Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Port Dundas Fire Brick and Grinding Works and Port Dundas Brick Co Ltd, 124 Port Dundas Street, Glasgow. (Note – SBH – The Port Dundas Pottery Company appear to have operated from the same company).

(Note – SBH – Please read this in conjunction with the East Cowcaddens Fire Brick Works as they appear to have been situated very close and indeed they may actually be the same site with Malcolm Paterson operating it prior to Murray’s and Co – for clarification if possible!).

Canmore

Below – 29/12/1826 – Glasgow Herald – Murrays and Co. Port Dundas Pottery and Fire Brick Works advert.

1827 –  James Murray & Co, fire brick and grinding works, Port Dundas, orders left at 8, Argyll Street.

1828 – James Murray & Co, fire-brick and grinding works, Port-Dundas, letters left at T. Murray’s, 8 Argyle St (page 164).

1829 – 1830 – James Murray & Co, fire-brick and grinding works, Port-Dundas. Letters left at T. Murray’s, 8 Argyll St. Murray, & Co. Caledonian pottery, & grinding works, Townhead. Orders left at 8 Argyll Street.

Murray and Co. Caledonian Pottery, orders left at 8 Argyle Street.

Below – 1830 – Port Dundas Fire Brick Works as detailed by Canmore – 124 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow,

06 – 09/1831 – Vouchers in the Eglinton depositions at the National Archives of Scotland reveal some of the expenses incurred in the construction of the Fergushill Tileworks, Eglinton, between June and September 1831. The 500 firebricks for the kiln were purchased from James Murray’s Firebrick and Grinding works at Port Dundas, Glasgow, at a cost of £1/15/- plus 2/- for cartage to Broomilaw.

Below – 11/05/1832 – Glasgow Herald – To sell or let.

Below – 15/11/1833 – Glasgow Herald – Fire Brick and Grinding Works, Port Dundas to let by Weir and Mcculloch – Contact James Murray.

1835 – 1836 – Wm Johnston & Co, Fire Brick and Grinding Works, Port Dundas, Glasgow.

1836 – William Johnston & Co, Fire Brick and Grinding Works, Port Dundas Road, Glasgow. House Clelland.

1841 – 1842 – Patrick and Alexander Miller, manufacturing chemists, and chemists and drysalters, 12 Croy Place, fire brick and grinding works, Port Dundas Road, Glasgow.

Below – 06/03/1848 – Glasgow Herald – Fire Brick and Grinding Works, Port Dundas to let.

1849 – 1850 – William Gray and Co, fire brick makers, 124 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow.

09/1849 – In September of 1849, Murray severed his connection with the company. For most of its life, the company was noted as having an immense wholesale home and export trade.

Below – 1852 – Advert John and James McLaughlin, Fire Brick and Grinding Works, 124 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow.

Below – 1852 – Port Dundas Pottery.

1852 – 1853 – John and James McLaughlin, Fire brick makers and grinding works, 124 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow.

James McLaughlin – House 33 St Vincent Place, Glasgow.

John McLaughlin, House 49 Soho Street, Glasgow.

26/01/1855 – Glasgow Herald – Dissolution of partnership – The firm of J & J McLaughlin, Old Fire Brick and Grinding Works, 124 Port Dundas Road was this day dissolved by mutual consent and the subscriber James McLaughlin is alone authorised to uplift and discharge all accounts due to and by the late firm. James McLaughlin and John McLaughlin. 18/01/1855 Glasgow.

1858 – Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for 1858 – Port Dundas, clay of coal measures. Name of freeholder – Jas. McLachlan. Manufacturer – James McLachlan. Manufacture – Bricks &c. Estimated 1,500 tons annually.

1861 – James McLaughlin, Fire Brick Maker, 124 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow.

James McLaughlin Roman cement manufacturer.

25/04/1863 – Renfrewshire Independent – At a Criminal Court held summarily before Mr Sherif Murray, on Saturday, a boy, named James McLachlan, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days imprisonment for the theft of a gold watch and other stocks from the house of his father, James McLachlan, brickmaker, Port Dundas Road, on the 5th instant.

Below – 22/10/1864 – Hamilton Advertiser – Williamwood Roman Cement Works, Kirk Street, Gorbals has been opened up by James McLachlin (McLaughlin) … Orders can be left at the Fire Brick and Grinding Works, 124 Port Dundas Road.

James McLaughlin, Fire Brick and Grinding Works, 124 Port Dundas Rd.

Below – 22/09/1868 – The Scotsman – Ground occupied as cement and fire brick works, Port Dundas Road for sale. Occupier James McLaughlin. (Note – SBH – This article probably confirms that the East Cowcaddens Fire Brick Works as operated by Paterson in the 1820s was located on the same site as the Port Dundas Works. This article refers to an area of 1302 square yards as does the 1822 article on my East Cowcaddens page – click me).

1877 – 1878 – James McLaughlin, fire brick and grinding works, 124 Port Dundas Rd. ; Ho. 31 Rose St., Garnethill.

1882 – 1883 – James McLaughlin, fire brick and grinding works, 124 Port Dundas Rd. ; Ho. 31 Rose St., Garnethill.

1883 – 1884 – James McLaughlin, fire brick and grinding works, 124 Port Dundas Rd. ; Ho. 31 Rose St., Garnethill.

07/03/1884 – Glasgow Herald – To builders, fire brick manufacturers and others. For sale, that piece of ground with the buildings thereon situated in Port Dundas Road, Glasgow occupied by the late James McLaughlin in the business of a fire brick manufacturer and grinder. The grounds extend to 1302 and a third square yards or thereby and enters from no 124 Port Dundas Road. Fey duty £21 14s 1d. The goodwill of the business so long and successfully carried on by the deceased and presently continued by his representatives will be included in the sale …

14/04/1884 – Glasgow Herald – All persons having claims against the later Mr James McLaughlin, fire brick manufacturers and grinders, Port Dundas Road, Glasgow are requested to lodge the same with subscribers within 14 days from this date and all persons indebted to the deceased are requested to make payment of their debts within the like period … Port Dundas Brick Company Limited, Glasgow.

Below – 1893 – Port Dundas Pottery.

1896 – 1897 – Port Dundas Brick Co Ltd, 202 Hope Street, Glasgow.

Below – 03/03/1898 – Glasgow Herald – McCallum V Port Dundas Brick Company Limited. Agnes McCallum sues the Port Dundas Brick Company Limited for £500 following an accident at the works whereby she lost a finger – Employers Liability Act.

Below – 06/04/1898 – Glasgow Herald -Port Dundas Brick Co in liquidation sell-off.

20/09/1898 – Glasgow Herald – Brick moulders and setters wanted immediately, steady work. Good wages. Turner, Port Dundas Brickworks.