Scottish shale Scottish shale

Hareshaw Oil Works

Alternative names:
Cityside Oil Works
Parish:
Shotts, Lanarkshire
Local authority:
North Lanarkshire
Opened:
Built c. 1867
Closed:
Presumably dismantled c.1881
Current status of site:
Unknown

hareshawworks500.jpg

Not listed by Redwood.

Listed in Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland (1878) as "Hamilton, McCulloch & Co. Shale Oil Works, Cityside, by Holytown.

The location of the works, also known as Cityside Oil Works, remains uncertain. Five shale workers and one oil retort man were resident at "Cityside" during the 1871 census, but this place name is not found on any OS map. An advertisment in the Hamilton Advertiser of 18th November 1871 describes Hareshaw farm as being "near City-Side oil works. The Glasgow Herald of 15th October 1868 reported:

"Robert Hare, 23 years of age, was slightly burned at City Side Oil Works, belonging to Bell & Hamilton, near Greenhill, in the parish of Shotts."

From this reference it is assumed that the works were located in the Greenhill area. The 1878 newspaper report (see snippets) announcing the opening of the Cityside brick pipe and fireclay works might suggest that this was developed close to the site of the former Cityside Oil Works. The 1898 OS map shows a number of brickworks in the Greenhill / Hareshaw area, but none is identified as "Cityside".

Mapped by the Ordnance Survey of c.1898, showing the vicinity of Hareshaw and Greenhill.

  • Rateable value by year
    • Date Rateable Value Owner Occupier Notes
      1867 £90 Cityside Coal & Oil Company Cityside Coal & Oil Company 20 Retorts
      1868 £90 Cityside Coal & Oil Company Cityside Coal & Oil Company J Bell & J Hamilton
      1869-74 £90 Hamilton Mculloch & Company Hamilton Mculloch & Company
      1875-79 £90 Hamilton Mculloch & Company Hamilton Mculloch & Company
      1880-81 £16 Hamilton Mculloch & Company Hamilton Mculloch & Company Not Working
      1882 £16 Hamilton Mculloch & Company Hamilton Mculloch & Company Minerals
      1883 -- Hamilton Mculloch & Company Hamilton Mculloch & Company Minerals unwrought
      NO FURTHER ENTRIES
  • Location map
  • Detailed maps
  • Newspaper references
    • Fatal Accident at Greenhill.

      On Wednesday last, a boy about eight years of age, named Charles, son of, and residing with, his father, Michael Sloan, at Cityside Oil Works, in the parish of Shotts, met with his death in the following manner. The deceased was employed by his father firing stoves at the brick-works, and having got on the top of the clay mill, his head was caught between the crank of the pump rods and the wall, and he was instantaneously deprived of life.

      Hamilton Advertiser, 8th May 1869

      .......

      SHOTTS. Medical.— The workmen connected with Cityside Colliery and Oil Work, belonging to Messrs Hamilton. M'Culloch & Co., have elected Dr Jones, Newarthill, to their medical attendant.

      Hamilton Advertiser, 21st May 1870

      .......

      EXPLOSION OF OIL

      On Friday last, Alexander Lochhead, clerk, residing at Fernieshaw, got himself severely burned under the following circumstances:- while superintending the filling of a tank with crude oil at City-Side Oil Works. Mr Lochhead put a lighted lamp inside to ascertain if it were nearly full, when gas from the oil exploded, throwing him to the ground, and burning him severely on the hands and face.

      Hamilton Advertiser, 18th November 1871

      .......

      TO CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS- MACDONALD,EADIE & WADDELL have OPENED CITYSIDE BRICK, PIPE and FIRECLAY WORKS, near Bellside and are prepared to Supply Composition Bricks and all kinds of Fireclay Goods on the most Reasonable Terms. CITYSIDE WORKS, by HOLYTOWN.

      Scotsman, 8th June 1878

      .......

      Sale of Colliery, Oil Work and Brick Work Plant at Cityside, near Omoa Station, C.R. On Tuesday 17th April at 11 o'clock. THE PLANT consists of Engines, Boilers, Permanent and Pit Rails, Cart and Hutch. Weighing Machines, large quantity of Malleable and Cast Scrap, number of Vitrified Pipe. Also about 400 Tons Calcinated Ironstone, Catalogue in perpetration. Shirlaw Allan & Co. auctioneers.

      Lanarkshire Upper Ward Examiner, 7th April 1883