Scottish shale Scottish shale

Rumford Street Oil Works

Former parish and county:
Parish of Calton, Lanarkshire
Local authority:
Glasgow city
Ownership:
Opened:
Constructed c.1844
Closed:
Presumably cleared after 1905
Current status of site:
Public open space and road
Regional overview:

rumfordStworks500.jpg

Not listed by Redwood.

George Miller & Co's Rumford St Chemical Works were constructed on a site adjoining the City and Suburban Gas Company's Dalmarnock Gas Works; both of which began production in c.1844. The chemical works processed the by-products of gas production, and supplied tars and asphalt from their "Dalmarnock Asphalte Works", used for flooring and pavement works.

From 1866 to 1872 Glasgow Post Office directories listed George Miller & Co. under "Paraffin Oil Manufacturers", suggesting that shale oil may have been refined at Rumford Street during this period of "oilmania".

Partners in George Miller & Co. included Robert Binning and John Poynter, both of whom went on to establish their own shale oil businesses. George Miller's brother John (through the firm of John Miller & Co.) operated a similar business at Sandilands Chemical Works, linked to Aberdeen gas works.

The works were last listed in the 1905 Glasgow Post Office Directory as :

  • MILLER, George, & Co., gas coal-tar distillers, manufacturers of sulphate of ammonia, napthas, benzoles, pitch, carbolic acid, creosote, and dipping oils, 40 West Nile street; works, 89 Rumford St.

Directory entries

From Glasgow Post Office Directories

  • MILLER, George & Co. oil works, Greenvale (1842-44)
  • MILLER, G & Co., Dalmarnock Chemical Works, 89 Rumford Street (1845-50)
  • MILLER, George, & Co., manufacturing chemists, and oil merchants, asphalters, tar, naptha and rosin distillers,and grease manufacturers, works 89 Rumford st.; office; 83 Jamaica st. (1855-56)
  • MILLER, George, & Co., manufacturing chemists, and oil merchants, asphalters, tar, naptha and rosin distillers,and grease manufacturers, works Rumford st.; office; 72 Great Clyde st. (1857)
  • MILLER, George, & Co., Mineral oil lamp makers, chemists, and oil merchats, tar and naptha distillers, asphalters and manufacturers of coal products, 34 Bothwell street; works Rumford st. (1858-61)
  • MILLER, George, & Co., manufacturing chemists, 34 Bothwell St.; works Rumford street (1862)
  • MILLER, George, & Co., manufacturing chemists and oil merchants, tar and naptha distillers, and asphalters; works Rumford Street; office, 84 Mitchell street (1863-69)
  • MILLER, George, & Co., manufacturing chemists, tar and naptha distillers, asphalters and paraffin oil refiners; 75 Union St. works Rumford Street; (1870-74)
  • MILLER, George, & Co., manufacturing chemists, tar and naptha distillers, asphalters,office 75 Union St. works 89 Rumford Street; Bridgeton (1875-76)
  • MILLER, George, & Co., manufacturing chemists, tar and naptha distillers, asphalters,office 40, West Nile St.. works 89 Rumford Street; Bridgeton (1877-85 and later)

Mapped by the Ordnance Survey of c.1858.

  • Location map
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