Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
9 MAY 1914

ARDEER EXPLOSION INQUIRY

At Kilmarnock Sheriff Court – before Sheriff Robertson and a jury – a public inquiry was held in regard to the deaths of the eight men who lost their lives in the explosion at Ardeer Explosives Factory, Stevenston, on February 20 last.

WORKMEN’S EVIDENCE

William Harper, bogey runner, Gladstone Road, Saltcoats, said he was about 100 yards off when the explosion occurred, and he remembered nothing afterwards until he regained consciousness in the Western Infirmary in Glasgow. He was cut on the head and bruised all over.

Walter Roman Moore, chemist, with Nobel’s Company, deponed that he visited the mixing house once a day and sometimes twice. In ordinary course he would have been in the house where the explosion occurred about an hour and a half later in the day.

William Scott, foreman, spoke to visiting the place at five minutes to six o’clock on the morning of the accident. Everything was then alright. He had no idea how the explosion occurred.

John Hamilton, engineer, deponed that immediately before the accident he spoke to the second man, McManus, and asked him if all was well, and the reply he got was, “Yes, all working smoothly.”

The Sheriff, in addressing the jury, said they would agree with him that there was no evidence to show that the explosion was attributable to any particular person, and there was nothing to satisfy them that any precautions in addition to those which were taken at the time could have been taken to avoid it. They would probably agree with him that nothing at all could be suggested upon the evidence which had been led.

The jury returned a formal verdict.

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GLASGOW HERALD
9 MAY 1959

£8800 AWARD TO WORKMAN – INJURED IN ARDEER EXPLOSION

George Ferguson Lennon, (38), process worker, East Lodge, Kerelaw, Stevenston, who lost a leg and sustained other serious injuries as a result of an explosion at the Ardeer factory of Imperial Chemical Industries Limited in March 1954, was yesterday awarded £8800 damages by a jury sitting with Lord Guthrie in the Court of Session.

Lennon, who sued the company for £14,000, complained that, as a result of his very extensive burning and other injuries, he had suffered a seriously psychological upset.

The accident resulted from the bursting of a disused pipe caused, it was averred, by the generation of heat through decomposition of acid refuse. The defenders were negligent in failing to render the disused plant safe.

On Thursday, John Blake, (32), process worker, 14 Barrie Terrace, Ardrossan, who was injured by the same explosion, and who sued for £6000 was awarded £3500 by the same jury.

I.C.I. Limited admitted liability in these actions, but contested them on the ground that the sums claimed were excessive.

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GLASGOW HERALD
10 MAY 1911

DEFICIENCY IN MILK FAT

At Ayr Sheriff Court yesterday, Duncan Kelso, bower, Ardeer Mains, Stevenston, was fined £2 10s for selling sweet milk which was deficient in milk fat to the extent of 0.16.

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GLASGOW HERALD
10 MAY 1912

NORTH AYRSHIRE PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION

At an inaugural meeting of the North Ayrshire Pharmaceutical Association held in Kilmarnock the North Ayrshire pharmacists present included Messrs Gemmell, Ardrossan, and Nicol, Stevenston.

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GLASGOW HERALD
10 MAY 1913

WAGES QUESTION AT ARDEER

At a meeting of the workers in Nobel’s Explosives Works, Ardeer, held at Saltcoats last night, it was intimated that no further concessions had been obtained from the company on the wages question.

The meeting, which was attended by over 1000 persons, decided in favour of an entire stoppage unless the original demand of 23s for labourers and an increase of 3s per week in all other departments was conceded.

Mr Houghton, General Secretary of the Scottish Union, in addressing the meeting said that if they were compelled to stop work at Nobel’s they would increase the original demand to one of a minimum of 26s.

