LANARK-L Archives

From: "John Duncan" <>
Subject: [LANARK] JOHN BROWN'S SHIPYARD & TEMPLETON'S CARPET FACTORY.
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 12:25:46 +1000
References: <000e01c8bd30$b699c5f0$41b01dd3@JUMBO>

Hi Ken........The most famous Glasgow carpet factory was Templeton's Carpet
Factory in Templeton Street, Bridgeton whose factory was built fronting
Glasgow Green.
They had dificulty obtaining a building permit from the Glasgow Corporation,
so his Architect was asked, "what is the finest building in the world" and
his Architect replied, "the Doges Palace", which plans the Corporation
accepted,
and so it was built in 1857.
Templeton's factory is now offices, I understand, and Templetons have new
premises on the south-side of Glasgow.
During the building of the Glasgow Green factory, a wall collapsed upon
factory workers. Adequate compensation was paid by Templetons.

James Templeton the founder, was born in Campbeltown in 1802. He first
started business at Paisley making Paisley Shawls in 1829, eight years later
the trade in Paisley shawls declined and then he turned his attention to
making chenille carpets and consequently assured future success in the
manufacture of carpets.

John Lyle a weaver from Kilbarchan was the first foreman employed by
Templetons. After 14 years' service he left to set up business for himself
as a carpet manufacturer in 1853.
His premises were at #10 Fordneuk Street, [in Bridgeton] and the building
still existed in 1972.

John Brown's shipyard was at Clydebank. The owners first had a shipyard at
Govan Cross, Govan, where they built ships for the Cunard Shipping Line.
They built a new shipyard down the Clyde [John Browns]on the northern bank
and called the
place Clydebank. In 1954 I worked in that yard.

John Brown's shipyard closed in 1971. In the beginning, rivetters used
hammers to fix the hot rivets, but later they used pneumatic guns, and were
called pneumatic riveters.
In the shipyard they were part of the so-called "black-squad".

Try placing "Hot Riveters" in Google.
Regards,
John Duncan, Melbourne, Australia.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken & Alice Brown" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2008 9:57 AM
Subject: [SCT-GLASGOW] Brown of Bridgeton - Glasgow


> Hi
>
> In 1881 my ancestor John Brown was living in Bridgeton and in the census
> described himself as a carpet weaver. All of his kids that weren't in
> school were in the textile trade as well. Can anybody advise me in what
> carpet weaving factory he is likely to have worked in close to Bridgeton?
> Any history of the factory would be appreciated as well.
>
> Also his son Thomas Stephen Brown was apparently trained at John Brown
> Shipbuilders on the Clyde as a 'Hot Riveter'. He along with a man called
> 'Moses' were apparently in the Guinness book of records as the champion
> 'hot riveters'. The record was supposedly set building either HMS the
> Rodney or the Revenge. Our family isn't sure. What we do know though is
> that this record was recorded by Pathe News. Does anybody have any ideas
> on how we can prove this particular family legend?
>
> Thank you
>
> Ken Brown
> Gold Coast
> Australia
>
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• [LANARK] JOHN BROWN'S SHIPYARD & TEMPLETON'S CARPET FACTORY. by "John Duncan" <>