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From 1794 until 1802 William Symington was living at Kinnaird, in the parish of Larbert, to the North of Falkirk. The Kinnaird estate was situated on a vast coal seam; the proprietor was James Bruce, the Abyssinian explorer, who had won fame for his travels and his search for the source of the Nile.
In 1791 Symington designed and erected the pumping engine for Pit number 10 of the Kinnaird Colliery. [1] This engine, built to Symington's 1787 patent, had an open cylinder, 64 inches in diameter and the length of the stroke was seven and a half feet. [2] He also supplied two winding engines for the Kinnaird pits.
A correspondent to the Falkirk Herald wrote in 1861 of his childhood memories of the massive pumping engine: "Many a time I have gone into the cylinder with my playmates and have descended and ascended with the piston while the engine was in motion. It was a common thing forty years ago." [3] Robert Gillespie wrote "although now groaning sadly under the pressure of years, the huge engine, as a pumper, has still few equals in scotland." [4] The engine was situated near the eastern entrance to the Kinnaird estate, north of the Bellsdyke road, where a small settlement known as "Old engine" was established.
Symington and Bruce seemed to have formed a very close friendship. According to Symington's son-in-law and biographer, Dr. Robert Bowie, "they were almost inseparable." Bruce died on 27 April 1794 at the age of 63 years. A towering figure of a man, Bruce met an untimely death after he fell down the staircase at Kinnaird. According to Gillespie, he broke his neck in the fall. Bowie claimed that Bruce died in William Symington's arms “it was supported in the arms of Mr. Symington that he who had travelled so far and encountered dangers so many, yielded up his spirit”. [5] [6]
After Bruce's death, William Symington was made manager of the colliery. He lived on the Kinnaird estate until 1802 and was living at Kinnaird when he commenced his steam boat experiments for Lord Dundas. In 1800 he was also involved with the Grange colliery near Bo'ness.
[1] SRO GD58/1/28 Letter Carron to Bruce 31 July 1792
[2] Falkirk Herald November 7, 1861, Page 3, Column E
[3] Falkirk Herald, November 14, 1861, Page 2; Harvey, W. H., Scottish Industrial Heritage Society Bulletin No 41, December 2006
[4] Gillespie, Robert, Round About Falkirk Glasgow 1868
[5] Bowie, Robert, A Brief Narrative London 1833
[6] Obituary The Scots Magazine 1 August 1794 page 5
NEWSPAPER REPORTS REGARDING THE KINNAIRD PUMPING ENGINE
Falkirk Herald 7 November 1861 page 3 column E
KINNAIRD.
SYMINGTON'S STEAM ENGINE. - As a sketch of the life, &c., of Symington is presently appearing in the Herald, and as it is not generally known that the powerful engine employed for the immense lift of water here was constructed by Mr Symington, it may be interesting to learn the dimensions and working powers of this vast, original, and powerful engine. The diameter of her cylinder is 5 ft. 4 in., the pressure of steam is 6 1/2 lb. per square inch, the working barrel is 15 inches, the length of stroke 7 1/2 feet, and making about 10 or 12 strokes per minute, and lifting at a rough calculation from 7000 to 8000 tons of water per day of 10 or 12 hours. The engine was erected nearly 70 years ago, at the expense of James Bruce, Esq., the Abyssinian traveller, and became the property of the Carron Company in 1806. About 18 years ago she was overhauled by the well-known engineer, Mr Donald, of Carron Company, who much admired her ingenious and complicated workmanship. Many scientific individuals have also visited her, and highly expressed their great admiration of her great working powers, so admirably adapted for her present use.
Falkirk Herald 14 November 1861 page 2 column F
Letter to the Editor.
MR. EDITOR, - In your impression of last week's Herald, Viz., I observed a notice of the old pumping engine at Kinnaird, erected by Mr William Symington, which interested me very much. When a boy, I used to be often there, and many a time have I gone into the cylinder along with my playmates, and descended and ascended with the piston, while the engine was in motion, till we were tired of it. I have seen six of us in at once. This was quite a common thing for the boys there nearly forty years ago. I should have liked very much had the writer of the notice referred to, given a description of the engine, and the mode of her operations, as, I believe, very few now-a-days know anything of Symington's engine. I think it would have been interesting to many of your readers. When I read the notice, I was astonished at the immense quantity of water said to be pumped per day; but I cannot help thinking that, in this matter, there is a mistake. Surely it has been guessed, not calculated. In order to satisfy myself, I filled a small cylinder with water, and weighed it, then calculated according to the length of the stroke, and diameter of the working barrel, as given in the notice, and I find she does not raise any more than 1018 tons per day, if she does that. Be this as it may, as one interested in the old engine, I have taken the trouble of making a few calculations in connection with her operations, &c., which may, perhaps, amuse those who know something of her. During the seventy years she has wrought, she cannot have made fewer than 257,544,000 strokes, which, at 7 1/2 feet, gives 365,829 miles, which is nearly equal to fifteen times around the globe.During the same period, she cannot have consumed less than 255,000 tons of coal dross, which, at 1s 8d per ton, amounts to £21,250. Supposing my calculation of the quantity of water pumped per day to be correct, she cannot have raised less than 26,009,900 tons of water. Now, if we convert this into gallons, it gives us 5,826,217,600, which would fill the Forth and Clyde Canal from end to end nearly four times. Hoping I have not trespassed by taking up too much of your columns, or tired the patience of your readers,
-I am, &c., A KINNAIRD BAIRN
In 2006, W.S. Harvey, who published the definitive biography of William Symington in 1980 observed: [1]
"In 1861 the Falkirk Herald carried a short piece about the big atmospheric pumping engine William Symington had built at the Kinnaird Colliery seventy years before, and which was apparently still at work at that time. This prompted a reader to recall how he and his friends used to play there. The letter not only tells of the extraordinary sort of prank enjoyed by youngsters, but also offers comment on the design of the engine: "Many a time I have gone into the cylinder with my playmates and have descended and ascended with the piston while the engine was in motion. It was a common thing forty years ago."
