Woodneuk Ironworks

In the mid 19th century Gartcosh became prominent in industrialisation.

In 1865 William Gray in partnership with Archibald and James Gray decided to take advantage of the railway stop and he started an Ironworks. The works were originally called the Woodneuk Iron Works as it was probably built on the Woodneuk estate.

The firm traded as Grays and Watson. The Grays were in partnership with William Watson

In 1866 the works had ten puddling furnaces, 2 heating furnaces and a rolling mill.

http://www.topforge.co.uk/Processes.htm

This type of skilled work was new to the area and the William Gray had to look further afield to employ the labour he needed - the main sources of skilled labour for iron production at the time being the industrial English Midlands and South Wales.

An examination of unusual surnames from 1860 indicates that families did uproot and settle in Gartcosh.

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The factory was offered for sale at £4,500 in November 1866.

In 1867 it was re-offered for sale and bought by E. and W. Smith from Glasgow for £4,250.

The Smith brothers intended to exploit a new process for making steel from pig iron that had been invented by Robert Miller.

The Smith brothers formed the Gartcosh Iron & Steel Co.

In 1871 the company went into sequestration