Scottish shale Scottish shale

Blackstoun Oil Works

Former parish and county:
Parish of Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire
Local authority:
Renfrewshire
Ownership:
Opened:
Presumably constructed c. 1872
Closed:
Presumably dismantled c. 1887
Current status of site:
Farm and wooded waste ground

blackstounworks500.jpg

Redwood notes

" Blackstoun Oil Works, proprietor Allen, Craig & Company and located Linwood, near Johnstone, Paisley operated between 1870 and 1886, equipped with 44 vertical retorts producing crude oil only."

The Blackstoun shale, coal and oilworks were operated by Allan Craig & Sons, and listed in editions of Watson's Directory for Paisley between 1873 and 1886. What little evidence exists suggests that Blackstoun pit and the associated oil works was located immediately north of Linwood village

Blackstoun oil works were an entirely separate operation from the Blackstone Oil Works, operated by the Blackstone Mineral Oil Co., which lay about a mile to the north east.

Mapped by the Ordnance Survey of c.1896, showing the locality of the works.

Directory Listings

From Watson's Directory for Paisley:

  • BLACKSTOUN Shale, Coal and Oil Works, proprietors, Allan Craig & Sons (1873-86)
  • CRAIG, Allan, & Sons, Coal and Shale Oil Works (1871-73)
  • CRAIG, Allen & Sons, Coal and Shale Oil Works, Linwood (1877-82)
  • CRAIG, Allan & Sons, Brick Manufacturers (1874-78)
  • CRAIG, Allan, of Craig, Allan, & Sons, house, Mount Florida, Glasgow (1874-78), Newfield, Johnstone (1879-82)
  • CRAIG Allan, jun., of Allan Craig, & Sons, ho., Johnstone (1875-85) Newfield, Johnstone (1886)
  • CRAIG, John, of Allan Craig & Sons, ho., Johnstone (1875-86)
  • CRAIG, Robert, of Allan Craig & Sons, Linwood (1875-77)
  • CRAIG, William of Allan Craig & Sons, Linwood (1876-86)
  • BLACKSTON Mineral Company, Blackston – Robert Waddell, manager (1885-89), William Kirkwood, manager (1892-93), Peter Paterson, manager. (1894-95)
  • BLACK, William & Sons Limited, Blackstone works (1896-99) Blackstone works and Blackstone brickworks (1900+)
  • UNITED COLLIERIES, Blackston brickworks (1905+)
  • KIRKWOOD, William, manager Blackston works – cottage Blackston (1889-92)
  • NIVEN, Robert, cashier, Blackstoun Pits (1876)
  • PARK, Isaac, clerk, Blackston Mineral Co. – house Blackstone cottage (1894) Wm. Black & Sons Ltd. – house (1896-97)
  • RUSSELL, Thomas, clerk and cashier to Blackston Mineral Co. (1885-89) cashier to Blackston Mineral Co. –house 18 Greenhill Rd, Paisley (1890-95)
  • RUSSELL, Thomas, cashier to William Black & Sons Ltd. –house 18 Greenhill Rd, Paisley (1896)
  • WADDELL, Robert, manager, Blackstoun Pits (1876-79), manager, Blackstoun Works (1880-84) cottage; Blackston (1885-87)
  • WILSON, Alex., oversman, Blackstoun Pit (1876-78)

  • Location map
  • Detailed maps