Smith & McLean's

In 1872 Smith & McLean took over as from Gartcosh Ironworks following its sequestration.

It was under this company's ownership that the name Gartcosh became synonymous with steelmaking and even today the "Old Works", as the factory came to be remembered by villagers, lives on in street names within Gartcosh.

Smith and McLean were a Glasgow company founded in 1861 by Richard Smith of Glasgow and Charles McLean of Plantation ("Govan area"). Both Richard Smith and Charles McLean died after only a brief time in Gartcosh and ownership passed to Charles Mowbray and George Jardine..... the company, however, still traded under the name Smith and McLean.

By 1872 Smith and McLean were merchants, manufacturers, galvanizers, steel and iron plate and sheet rollers. They owned Clyde Galvanizing Works at Mavisbank and Port Glasgow, the Iron and steel works at Milnwood. (Mossend)

In 1872 the capacity of the works was the output of two Sheet Mills, with six puddling furnaces and one ball furnace.

According to Clydebridge Steelworks History, George Jardine and C.C. Mowbray had joined the firm about two years earlier, and four years later Manfred L.P. Jardine succeeded Mr. George Jardine.

Gartcosh grew as a result of the works -during the late 1890s and early 1900s Smith & McLean provided new brick-built houses for their workers in the village. See here ..... within that link, you will see photographs of the now demolished SMITH TERRACE and McLEAN PLACE, named after the company's founders.

The manufacture of iron sheets continued at the works until 1904.