmore Douglas Firebrick Company Limited, Dalry – Source Kenneth W Sanderson. William Douglas, a master blacksmith, and his wife Janet had a son, John, born at Moorhouses, Stevenson, in 1822. John grew up in the clay industry and became the manager of the Corse-hill Tile Works, Dreghorn, where on 4th May 1855, his eldest child…
