Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Darnley Fireclay Works, Nitshill near Glasgow – the mine and workings was also known over the years as the Upper Darnley Fireclay Mine, Darnley Lime Works, Arden Lime Works.

Fireclay was found in the area in seams up to eight feet thick below the limestone. This was worked at various times, particularly around 1900. Large fireclay kilns made bricks, pipes and sanitary products.

Information.

Below – 1851 – William McLintock, Lochinch, Pollockshaws – Arden Lime from The Darnley Works.

1868 – Darnley Lime Works, Hurlet, Glasgow – Allan Kirkwood.

1882 – 1885 – Darnley Lime Works, Hurlet, Glasgow – Allan Kirkwood.

Below – 1886 – Arden Lime Works, Barrhead.

1886 – 1889 – Darnley Lime Works, Hurlet, Glasgow – Allan Kirkwood.

04/09/1888 – North British Daily Mail – International Exhibition … Mr Allan Kirkwood, Nitshill, has a rough-looking but effective exhibit of Arden hydraulic lime, Arden limestone, and concrete blocks and mortar. Besides showing the materials in their raw state, the exhibitor has placed a number of blocks consisting of concrete and of bricks and stones which have been cemented and afterwards broken up. The fractures show the close texture and hard firm substance of the material used.

Below – 04/10/1892 – Edinburgh Gazette – Allan Kirkwood Jr takes over the family business following the death of his father on 22/09/1889.

1896 – Allan Kirkwood – Firebrick Maker, Arden Lime and Fire Clay Works, Nitshill.

Below – 1896 – Advert Arden Lime Works, Nitshill.

Below – 1896 – Darley Lime Works, Glasgow.

04/05/1899 – Glasgow Herald – Last night a fire occurred at the Darnley Brickworks, Nitshill, belonging to Mr Allan Kirkwood. A detachment of the Glasgow Fire Brigade from Queen’s Park Station was sent to the scene of the fire and succeeded in limiting the damage to the building in which the fire originated. The damage, which is estimated at £200, is covered by insurance.

1905 – 1906 – Allan Kirkwood Ltd – Darnley Fireclay Works, Nitshill near Glasgow. Glasgow Office – 67 Great Clyde Street. Store- 101 Pollokshaws Road. Telephone no. Corp 2455, Nat 3458. Telegrams – Kirkwood, Nitshill.

13/09/1907 – Barrhead News – Allan Kirkwood Limited – This company, which was registered last week, has been formed to acquire and take over and carry on the business of lime and fire-clay goods manufacturer and merchant now carried on by Alan Kirkwood, Arden Lime Works, and Darnley Fire Clay Works, Nitshill. Capital, £10,000, divided into 10,000 shares of £1 each. The company does not issue any invitation to the public to subscribe for its shares. Subscribers:—Allan Kirkwood, manufacturer and merchant, Arden Lime Works, and Darnley Fire Clay Works, Nitshill; John Anderson, Kirkwood, traveller, Regent Park Square; John Hamilton Anderson, cashier, 67 Great Clyde Street; Frances Smith Kirkwood, spinster, 10 Regent Park Square; Lillias Moorhouse Kirkwood, wife of Allan Kirkwood; Barbara Anderson, spinster, 10 Regent Park Square; and James Ramsay Norman Kirkwood, apprentice mining engineer, 10 Regent Park Square – all of Glasgow.

Below –  1910 – Darley Fireclay Works, Glasgow.

Below – 23/03/1910 – Quebec Daily Telegraph – Kirkwood, Kirkwood bricks – Having still in the cars some 10,000 of these celebrated fire bricks, before we unload them, we will sell at a low price, to be taken ex cars. This is the balance of the lot furnished for the Dominion Fish Co’s cold storage building. Let us know on the 24th what you need out of this lot. U.F Drouin & Co, Contractors and plumber’s supplies, Office 161 St Paul Street. Phone 3491.

Source – Information and photo supplied by Stephen Cann, Canada. (Note – SBH – This may well relate to the Kirkwood Darnley Fire Clay Works).

1912 – 1913 – Allan Kirkwood Ltd – Darnley Fireclay Works, Nitshill. Office 67 Great Clyde Street. Works, 101 Pollokshaws Road. Telegraphic Kirkwood Nitshill (p.203).

1915 –  (Glasgow Herald 8th Feb 1915)  “Information has been received that Private Matthew Kirkwood, of the 1st Battalion London Scottish, was killed in action on January 25. He was a son of the late Allan Kirkwood, Arden Lime Works, Darnley, Nitshill. He was educated in the High School and technical college, Glasgow, and was for several years a prominent figure in Rugby Football. He played in the High School, Partickhill, and technical college teams. A student of conspicuous ability, he was twice awarded the medal for brewing chemistry in the city and guilds examinations, London. Prior to joining the London Scottish in August last, he was engaged in London as a chemist and brewer. Private Kirkwood, it may be added, has three brothers serving in H.M. forces.”

1920 – 1921 – Allan Kirkwood Ltd – Darnley Fireclay Works, Nitshill near Glasgow. Glasgow Office – 67 Great Clyde Street. Store- 101 Pollokshaws Road. Telephone no. 8003 central. Telegrams – Kirkwood, Nitshill.

1923 – 1924 – Allan Kirkwood Ltd – Darnley Fireclay Works, Nitshill near Glasgow. Glasgow Office – 67 Great Clyde Street. Store- 101 Pollokshaws Road. Telephone no. Giffnock 409. Telegrams – Kirkwood, Nitshill.

1936 – 1937 – Allan Kirkwood Ltd, Arden Lime Works and Darnley Fireclay Works, Nitshill, Glasgow – Also manufacturers of Creamcast cement, Darnley Hardwall plaster, limestone chips, poultry grit, asphalt filler, mine dust, crushed silica sand. Glasgow Store 101 Pollokshaws Road.

1938 – 1939 – Arden Lime Works – Allan Kirkwood Ltd, Nitshill.

Also J. A. Kirkwood of Allan Kirkwood Ltd, 7 Marywood Square, Strathbungo and J. Ramsay Kirkwood of Allan Kirkwood Ltd, Range Cottage, Nitshill.

Below – 1939 – Arden Lime Works, Glasgow.

Below – 14/08/1944 – Glasgow Herald – Obituary Allan Kirkwood.

This is a cracking article on the Kirkwood family by Alex Glass – well worth a read and some wonderful photographs. (Note – SBH – May 2021 – This link is now sadly unavailable but I have left it here meantime in case it is resurrected at some later point).