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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dunbartonshire => Topic started by: DrD on Friday 26 February 10 00:15 GMT (UK)
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Seeking advice / information / sources for glassworkers in Dumbarton for the period 1775-1810. Do any list of apprentices or information on glassworks "gaffers" exist ?
Any assistance gratefully received as this will help several other researchers in Scotland and the US.
Regards
DrD
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Hi,
Are you posted on the Scottish Boards for Dunbarton. In the General Section for Scotland you may find links to whatever you are researching.
Could try trades in Dunbarton for the era of your research.
marcie.
you may well find a link for this in the General Section, if not ask someone for help. Maybe LittleNell or Kirsty.
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Dr D, have you got this booklet "The Glassworkers of Scotland" by Diana Connell, its available from the Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Unit, Unit 5, 22 Mansfield Street, Glasgow, G11 5QP any family in particular....Skoosh.
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Thanks everyone for helping me on my first post ! I am researching my personal family history (family = Dale) and helping others with glassmaking ancestors in Dumbarton, Glasgow and Leith (= Leighton, Bailey, Lamb). There doesn`t appear to be much online for Dumbarton (I live in Massachusetts !). Interestingly, two of my Dale ancestors emigrated tfrom Scotland to Massachusetts to work at the New England Glass Co. some 170 years before I did !
Regards
DrD
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hi drd gaffers were either a head blower in charge of their own shop(team) or the presser on a press on a press shop.
neil
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DrD, an Ambrose Dale had a Glass & China Warehouse in Buchanan Street,Glasgow in 1840.
William Bailey, a bottlemaker, Glasgow, 1768.
William Dale, a bottlemaker, Glasgow, 1788.
William Dahl, crystal glass man, Finnieston, Glasgow, 1783. This last could be a typo or one of the foreign glassworkers in Glasgow, from Bohemia etc'
Skoosh.
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gaffers were very good at their job and never stood for any larking about if a lad was not up to the job he would chase him after all if they were on bonus work they would want to get as much made as they could to make better money. even 15 year ago we would say i dont want to work on who evers shop cos he is a write old you know what.
if you need any help with job discriptions or glasswork let me know.
neil
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Neil, did they wear clogs, the broken glass must have played hell with boots!.....Skoosh.
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hi skoosh when i startered in 1984 everyone wore trainers the older blokes wore work boots;after new laws were past we all had to use safety boots,we allways had tinted glasses or visers if it was big work (over 25 litres) when gathering gloves were only worn on the left hand your right hand had to grip the blowing iron you could not grip it with a glove .blowers and ballmakers didnt use gloves a trick we payed on our mates was to put a tiny drop of water on each others gloves as soon as you grasped the warm iron the water boiled and you would hit thr roof.
neil
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Cheers Neil, I used to be a furnaceman so I know where you're coming from! a lump of brass chucked into an iron furnace while the operator's dozing, has a similar effect....Skoosh.
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hi again skoosh how intresting i have a thing about furnacers if thats how its wrote i even found out bits on how our local crem works nearly the same as our tank worked.Anymore question about glass feel free to ask.
neil
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Neil, read a horror story about a guy crawling along the channel under a glassfurnace to look at a hotspot and the metal burst through on him. Goodnight Irene!
Skoosh.
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hi skoosh thats not nice when only bits of our tank needed brickwork done that small section would be cooled and our brickies would do the repair every 3/4 years we had a total rebuild the tank would be drained and knocked down to ground leveland built back up contractors would come in to do the work this could take up to 12 weeks.
neil
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Searching around I found that the Dumbarton Glass Co. was constructed/established in 1776 and that the manager of the works was James Dixon. I`m going to order the booklet on glassmakers from the Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society.
Regards to all
DrD
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hi DrD sorry for going of track .could you post the link for dumbarton glass co. and do let us know what the booklets like.
neil
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Dear DrD
I got a personal message from you asking if I have any further info. about the Dumbarton Glass Co. Unfortunately I haven't had any time to pursue this line. I'd be glad to hear if you get anywhere. However DIxon isn't my main line of enquiry, so not high on my list of priorities.
