Calder Iron Works of Monklands
c.1795 Built by a Glasgow company at a cost of £15,000 for the manufacture of iron and steel
This was the first iron works to use the blackband ironstone as an ore.
About two years later the venture failed and the works were sold to Mr. Dixon for £400.
c.1800 Dixon formed another company, with Mr. David Mushet as manager. The works were erected by Mr Mushet for himself and his partners, including William Dixon.
So prosperous was the new company that, when disagreement dissolved the partnership about two years after, the works were bought by Mr. William Dixon for £19,000.
1805 Mention of 'Mr. Mushett, Calder Iron Works'.[1]
1825 Mention as 'Messrs. Dixons of Calder Iron Works.[2]
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]
In consideration of the assistance provided by Mr Condie (John Condie?) and Mr Dixon in developing Neilson's invention, the production of several of the Calder furnaces were exempted from the usual royalty[4] for using Neilson's hot blast.
1830 'Robert Poney, principal furnace keeper at Calder Iron Works, near Airdrie'[5]
1921 Closed
- Note: There was also a Calder Iron Works at Dewsbury, Yorkshire which was mentioned as closed in 1823.[6]