Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 164,994 pages of information and 246,457 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Wilsontown Iron Works

From Graces Guide

Wilsontown Iron Works of Carnwath (1779 - 1842)

1780-81 The iron works were erected by the Wilson brothers, natives of the district, who had been, for a long time, settled in London as Swedish merchants[1]

An extensive forge was added to the blast furnaces and foundry

The business became solely in the charge of John Wilson, Senior

1804 Erection of a rolling mill

1812 Sale Notice: 'WILSONTOWN IRON WORKS,.LANARKSHIRE, FOR SALE. To be SOLD by public auction, ....
These well known IRON WORKS, together with the DWELLING-HOUSES, WORK-HOUSES, whole ENGINES and APPARATUS; as also, the LANDS and others attached thereto, comprehending an inexhaustible supply of coal, limestone, ironstone, fire-clay, and every other material necessary for such extensive Works.
The Wilsontown Iron Works are situate exactly 26 miles from the ports of Leith and Glasgow, and thus command ready access to the markets on both the East and West Coasts as well as in Ireland.
They lie in a cheap-and plentiful part of the country; are the only Works of the kind in Scotland, and are in the most perfect condition in every respect.
The Apparatus consists of two Blast-Furnaces, blown by a 48 inch Boulton and Watt double power steam engine, sufficient to blow also an additional furnace if required; as also four other steam engines of different dimensions, with the most complete machinery for the manufacture of Bar, Bolt, Rod, and Sheet Iron, Boiler Plates, Hoops, &c. recently erected on the newestand most approved principles.
The works are chiefly employed at present in making soft Pig-iron for Foundery use, principally of the best No. 1. Two furnaces produce from 80 to 90 tons weekly, which may be proportionably increased to upwards of 120 tons by the erection of another furnace, for which there is abuudance of spare blast.
As the freight of iron from Leith to London is only from 10s. to 12s. per ton, and the insurance less than 1 per cent. these works are particularly worthy of the attention of Gentlemen in the Iron Trade, resident in London, where the excellent quality of the Wilsontown iron commands a constant preference in the market.
Besides suitable work-houses, a suttlery, and store-houses, there is an excellent dwelling-house for the proprietor, find houses for the manager, clerks, and from four to five hundred workmen and their families.
The lands .....
Inventories and specifications of the machinery, minerals, &c. and any other necessary information, may be had by applying to Mr James Wilson, No. 6, Crosby Square, Bishopsgate Street, London; Wilson and Sons, Wilsontown ; or J. B. Fraser, the trustee, 12, Forth Street, Edinburgh; also Messrs Edington, Queen Street, Glasgow; A. Coutts, Esq.. Liverpool; [more names follow][2]

The business was taken over by Messrs Dixon of Govan. At their Wilsontown Iron Works it was discovered that the local hard 'splint' coal could be used directly in the furnace without previous coking using John Condie's invention of the spiral tuyere; this was the first successful use of coal direct in blast furnace practice.

1825 'At Calder iron-works there are four blast furnaces; in Wilsontown, two; in Carron, five; Clyde, two; Shotts, one; Clelland, two; Muirkirk, three; Devon, two. These furnaces make, on an average, thirty-five tons of iron week each, when working.'[3]

1842 Closed

See Lanarkshire Iron Works


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. The Engineer 1872/08/09
  2. Caledonian Mercury - Saturday 12 September 1812
  3. Morning Advertiser - Saturday 22 October 1825
  • [1] Clydebridge Steel Work History