LB
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Hello all
I'm also searching for glassmakers in Dumbarton in the 18th and early 19th C. Will get the booklet recommended.
I'm researching the Hartley family who eventually moved to England and were owners/senior managers at various glassworks (Nailsea, Wear Glassworks, Pilkingtons) in the late 19th & 20th c.
If anyone has any further information or advice I'd love to hear it.
Thanks
Maggie
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hi maggie the hartlley that opened the wear glass works was james hartley the glassworks changed hands over the years to name a few joblings pyrex and cornings there are a few streets near by which is said were named after james hartley,s daughters but the could be names of flowers to fern may violet rose and lilly street. no doubt someone will comfirm one or the other.
neil
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Hi Neilke
Thanks for the info re street names & JH's daughters - I'll check that out.
I have quite a bit of info on the Sunderland Hartleys & the Wear Glassworks (and Hartley Wood) if anyone else is looking.
However, I have pretty much nothing on the Dumbarton end of the family so if anyone reads this and can give me any info re their work in the glassworks there or anything else on Hartley's in Dumbarton that would be great.
Thanks
Maggie
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Maggie, have you read Jason Ellis, "Glassmakers of Stourbridge & Dudley 1612-2002" ISBN 1-4010-6798-0, some stuff on the Hartley's and partnership with Chance etc', plate glass manuf's, before moving to Sunderland.......Skoosh.
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hi maggie what ever you need to know about glassmaking let me know i have a reasonable amount of knowlege on the subject lol i worked at cornings.
neil
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Hello Dr D.
I realise it's been a while since you posted - and a while since I have been here ....
But I have some info on Dumbarton glass, slightly after your period but some might be useful - I also have a plan of the glassworks from 1818 which is not on the site where I found it anymore.
My ggrandfather John Little was born there and his father John Little worked at the glassworks - also possibly HIS father Thomas Little as a labourer.
- Alison.
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This link gives some info on Dumbarton's Glass industry
http://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/mww/html/glassmaking.html
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John Logan has done a lot of research on Dumbarton Glassworks. Apparently he produced a thesis at Strathclyde University. There's this:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/000767917200000004
Expensive, but public libraries can borrow copies of serials such as this for you through the inter-library loans system, either the whole issue or a photcopy of the pages you require. The earlier roots of the Scottish glass industry are covered by a superb study:
The Scottish Glass Industry 1610-1750 by Jill Turnbull published by The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Imber
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Dr D, have you got this booklet "The Glassworkers of Scotland" by Diana Connell, its available from the Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Unit, Unit 5, 22 Mansfield Street, Glasgow, G11 5QP any family in particular....Skoosh.
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Thanks for posting. this resource. I'm looking to find whether or not my 4th-great grandfather, Daniel Robinson, came from Dumbarton. The earliest record I can find him in is the 1810 US Federal Census in Berlin, NY amongst the workers and managers of the Rensselaer Glass Factory. Daniel was a glass blower as indicated in the ledgers of the Bristol Glass Company of Woodstock, NY (where he worked after his stint at Rensselaer). As the legend goes, William Richmond, superintendent of the Rensselaer Glass Factory, travelled to Dumbarton in 1806 disguised as a beggar with an eye patch and bagpipes. He discreetly persuaded glass workers to return to the United States with him to work at the Rensselaer Glass Factory. The workers were smuggled aboard a ship and hid their tools (since it was a penal offense for glass workers to leave the U.K.) Well, the dates line up and it all makes sense.
My webpage about Daniel is at https://sites.google.com/site/robinson1857/daniel-robinson
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Maggie R.... My knowledge of the family glass businesses is limited to what's available here and elsewhere on the internet. I am a descendant of the Hartley family. James Hartley is my 3 times great uncle. Wish I knew more. My middle name is Hartley as was my father's, nephew and grandmothers :-)