Symington built three engines at Kinnaird to his 1787 patent: the pumping engine and two winding engines. The former was much the largest for it had an open cylinder 64 inches in diameter, so the boys could indeed have got into it. Such an escapade would have been impossible in the Newcomen-type atmospheric for it had a few inches of near boiling water on the piston to seal it. Symington did away with the thermally inefficient water seal, and took steam into the piston, which was so arranged that it "drew steam and not air". That the boys could enter the cylinder must also have meant that the top of the piston was not only lagged with wood, but the piston rod and steam pipes were also clad.
Symington was very much alive to the fact that the atmospheric engine was essentially a heat engine. His design had what was in effect a separate condenser, and records show how he tried heating the cylinder with some of the flue gas. This would have superheated the steam but such a cylinder would have been impossible to lubricate at that time. As well as taking steam into the piston, the Falkirk letter now shows how Symington set about reducing losses from its exposed surfaces. He would not have thought that this would have facilitated a perilous prank."
[1] Scottish Industrial Heritage Society Bulletin No 41, December 2006
JAMES BRUCE 1730-1794
Portrait by Pompeo Bartoni 1762NPG Edinburgh Portrait NGS Acc. No. PG 141
KINNAIRD OLD MANSION
James Bruce was born in the Kinnaird mansion which dated from the early eighteenth century. On returning from his travels, Bruce set about rebuilding his house in 1776. Leading to the mansion was a magnificent avenue lined by rows of stately elms.
MEMORIAL TO JAMES BRUCE
MEMORIAL TO JAMES BRUCE
The cast iron memorial which once marked the Bruce family burial plot now (2019) stands in a car park at Larbert churchyard, just outside the graveyard
"HIS LIFE WAS SPENT PERFORMING USEFULL AND SPLENDID ACTIONS. HE EXPLORED MANY DISTANT REGIONS. HE DISCOVERED THE FOUNTAINS OF THE NILE. HE TRAVERSED THE DESERTS OF NUBIA."
According to the marine engineer and local historian William Jack, Bruce provided accommodation for William Symington in the farmhouse at Back O' Dyke, a property on the Kinnaird estate, to the south of Bellsdyke road and opposite the Kinnaird mansion. William Jack's aunt, Catherine Forrester, worked as a seamstress for Betty, William Symington's wife. (See the Falkirk Herald article below for more details)
Back O' Dyke, Kinnaird Estate. The farmstead is still in existence and is now known as Bensfield farm.
NLS OS map, Stirlingshire sheet XXV, surveyed in 1861
Map reference 56 deg 02" 10" N 3 deg 47" 21" W
Falkirk Herald 3 February 1886 page 2
Symington, during the time he was employed for Bruce of Kinnaird, had his residence in that house attached to the farm lately occupied by David Higgin [1] at the Back o’ Dyke, and I believe it was built on purpose for him. Auntie could give a fine account of Mr and Mrs Symington, she was often employed there as shewster. She also could give the same of Bruce of Kinnaird, how he would be seen in a morning on horseback with his long whip, and roaring and shouting to his cousin drawin’ doon the coal waggons to Carronshore. She used to say he was a braw, great, stately man was Bruce o’ Kinnaird.
In the Ordnance Survey Name Book for Stirlingshire 1858-1861, Back-O'-Dyke is described as "A large farm steading, dwelling house, two storeys, all slated & in good repair." [2] The proprietor was Bruce of Kinnaird.
[1] This should read Higgins. David Higgins 1804-1875 was born at Airth. The 1861 Census has him living at Back of Dyke, the farmer of 72 acres and employer of four labourers. In the 1871 Census he is described as the farmer of 91 acres of arable land, living at the Back of Dyke farmhouse.
