Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Braehead Brickworks, Fauldhouse, West Lothian possibly aka Fallahill Brickworks (Note – SBH – Can anyone find a map with these specific works detailed).

Canmore

30/03/1895 – Glasgow Herald- New companies. Turner’s Limited established with a capital of £60,000 in 12,000 shares of £5 each to adopt and carry into effect an agreement with William Turner and Sons, brick manufacturers and quarry masters, Eastfield, Fallahill and Abercorn and to carry on the business of mining, brickmaking and quarrying &c. The registered office is at 262 Morrison Street, Edinburgh. The subscribers are William Turner, quarry master, Fauldhouse. Gardiner Turner, quarry master, Edinburgh. James Turner, quarry master, Edinburgh. Andrew Scott Turner, quarry master, Edinburgh. William Turner Jnr, builder, Edinburgh. Alex Turner, joiner, Edinburgh and Thomas Turner, cashier, Fauldhouse.

Below – 03/02/1898 – Glasgow Herald – Prospectus for Turners Limited, quarry masters, brick manufacturers and coal masters, Edinburgh … The company was formed in 1894 as a private joint-stock company for the purpose of acquiring, carrying on, developing and extending the business of quarry masters, brick manufacturers and coal masters, Edinburgh and elsewhere, previously the property of Messrs William Turner and Sons … The company consists of … Eastfield Freestone Quarry, Fallahills Freestone Quarry, East and West Braehead Quarries, Plean Mill Quarry, Abercorn Brickworks, Portobello, Eastfield Brickworks, Braehead Brickworks, Kepplehill and Tarbrax Collieries, Stane Colliery, Lands of Stane … The brickworks are capable of producing upwards of 18,000,000 bricks annually, besides tiles, flower pots, fireclay goods etc …

05/03/1898 – The Scotsman – Brickwork manager wanted. Must be well up in the manufacture of common and facing red bricks, also fireclay goods and have experience of Hoffman and other kilns. State age and wage expected. Apply by letter to Turners Limited, 16 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh.

13/06/1898 – Edinburgh Evening News – Offers wanted to empty a Hoffman kiln by contract. Apply manager, Braehead Brickworks, Fauldhouse.

17/09/1898 – Linlithgowshire Gazette – Turner’s Limited, brickmakers, Fauldhouse appealed against the valuation of their works at Braehead which was stated at £180. After the facts had been discussed, the court restricted the valuation to £180.

14/03/1899 – Dundee Advertiser – The annual meeting of Turners Limited, quarry masters, brick manufacturers, and coalmasters, Edinburgh, &c., was held in Dowell’s Rooms, Edinburgh, yesterday, Mr Gardiner Turner, builder, in the chair. The report by the Directors for the 15 months ending 30th November last stated that the whole of the 12,000 preference shares of £5 each, amounting to £60,000, offered for subscription, had been fully taken up and paid. There had been a capital expenditure of £36,133 9s 9d, principally in connection with the opening up of Stane Colliery, Braehead Brickwork, Plean Mill Quarry, and the further development of the Kepplehill Colliery. The Stane Colliery, Brickwork, Plean Mill Quarry were now in working order, but during the period covered by the report, these were not a source of income. The profits, including the sum of £3650 4s carried forward from 31st August, amounted to £15,850 5s 1d, from which £7053 14s 9d had deducted, leaving a balance of £8796 10s 4d. The Directors recommended a dividend of 5 per cent, per annum the ordinary shares for the 15 months, writing off the whole the expenses connected with the issue of preference shares and cost of acquiring properties, and carrying forward £3978, subject to Directors and auditors fees. The Chairman moved, and Mr John White seconded, the report, which was adopted. Mr Gardiner Turner was re-elected Director, Messrs Ronaldson & Gordon, C.A., were appointed Auditors

24/08/1899 – Edinburgh Evening News – Good brick hands wanted, also good setters. Good wages given. Apply Braehead Brickworks, Fauldhouse.

03/04/1900 – Edinburgh Evening News – Turner’s Limited, Edinburgh. At the annual meeting of Turner’s Limited, quarry masters, brick manufacturers and coalmasters, Edinburgh yesterday, it was reported that the profits for the year amounted to £7527 which, together with £3686 brought forward made a sum of £11, 213 for disposal. After allowing for the dividend on the preference shares and adding £1912 to the reserve fund, the directors recommended a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent on the ordinary shares, leaving £3401 to be carried forward. The report was adopted.

1903 – Turners Ltd, brick and tile makers, Fauldhouse, Linlithgowshire. John Routledge, manager.

04/12/1903 – Linlithgowshire Gazette – At Linlithgow Sheriff Court Monday, before Hon Sheriff Substitute Jamieson, John Flynn, labourer, was charged with lodging in a kiln at Braehead Brickworks without the consent of Messrs Turner Limited, on the 29th inst. He pleaded guilty, and the full penalty of £l or fourteen days imprisonment was imposed.

