Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Heatheryknowe Colliery & Fire Clay Works, Bargeddie, Glasgow.

Information – Coal mines opened in the Baillieston area as early as 1832.  The Heathery Knowe Coal Company started in the coal business in 1861/2.  Between 1867 and 1882 it was owned by James McNaughton Son & Co.  Started making hand-pressed firebrick in the mid to late 1860s.  Company may have continued under the management of Ferrier and Strain of  Bargeddie in 1896.  The Heathery Knowe coal mine was still in existence in 1896 but had been abandoned by 1908.  Noted as being manufacturers of firebricks, sewage pipes, facing bricks, yellow and glazed sinks, and every description of fire clay goods.  Bricks have been found with depressed or raised letters and with and without a frog on back.

Canmore

12/12/1856 – Glasgow Herald – Valuable mineral field – The whole seams of coal in and under the lands of Heatheryknowe, Auchenloaning and others belonging to the heirs and representatives of the late Alexander Black of Heatheryknowe consisting of upwards of 150 acres partly bounded by the Monkland Canal and about 6 miles east of Glasgow, lying in the Parish of Old Monkland and Shire of Lanark. The coal consists of the splint, main and other seams which have already been partly wrought on the lands and neighbourhood …. (This would suggest that the Heatheryknowe Coal Company may have started prior to the reference date above of 1861 – 1862)

Below – 1867 – Advert Heathery Knowe.

1869 – Office, 182 Hope Street, Glasgow.

15/04/1870 – Glasgow Herald – Ballieston. Accident – A girl named Mary Buchan, aged 15 years, got herself severely injured while at work in Heathery Knowe Brickwork. She was caught by a shaft and drawn into the machinery, her clothes being torn into shreds, and her right breast and side being much bruised.

06/08/1870 – Renfrewshire Independent – Robert Cain, a labourer, sustained a dislocation of his right collar bone and was badly injured on the right side at Heatheryknowe Brickwork. He had been working at the brickwork when he fell off a wooden plank raised from the ground.

27/10/1871 – The Brisbane Courier – Arthur Martin has received instruction from Messrs Scott, Dawson and Stewart to sell 7,000 Heatheryknowe firebricks and 3,700 Garnkirk firebricks.

1872 – 1873 – Thomas Brownlie of Heatheryknowe Coal Co.  House, 1 Carlton Terrace, North Woodside, Glasgow. (Heatheryknowe Coal Co., coal masters & manufacturers of fireclay goods, 182 Hope St.; depot, St Rollox).

05/10/1875 – See Daily Alta (Page 3 column 10) – This advert also suggests there were Heathery Knowe (2 words) bricks bring imported into California.

24/10/1878 – Fife Herald – The City of Glasgow Bank failure – The effect on trade and wages – The catalogue of works which have been forced to stop is not an extensive one, fortunately; but it embraces … The Heatheryknowe Colliery Brickworks, Ballieston …

28/04/1879 – Glasgow Herald – Fire Clay Works and Colliery for sale by a private bargain. The important and well-known fire clay works and colliery belonging to the Heatheryknowe Coal Company with the machinery pit, pittings, rails, canal boats and plant of every description together with an assorted stock of fire clay goods and a large quantity of excavated fire clay. The works are situated about 7 miles from Glasgow, have a connection with the North British Railway and are connected by a private rail with the Monkland Canal.  The machinery is in first-class order and is capable of manufacturing a large quantity of every description of fire clay goods. The fire clay is of superior quality and is economically wrought. The lordships are moderate. There is ample accommodation for the workmen in connection with the Works. For further particulars … Still for sale on 10/01/1880.

Below – 22/09/1880 – Daily Alta California Volume 32, No 11118 dated.

