Scottish shale Scottish shale

Mungle & Thornton

Company number:
Not known
Share capital:
£?
Started:
c. 1870
Finished:
partnership continued until c. 1884
Registered office:

Not known

Oil works:
Cobbinshaw North Oil Works

John Mungle had a variety of business interests in the West Calder area and was a partner in the family firm of A.Mungle & Sons who operated a general store and workshops. He died in 1891. Thomas Thornton was a coalmaster with interests in a number of oil businesses, who died c. 1884.

Evidence suggests that the partnership of Mungle & Thornton was established 1870 or earlier to develop oil works at North Cobbinshaw. In 1872 and unsuccessful attempt was made to lauch a major public company, the Scottish Mineral Oil & Coal Co. Ltd to purchase and take forward the business at North Cobbinshaw, which was continued by the partnership before being abandoned c.1874. It appears that Mungle & Thornton continued to operate North Cobbinshaw farm until Thornton's death, with local papers making various references to prize-winning sheep raised on the farm.

John Mungle and Thomas Thornton's brother James became founding directors of the Hermand Oil Co. Ltd in 1885

Partners

Redwood notes the proprietors of North Cobbinshaw oil works as "John and Alex Mungle"

Property

  • Newspaper references

      • DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP. THE Firm of A. MUNGLE & SONS, General Merchants, Main Street, West Calder, was this 1st day of January 1879 DISSOLVED by the retiral of Mr. John Mungle, Senior. The Business of the Firm will now be continued under the same name by the remaining Partners, John Thompson Mungle, Andrew Mungle, and James Mungle. Signed by us at West Calder, in the County of Edinburgh, in presence of the Witnesses hereto subscribing along with us.

      JOHN MUNGLE.
      JOHN T. MUNGLE.
      ANDREW MUNGLE.
      JAMES MUNGLE.

      ROBERT WATSON, Shop-Assistant, West Calder, Witness. ALEXR. BOWIE, Shop-Assistant, West Calder, Witness.

      Edinburgh Gazette, December 1878

      .......

      Mr John Mungle, a native of West Calder and one of the oldest and most respected merchants of the town, died at his residence there on Thursday night. Mr. Mungle was widely known as a successful man of business, and the deep interest that we took in local institutions gained him a large circle of friends. For many years he acted as agent for the Commercial Bank of Scotland, and last spring he was successful in his candidature for the office of County Councillor for the eastern division of the parish.

      Scotsman, 29th January 1891

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