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GLASGOW HERALD
11 MAY 1832

LAYING OF FOUNDATION STONE OF A NEW CHURCH AT STEVENSTON

The heritors of Stevenston having contracted for the building of a new church and steeple, the foundation stone of the new edifice was, on Friday last, laid with masonic honours, by George Johnston, of Redburn, Esquire, Most Worshipful Master of Mother Lodge, Kilwinning, and Provincial Grand Master of the county.

The morning being favourable, an immense concourse of spectators at an early hour thronged the town, and numerous deputations from the neighbouring mason lodges attended.

The various accesses to the town were from time to time crowded, while the several masonic deputations arrived with their respective bands and banners. Such a body of people, it is supposed, never before was assembled as was on that day congregated in Stevenston.

The different masonic bodies formed a procession on the Green about two o’clock, from whence they paraded through the town, and thereafter being joined by most of the heritors, by several of the neighbouring clergymen, and by a number of gentlemen of the neighbourhood, the business of the day was proceeded in.

Colonel Hamilton of Grange, the principal heritor, having desired the Most Worshipful Master to lay the foundation stone of the new building, according to the ancient usages of masonry, the ceremony was commenced by the singing of a beautiful anthem, composed for the occasion.

Specimens of the various coins now current in the realm, with newspapers, etc., were afterwards deposited in a cavity of the foundation stone. A plate containing an inscription was also deposited.

After the usual formalities of applying the plummet, level &c., the pouring of wine and oil, and pronouncing of the accustomed benedictions, the Grand Master addressed Colonel Hamilton in an eloquent speech, after which a most appropriate and able prayer was offered up by the Rev. Mr Campbell of Kilwinning, chaplain of Mother Kilwinning Lodge.

Another anthem having been chanted in as excellent style as the former, by the same choristers, the ceremony was completed, when the different bands struck up, and the procession returned to the Green, from whence the several lodges went to their respective rendezvous.

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GLASGOW HERALD
11 MAY 1911

DEATH - McKILLOP

At Mayfield Farm, Stevenston, on 10th instant, Andrew McKillop, aged 36 years.

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GLASGOW HERALD
11 MAY 1914

FOOTBALL

Result: - Kilmarnock, 2; Stevenston United, 0 – Kilmarnock Charity Cup.

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GLASGOW HERALD
11 MAY 1914

ARDEER GOLF CLUB

Heys Medal – Winner, Arthur Craig.

Robertson Medal – A. C. Hamilton.

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GLASGOW HERALD
12 MAY 1913

ARDEER GOLF CLUB

Heys Medal – J. Gemmell, junior, (10) 80; D. Docherty, (12) 81; A. L. Forsyth, (6) 81; and John Greenlees, (1) 82.

Robertson Medal – John Galt, (16) 74; A. Donnachie, (16) 76; Adam Wilson, 14 (77); and T. Close, (16) 77.

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GLASGOW HERALD
13 MAY 1912

ARDEER GOLF CLUB

Heys Medal – John Greenlees, (scratch) 78; George MacGregor, (8) 83, previous winner; and Arthur Craig, (9) 84.

Robertson Medal – Carrick Hamilton, (14) 79; Andrew Craig, (16) 82, previous winner; William Allan, (6) 85; and William Hogarth, (12) 86.

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GLASGOW HERALD
14 MAY 1923

ALARMING ACCIDENT

A serious accident marred the pleasure of a day’s outing to Rothesay, which was taken part in on Saturday by 3000 employees of Messrs Nobel’s Explosives Company Limited, Ardeer, on the occasion of the firm’s jubilee.

The company left Ardrossan on board three steamers – the Queen Alexandra, the King Edward, and the Queen Empress – and a mishap on board the first-named resulted in seven persons being so injured as to require hospital treatment.

At or near Rothesay Pier, some parts of the helm fixings became loose, and six members of the crew and a boy passenger were knocked down and injured.

The injured (Including 13-year-old William Gibson, son of John Gibson, 21 Ironwork Cottages, Stevenston, commissionaire at Nobel’s Works) were conveyed to Victoria Cottage, Hospital.