Proprietors of the Coltness ironworks, Newmains, that were established in 1837. The company's mineral operations extended across many parts of Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Fife, and other parts of Scotland, and had interests in parts of England. In West Lothian, the Coltness Iron Co. held the mineral leases and worked iron or coal in the lands of
Succeeded in 1880 by the Coltness Iron Co. Ltd.
Pits in West Lothian worked by the company
References
LINLITHGOWSHIRE ROADS BILL. The Committee resumed the inquiry upon this bill on Tuesday. The examination of Mr. Chalmers was proeeeded with The witness stated that the bill proposed to divide the county into districts, which were not defined, and he believed that the settlement of their division would cause great difference in the county. …...
James Hunter, managing partner of the Coltness Ironworks, was next examined. The witness said some of the works were situate in the county of Linlithgow, at Whitburn and Bathgate. The traffic to the works was by rail, and they did not use the public roads. They had about thirty miles of private railroad. They employed many horses at Bathgate, but they had never been asked to pay statute-labour rates for those horses. The parish roads Bathgate were in as good order as similar roads in Lanarkshire. But at one time, when the roads were cut up by unusual traffic, owing to the construction of the railway, had assisted to repair them. The condition of the parish roads at Whitburn was improving. The first notice he had of this bill was from accidental meeting with Sir W. Baillie about week since. He had since seen the bill, and thought it highly objectionable. Had he known of it earlier, he would have opposed it by counsel, so objectionable and unnecessary did he consider it to be. The state of the county is most flourishing, the proprietors having largely benefited the mineral operations that were carried on there. He objected to the division the county into districts. If the bill should pass this Committee, he intended to oppose it elsewhere. Cross-examined—At one time he had carted ironstone along the parish roads; and the trustees did not do anything to them, he had laid down trams, which had the double effect of cheapening haulage and preserving the roads. Our mineral rental will be shortly about £5.000 per annum but pay nothing for statute-labour roads, and we ought not, because we do not use them. We have made twenty miles of railroad, at cost of £30,000 £40,000. Re examined—He was not aware that attempts had been ineffectually made Whitburn to levy charged upon horses. He would willingly have paid such a charge. Mr Loch said the attempt to levy assessment upon horses had failed because of the impracticable nature of the Act of Parliament.
Falkirk Herald, 8th June 1865