16/04/1881 – Aberdeen Press and Journal – City of Glasgow Bank Shareholders – A meeting of the creditors of Thomas Brownlie, coal and quarry master in Glasgow, a partner of the Heatheryknowe Coal Company, the Blochairn Quarry Company, the Greenhill Fire Clay Company and the City of Glasgow Bank was held in the Faculty Hall, Glasgow on Friday afternoon. It was stated the bankruptcy had been caused by the depression of the trade produced by the failure of the City of Glasgow Bank and by the difficulty in realising trade assets. The bankrupt had endeavoured as it appeared to come to a settlement with his creditors, who had received a proportion of the sums due them but he had been unable to accomplish this end …

1882 – James McNaughton, Son & Co. Heatheryknowe Colliery & Fire Clay Works by Bargeddie. Office 11 West Regent Street, Glasgow.

1882 – Heatheryknowe Coal Co, Terracotta manufacturers, fire bricks, chimney cans, vases, fountains, ornamental balustrading, gas retorts, flue covers, Heatheryknowe by Bargeddie. Office 182 Hope Street, Glasgow.

Below – 1882 – Advert James McNaughton, Son & Co. Heatheryknowe Colliery & Fire Clay Works.

12/04/1883 – Ayr Advertiser – Ayr Town Council. The tenders for the supplying of about 1700 yards of fire clay water pipes were considered and it was agreed on the surveyor dating that the firm was capable of executing the work, to accept the offer of Messrs J McNaughton & Co, Heatheryknowe Works to supply the pipes at 3s 4d per yard.

21/07/1883 – The Brisbane Courier – Commercial markets Cardowan bricks fell at £8.10s and Gartcraig £8.5s and Heathery Knowe  £7.15s.

Below – 1886 – Advert James McNaughton, Son & Co. Heatheryknowe Colliery & Fire Clay Works.

29/01/1896 – Rutherglen Reformer – Two young men were brought before the Justices of the Peace at Airdrie on Monday charged with maliciously smashing seven panes of glass in a window and destroying some 150 bricks and breaking some valuable moulds in Messrs McNaughton’s Brickworks Heatheryknowe Cuilhill. The accused denied the charge and were defended by Mr T. A. Macfarlane. Several witnesses were examined but only one of them, an old tramp from Coatbridge, who had slept overnight in the work made a criminating statement which was not corroborated. The case was therefore departed from and the prisoners discharged.

1888 – 89 – Joseph Piercy, Hamblet Brickworks, West Bromwich, sole agents in West Scotland. Jas McNaughton & Sons & Co, 11 West Regent Street.

27/03/1888 – The Scotsman – A tramp, name unknown, was found dead in Heatheryknowe Brickworks, near Coatbridge, on Sunday. He was about fifty years of age, was 5 feet 8 inches in height/dark-brown hair and whiskers, and was bald on top of the head. The body lies at Old Monkland Poorhouse. It is supposed he had died from the effects of cold and exhaustion.

Below – 1889 – Advert James McNaughton, Son & Co. Heatheryknowe Colliery & Fire Clay Works.

11/09/1889 – Glasgow Herald – Mineral field and fireclay works to let – To let with entry at Whitsunday 1889, for such period of years as may be agreed upon, the unwrought coal and fireclay in the lands of Heatheryknowe and others extending to about 300 acres and lying in the parish of Old Monkland. The works are situated about 5 miles to the east of Glasgow and have a direct connection with the North British Railway and the canal between Glasgow and Coatbridge. In addition to the main and splint coal seams which are nearly exhausted there is a considerable portion of the Kiltongue seam and nearly the whole of the Virgin and Virtue Well seams still to work. The upper and lower Drumgray seams have not yet been wrought to any extent. The incoming tenant will have the option of taking the machinery, plant, colliers horses etc so far as belonging to the present tenants and at a value to be fixed by arbitration …

1890 – 91 – James McNaughton, Sons & Co, manufacturers of all kinds of fireclay goods for home and export trade. Works Heathery Knowe by Bargeddie. 11 West Regent Street.

1890 – Records of Shirlaw Allan, Industrial auctioneers, Hamilton, Scotland. For sale – Brick and sewerage pipework plant at Heatheryknowe Brickworks, Cuilhill, Station.

Below – 16/07/1890 – Glasgow Herald – Sale of brick, sewage pipe, work plant and machinery at Heatheryknowe on instructions of Messrs J McNaughton Son and Co.