Glasgow area Soap Factories/Chemical Co's.

[tracya]

Does anybody have any information at all on soap factories or chemical works in the Glasgow area?  St. Rollux was one, not able to find much from my location in  Canada on it.  Was there another south west of Glasgow? Or in Old Kilpatrick? I know Charles Tennant was busy in the area and he partnered with "Soapy" Ogston at some point.

The reason that I ask is that I have an ancestor who was a Journeyman Soapmaker.  He ended up in Aberdeen working for Ogston & Tennant.  But he shows as living in Lanark/Glasgow from his marriage in 1807 until I am guessing from Census reports - some time between 1841-1851 when he shows up in Aberdeen.  Most of his children were baptised in the RC church in Glasgow. 

In convict transport reports for some of his children his occupation was 'soap boiler' in the early 1830's. One location for a residence from the court records places that family at Deacons Close in Calton Downs.  I have searched maps but cannot find that street name today.

Also, does anybody know if Charles Tennant's companies kept any detailed records that could hopefully/possibly/ miraculously be stored in a dusty  archive somewhere?  hahaha.

Thanks in advance for any info.

[sancti]

Could it be Calton in Glasgow?

[tracya]

I am pretty sure "Calton Downs" is "Calton" in Glasgow, but there is no Deacons Close.

[sancti]

I think at that time it was mainly cotton works/weaving in the Calton area

[Istrice]

Hi tracya,

Soapy Ogston was from Aberdeen, and there is a fair bit of information about him on the web.  Sometime after 1892 Tennant and Co, Soap and candle manufacturers of the St Rollox/Sighthill area of Glasgow joined with Ogstons, and the joint company eventually became part of the Lever Group empire - a very large concern today, that may employ an archivist.

I plead ignorance to having detailed, or any, knowledge of the companies involved, but the attached web address may help you to progress your enquiries.

  http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Ogston_and_Tennant.

Good luck,

Istrice

[IMBER]

A little background information can be found here:

http://cheshire.cent.gla.ac.uk/ead/search?operation=search&query=cql.resultSetId%20%3D%20%22eadResultSetStore%2F161%22%20and%20c3.ead-idx-creator%20exact%20%22charles%20tennant%20%26%20co%20ltd%20(chemical%20manufacturers%3A%201913-%3A%20glasgow,%20scotland)%22

[tracya]

Interesting information, thank you.

I must have been given some misinformation as my ancestor passed away in 1867, so I imagine he was not part of "Ogston & Tennant" exactly.

I guess I will have to do more digging around.

Thank you all very  much for the information and links.  Much appreciated.

[wilcoxon]

The Morning Post (London, England), Saturday, June 13, 1835;

Deacons Close ,Calton, Glasgow is mentioned in a case of the  murder of a Mrs Waters

[wilcoxon]

Berrow's Worcester Journal Thursday, December 09, 1847;
Deacons Close, Calton mouth was the scene of a death, a soldier had gone to sleep on the top of the stairhead, had fallen downstairs and caught his head in the rails, where he was hanged.

How very sad.

 So Deacons Close did exist, I can`t find any mention later than that in my source.