Scottish shale Scottish shale

John and James Baird

Started:
1870's ?
Finished:
1880's ?
Registered office:

Not known

John Baird (born c. 1815) and James Baird (born c. 1819) - presumably brothers - were master tile makers, each proprietors of their own tile manufacturing business.

Valuation rolls list John and James Baird as joint proprietors of a tile and brickworks at Kirkmuirhill, near Lesmahagow, where they operated the small-scale Kirkmuirhill oil works for a short period during the 1860's. Redwood also records J. & J. Baird as proprietor of the Auchinheath Oil Works, about a mile distant to Kirkmuirhill. Valuation rolls list the operators of these works as the Auchinheath Chemical Company, although may be the case that the Baird brothers had an interest in this company; the Baird family certainly operated tile works at Auchinheath.

John Baird of Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow is recorded as proprietor of Doura oil works, Ayrshire, in 1875, while James Baird of Blackwood Cottage, Lesmahagow was proprietor of Patterton oil works, also in Doura, Ayrshire in that same year.

It appears that John Baird's son, John Baird (born c.1849) took an active interest in the oil industry, being listed in as an oil manufacturer, resident in Kilwinning, in the 1871 census. It appears that this John Baird (born c.1849) and his uncle? John Baird (born c. 1815) subsequently formed the Annick Lodge Oil Co. See also John Baird.

Partners

  • John Baird
  • James Baird

  • References
    • It is difficult to determine precise addresses from census entries, however reference to adjacent household schedule numbers suggest that "West End Cottage" lay the village of Kirkmuirhill, and that "Brickwork Cottage" lay in Auchinheath.

      1851 Census

      • John Baird, aged 35, Master tilemaker employing 4 men and five boys, resident at Barskimming tile work, Stair, Ayrshire. Household contains son John, aged six months

      1861 Census

      • John Baird, aged 46, (born Tillicoultry), Tile-maker, resident at Hamlet of Shirlaw tile works, Carham, Northumberland. Household includes John Baird aged 10 and James Baird aged 7.
      • James Baird, aged 42, (born Kilmarnock), Tile manufacturer, employing 10 labourers and 6 boys, resident at Union Cottages, Union St. Stonehouse. Household includes John Baird, age 13 (born Sorn, Ayrshire)

      1871 Census

      • John Baird, aged 56, Tile and oil manufacturer and a small farm of 6 acres, resident at West End Cottage, Parish of Lesmahagow. The household includes John Baird, aged 20, and James Baird aged 17, the later described as labourer at brickworks
      • James Baird, aged 52, tile manufacturer employing 8 labourers and 3 boys, resident at Blackwood cottage, Parish of Lesmahagow.
      • John Baird (son of James), age 22, oil manufacturer, lodging at Main St. Kilwinning

      1881 Census

      • John Baird, aged 66, Oil and tile manufacturer, resident in Parish of Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire
      • James Baird (son of John), aged 27, Tile manufacturer, Resident at Brickwork cottage
      • John Baird (son of James), age 32, Colliery manager, Shipmill cottage, parish of Irvine

      1891 Census

      • John Baird, aged 76, Brick & tile maker (retired), resident at West End Cottage, Kirkmuirhill,
      • James Baird (son of John), aged 37, Drain tile manufacturer, resident at Brickwork cottage

      1901 Census

      • James Baird (son of John), aged 47, Fruit Grower, resident at Tile works cottage, Auchinheath

  • Newspaper references
    • TO THE CREDITORS ON The Sequestrated Estates of JAMES BAIRD, JUNIOR, Brick and Tile Manufacturer, Auchinheath Tile Works, Lesmahagow. BY virtue of an Order by the Sheriff-Substitute of Lanarkshire, James Baird, junior, above designed, hereby intimates that he has presented a Petition to the Sheriff of Lanarkshire at Lanark, to be finally discharged of all debts contracted by him before the date of the Sequestration of his Estates, in terms of the Statutes. WM. STODART, Writer, Hamilton, Agent for Petitioner. Hamilton, 3rd August 1894.

      Edinburgh Gazette 7th August 1894