The fiery flames of industry
Mine of information
While working as a countryside ranger, I cycled to Muirshiel country park, 800 feet above sea level in the Lochwinnoch hills.
The journey led past Tandlemuir Farm, which was named after tandles (moorland bonfires) that were lit 2,000 years ago by prehistoric Celts to celebrate seasonal festivals on the pagan calendar.
In medieval times, the moors belonged to Paisley Abbey monks, who Christianised the name to Candlemuir.
This was because the monks excavated combustible peat to heat their dormitories and light tapers at Candlemas and other red-letter days.
Tandlemuir went on to become the matrix of several famous engineering companies in Paisley and Johnstone.
The Donald family lived at Tandlemuir from around 1700.
Engineering genius Robert Donald was invited in 1815 by George Houstoun, Fourth Laird of Johnstone, to open a workshop in the town centre.
The foundry, at High Street and Laighcartside Street corner, serviced machinery at the laird’s cotton-spinning
Derek Parker knew many of Paisley’s secrets – the grimy and the good.
He wandered every corner in search of the clues that would unlock Renfrewshire’s rich history.
These tales were shared with readers in his hugely popular Parker’s Way column.
We’ve opened our vault to handpick our favourites for you.
mills and coal mines.
One family member, William Donald, teamed up in 1836 with Archibald Craig, who was a mechanic at Linwood Cotton Mill.
They founded the Donald and Craig company at Abercorn Street, Paisley, which manufactured clipping machines and water engines.
Their works manager was Matthew Hodgart, whose family included two colliers who survived being trapped in Quarrelton Coal Mine for several days in 1818.
After William died, Archibald and Matthew went into business with the Fullerton family, who made gas ovens and weavers’ tools in Paisley’s High Street.
This engineering firm, which became Fullerton, Hodgart and Barclay, was located at the Vulcan Foundry, in Hamilton Street, near Paisley Harbour.
James Donald helped to set up the Hanna, Donald and Wilson company, which constructed Paisley’s famous gasholder in 1853.
The company, based at the Abbey and Atlas Works at New Sneddon and Back Sneddon, also built the roof at Edinburgh’s Waverley Station, as well as ships, engines and heavy machinery.
Archibald Fulton Craig, whose family had been business associates of the Donalds since 1836, founded the AF Craig engineering company based at the Caledonia Works, in Macdowall Street, Paisley, around 1868.
This became one of Britain’s biggest foundries and made carpet-weaving looms for Stoddard’s in Elderslie.
Twelfth century Paisley Abbey monks dug moorland peat for fires at the Donald family’s ancestral home at Tandlemuir.
Seven centuries later, factories, furnaces and foundries inspired by the Donald dynasty ignited fiery flames of industrial prosperity around the ancient Abbey.
The wheel had turned full circle.