...for quirky historical facts about Dunfermline.
DID YOU KNOW about Provost Moodie's little troubles?
Industry
The Black and Blue Rows
In “Update on Dunfermline’s Coloured Rows“, Jean Barclay provides new evidence which appears to solve the problem of the location of the long demolished Blue Row. In the mid 19th Century the Red, Black and Blue Rows were a set of streets north of the Mill Dam, mostly inhabited by workers in the textile industry.
John Jackson, Coachbuilders
In John Jackson and Sons, Coachbuilders, George Beattie continues his series on Dunfermline’s industrial and commercial past, this time with the history of a 20th Century firm. The article includes a fascinating selection of photographs of the staff, premises and some of the vehicles they built.
The Dunfermline Foundry
In The Dunfermline Foundry (1816 to 1892), the latest in his series on Dunfermline’s Industrial Past, George Beattie, reports on his study of this pioneering engineering business in the town. The firm was lead by two influential men, the second of whom, John Whitelaw, became the Provost. Under his leadership, the firm supplied cast iron products to prestigious customers across the UK and overseas.
Michael Tod, Engineers
Our series on Dunfermline’s industrial past continues with an article by George Beattie on the history of Michael Tod and Sons Ltd., Engineers. This firm traded from 1872 to 1960 and was an international supplier of mechanical engineering equipment to the mining and textile industries. They also built, in partnership with George Kay the coach-builder, a prototype three-wheeler car.
George Kay and Sons, Coach-builders
In a further article in George Beattie’s series on Dunfermline’s Industrial Past, George presents the history of George Kay and Sons, whose coach-building business ran from 1881 to 1996 and spanned the transition from hand built horse drawn vehicles to automobile accident repairs.