[2] OS/32/11/65
Bensfield Farm Back O' Dyke
Google street view from Redpath Drive, Carronshore, looking East. March 2019
Looking south from Bellsdyke Road (A88) towards Bensfield Farm
https://goo.gl/maps/pfNrHG4uj51NX8jN6
CARRONHALL
William Symington was appointed as mine overseer of the Kinnaird colliery after James Bruce died in 1794. During the time of his employment at Kinnaird, William Symington was provided with accommodation in the farmhouse at Back O'Dyke. [1] The farmstead was situated on the Southern boundary of the Kinnaird Estate, which bordered the Carronhall estate. Horse Tax Rolls for the Parish of Larbert for 1797 record William Symington at Carronhall where he was registered as having a surprisingly large number of horses (twenty-four). [2] This number was exceeded in the Falkirk district only by Carron Company with thirty-nine and William Forbes who had twenty-six horses on his Callendar estate. These were working horses, used on the coal mines for raising coal from the pits and to transport the coal from the coalfields. This finding could imply that William Symington was involved in the management of the Carronhall estate or that he agisted his horses there.
The coal fields at Carronhall supplied coal to the nearby Carron ironworks. Lady Eleanor Dundas, widow of Colonel Dundas of Carronhall was then the proprietor of the estate. However, George Caie was the coal manager at Carronhall at the time. [3] The Horse Tax Roll records George Caie as having 23 horses. [4] George Caie must have enjoyed a close relationship with his employer. He had married Janet Wilson at Larbert on 21 October 1794; their son who was born in 1796 was named Thomas Dundas Caie after the late Colonel Dundas.
In 1766, Lady Eleanor Hope, a daughter of the Earl of Hope, married Colonel Thomas Dundas 1750-1794, who inherited Carronhall in 1786 on the death of his father Thomas Dundas of Fingask. As a Lieutenant-Colonel of the 80th Regiment foot, he served under Cornwallis in the American wars. He was briefly Governor of Guernsey in 1793 and was elevated to the rank of Major-General before being appointed as Governor of Guadeloupe. He died there from yellow fever on 3 June 1794. [5] Lady Eleanor was then expecting the birth of her seventh child. Lady Dundas died at her daughter's residence in Hampstead in 1837. [6]
Colonel Thomas Dundas of Carronhall was the nephew of Sir Laurence Dundas who had been responsible for the construction of the Forth and Clyde canal. His first cousin was Sir Thomas Dundas who was to appoint William Symington as the engineer in his steam tug experiments on the Forth and Clyde canal in 1800. His aunt Mary Dundas married James Bruce of Kinnaird who became widely known as "the traveller".
[1] Falkirk Herald 3 June 1886 page 2
[2] NRS E326/10/5/181 Volume 5 16 August 1797 (also John Anderson Carronhall 5 and David Hardie Carronhall 8 horses)
[3] Notice, Caledonian Mercury 10 March 1796 page 1
[4] NRS E326/10/12/122
[5] Caledonian Mercury 16 August 1794; death notice Caledonian Mercury 31 July 1794 page 3
[6] Dundas of Fingask Some Memorials of the Family by Mrs Dundas, (Senior) of Carronhall Edinburgh 1891
Lady Eleanor Dundas c. 1795
by Sir Henry Raeburn
University of Michigan Museum of Art
In 1749 Thomas Dundas the younger of Fingask 1708-1786 purchased the estate of Carronhall, originally known as Quarrel. With the Kinnaird estate as his northern neighbour, the lands of Quarrel extended to the river Carron to the south. The Quarrel coalfields supplied coal to Carron Company, which leased a coalfield from Thomas Dundas from 1761 with the stipulation that no pits were to be opened close to the house. In 1790, the extensive Carronhall household included four male servants (a house servant, a gamekeeper, a coachman and a gardener) and five female house servants and two nursery maids.[1] [2]
After Carron Company had relinquished the lease on the Carronhall coalfields, Lady Eleanor Dundas and her factors ran the estate from 1794. Ultimately Carronhall house was surrounded by coal pits and in 1808 the property was advertised to be let, fully furnished: "THE HOUSE of CARRONHALL, with a complete set of Offices, a large Garden, and Orchard well stocked with fruit trees of the first quality. The house is large and commodious, every way suited for the accommodation of a genteel family. The house of Carronhall lies about one mile north of the village of Falkirk, where there are good markets. The situation of the house is remarkably delightful, commanding an extensive view of the river Carron, and the rich fields of the Carse of Falkirk, which lie below and to the eastward. The tenant may be accommodated with what quantity of grass ground he has occasion for, at a reasonable rate, and there is plenty of coal just at hand." [3]
[1] Scotland's Places Male Servant Tax Rolls Volume 21 E326/5/21/185
[2] Scotland's Places Female Servant Tax Rolls Volume 22 E326/6/22/122
[3] Caledonian Mercury 13 April 1808 page 4
The House of Carronhall in 1912
Falkirk Archives P34312
When employed as manager of the Kinnaird mines, William Symington was living on the Kinnaird Estate which was extensive, but his house was near the northern boundary of the Carronhall Estate, a mere stone's throw from the Carronhall mansion. There should have been no necessity to agist Kinnaird horses at Carronhall. Surely the Tax enumerator for the Larbert Parish had been mistaken in placing William at Carronhall rather than at Kinnaird.
William Symington built a steam engine for Carronhall but otherwise there does not seem to be any evidence to link him directly with Lady Eleanor Dundas or with the Carronhall Estate.
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