15/01/1904 – West Lothian Courier – Henry Docherty and Mary Docherty, his wife, Airdrie, were charged with having on 10th January lodged in premises at Grayhead Brickworks, Fauldhouse, occupied by Turners, Limited. Both pleaded guilty and the man stated that he and his wife had come from Airdrie as be had got work at Benbar Pit as a brusher. He had expected to have got lodging at the house of acquaintances who when they arrived, happened to be from home. In reply to the Sheriff, the local police constable said the man told him that he expected to get work the next day. The Sheriff—As there is a doubt as to whether you have work to go to I will give you the benefit of it and let you go off to your work if you have work to go to. (Note – SBH – I believe Grayhead should read Braehead unless its another local name for the works?)

26/02/1904 – Linlithgowshire Gazette – Depression in trade. The district has every appearance of wearing round to the experience of last summer owing to the severe depression of trade. For the first time the history Turners, Limited, the quarries were idle for three days last week owing to want of orders, there being at present hundreds of tons of material lying ready for shipment. Wages were recently broken in both quarries and brickworks, and a dispute followed the case of the brickworks, though work has again been resumed.

26/08/1905 – Edinburgh Evening News. Boy wanted for coal and quarry masters office. Apply by letter only, Turner’s Limited, 130 George Street, Edinburgh.

27/04/1906 – Linlithgowshire Gazette – Fauldhouse. Brickwork stopped. Owing to depression in the building trade and the consequent lack of orders, the brickwork belonging to Messrs Turner, Limited, stopped on Saturday last, all the employees being paid off. So far as the coal trade is concerned, the only complaint seems to bo regarding a scarcity of waggons, which has the effect of throwing the men idle one day in the week at least. Orders are plentiful, and a ready market now being found for all that can be produced in this district at least.

12/10/1906 – West Lothian Courier – Brickworks stopped. Last Saturday brickmaking operations ceased in the Fauldhouse district, when the brickwork, at East Benhar, owned by Turners, Limited, was shut down and the hands paid off. Brickmaking in the district first began at the Eastleld Brickwork, and then operations were extended and a new work opened at East Benhar. Some years ago it was found necessary to stop the Eastfield Brickwork and now the one at Benhar has followed suit, and this industry is finished at Fauldhouse in the meantime at any rate.

23/11/1906 – West Lothian Courier – Thomas Ayr, fireman; and Thos. Kerrigan, labourer, were charged with having on 11th November, at Braehead Brickworks, Fauldhouse, lodged in premises there without the permission of the owners. The Fiscal said the accused refused to leave the works when requested to do so. The Sheriff fined each 7s 6d or 5 days.

13/09/1907 – West Lothian Courier – Bathgate Brickworks. The manager of Turners, Limited, explained an appeal by the firm against the valuation of their brickworks at Bathgate at £150. He said the works were previously valued at £300 but were now closed and the machinery was for sale. The assessor said the explanation was right enough. When the firm intimated to him that the works were stopped he had entered them at half their previous value which was the thing to do. Part of the machinery was still on the ground. The valuation was adjusted at £100. (Note – SBH – I am uncertain which of Turner’s brickworks this information relates to. Detailed here meantime until clarified).

Below – 25/07/1908 – The Scotsman – Dismantlement sale. Falahill Brickworks and Quarry and Braehead and Eastfield Quarries situated at Fauldhouse for sale …

08/08/1908 – Midlothian Advertiser – A sale by auction took place at Braehead, Fallahill and Eastfield Quarries and Brickworks, the property of Turner’s Limited. The stock consisted of brickmaking machinery, quarrying plant, steam boilers, engines, engineers tools, railway sidings, bricks and other effects, which were speedily bought up. The auctioneers were Edward Rushton, Son & Kenyon, Manchester. The sale having been advertised in some of the English papers a goodly number were present from several of the English towns eager to secure bargains. All has to cleared off the ground by 1st September. (Note – SBH – I am not sure if this infers that the brickworks were at Braehead, Falahill which is to the SW of Fauldhouse).

12/03/1909 – Linlithgowshire Gazette – Mary Graham or Slavin, wife of Patrick Slavin, quarry foreman, Braehead Brickworks houses and another female pleaded guilty to stealing 197lbs of coal from a wagon at Falahill Siding, Whitburn occupied by United Collieries.

10/09/1920 – West Lothian Courier – Braehead Brickwork, Fauldhouse. For sale. Cottage, also four houses. Rental £47. 13s. Offers will be received for the whole or either lot by Peter Howieson, Greenburn, Fauldhouse.

Below – 1939 – 1946 – (Many thanks to Martin Potter for pointing out the following). This map depicts ‘Brickworks Cottage’ which is situated just North of Braehead Colliery and was very likely the location of the Braehead Brickworks.