Chapel Street Brickworks, Chapel Street, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
(Note – SBH – The brickworks were situated in Chapel Street, Airdrie but I am uncertain if they went by this name or another such as simply Airdrie Brickworks).
1858 – This map shows the area of North Street and Chapel Street which is presumably where the brickworks were located. They are not shown on this map so perhaps they were built after 1858. Likewise they are not shown on the 1897 map so they appear to have operated between 1858 and 1897.
22/01/1864 – Glasgow Herald – For sale, upwards of 200,000 composition bricks lying beside the Monklands Railway. Apply at the Airdrie Brickworks. Airdrie 20/01/1864.
01/10/1864 – Hamilton Advertiser – Boiler explosion – Shortly after 7 o’clock on Thursday morning, the denizens of Chapel Street and North Street &c were startled by a rather unusual report, caused by the explosion of the boiler at the brickwork of Councillor Thom and Alex. Nicol, Chapel Street. The cause of the explosion is not known, but it is generally supposed to have been owing to defects in the ends of the boiler. It was, however, but lately repaired, and considered free from danger. By good luck, the engineman, Neil Kilpatrick, had a minute or two before left the engine, and gone a short distance from it, else the result to him would likely have been serious. He was struck (likely by a brick) on the back the neck, and felled to the ground and received a cut or two on the forehead in the fall. Dr Cullen dressed his injuries and reports that there is nothing serious likely to result from them. The boiler, with the exception of one of the ends, went the distance fully forty yards from its bed and such was the velocity with which it went along, that the bottom of the end still attached to it, was forced in, and ‘scrapped’ fully half-a-cart of dirt off the ground, and embedded itself about 7 or feet into a coal bing. The other end went about 30 yards to the other side of the bed of the boiler. The stalk was knocked down, and fell over one half of the house in which they make the bricks, taking it to the ground. Fortunately, none of the workers were near that place at the time. One brick went the length of fully 70 yards, went through the lobby wall, and fell into a bed in the house of Mrs Collins, North Street. A little child was sitting at the bead of the stair the time, but fortunately the brick went over its head. Had the boiler not been arrested by the coal bing, in its career, the result would have been fearful, it would have went the length of the houses North Street. Thousands of bricks strewed the ground, and the whole has the appearance of nothing but ruins. The expense which will fall upon Messrs Thom and Nicol will be very heavy. As there are many boilers in our works town, we hope that this will cause their owners to see to their being in a safe condition, so that the lieges may not suffer a similar mishap.
17/04/1866 – Glasgow Herald – An accident of a very melancholy nature occurred on Sunday morning last, on the Monkland branch of the North British Railway, whereby a young man named Thomas Chapman, about twenty years of age, engaged as an overman, was killed, by being run over by a goods train, It appears that about a quarter to one o’clock on Sunday morning last the unfortunate deceased was proceeding on his way home and that he walked along the railway as a near road to his father’s house in Commonside, which adjoins the railway. When he had reached that part of the line opposite Messrs. Nicol & Thom Brickwork, an engine with a goods train, which was approaching in an opposite direction, overtook him, and it is supposed that in attempting to avoid the train he had stumbled and fallen over the rails, or that he had been knocked down by the engine, However this may be, the whole train passed over his body, mutilating it fearfully and inflicting injuries so severe that he died in about half an hour afterwards. The body was conveyed to the Burgh Police Office, where it, was identified.
1867 – Airdrie Brickworks were owned by Nicol and Thom. Products included firebricks and composition bricks.