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 – Glasgow Herald – The Clippens and Midlothian Oil Companies. Contract of sale between the companies. An extraordinary general meeting of the members of the Clippens Oil Company Limited was held in Glasgow yesterday, for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, passing certain resolutions dealing with the purchase of the Midlothian Company’s property on terms which have already been made public. Mr Wm Mackinnon, the chairman of the company, presided, and there were only two or three shareholders present … (An explanation is also given as to why the Midlothian Oil Company had failed as a business and 3 reasons were given. 1. The expense and failure of the Bielby Retorts. 2. The straitened finances. 3. The difficulties in the management of the works).
1886 – Midlothian Oil Company, brick and fireclay manufacturer, Straiton. John Laing, manager.
(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….
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…
Found in Locherburn, Kilbarchan by Bill Spiers. Clippens Shale Oil Works and Brick Works, Renfrewshire and Pentland Oil Works, Loanhead, Edinburgh . . . .
