Seafield Rows

The Old Rows at Seafield lay north of the Livingston - Blackburn road and originally consisted of six blocks, arranged in two parallel lines, each containing eight two-room homes. These were built either to serve the Seafield Patent Fuel Works, or the Bathgate Oil Company works that subsequently occupied the site. The works and houses were bought by the Pumpherston Oil Company c.1890 who rebuilt Seafield Crude Oil Works and improved the existing housing by adding sculleries to each home and providing wash houses at the end of each row.

A new line of three rows were built c. 1896 on the north side of the Old Rows, each containing eight two-room homes. At the same time, a line of three blocks of eight homes were built immediately south of the road. These two room homes were constructed with sculleries; those south of the road had attic bedrooms and south-facing dormer windows. A further three similar blocks of eight homes were constructed parallel and to the south of these c.1910. Evidence presented to the Royal Commission on Housing Conditions on 25th March 1914 stated:

"There are three rows of 24 houses each on one side of the main road and two rows of 24 houses each on the other. The houses are all built of brick, but some 72 of them have lately been rough-cast. The 72 consist of a room (12.5 x 11.5), kitchen (14.5 x 11.5 also bed recesses), scullery with sink, and w.c. A coal cellar for each house is provided and a wash-house for every four tenants, as also drying greens. For 24 houses gardens are provided. Rental - 2/9 and 3/- weekly, inclusive of rates. Cement pavements are laid between the houses. There are also 24 houses of room, kitchen, attic, with boiler in scullery, and a garden in front of house - rental 4/6 per week. Dust-bins are emptied daily by the Company. There is a good water supply and drainage system. An additional 24 new houses have just been built with similar accommodation as the foregoing, at rentals of 4/-, 4/6. and 5/-. The latter is for houses with two attics."

Homes in the new rows were sold to residents throughout the 1960's. The remains of some of the old rows were incorporated into the Messrs Ritchie Brothers contractors yard. These were cleared c.2012.

Location map

Detailed maps

Archive plans

see full record 143079

See full record 183793

See full record 212389

See full record 212388

See full record 212386

See full record, LVSAV2013.036.001

See full record 183739

Archive images

See full details LVSAV2013.041

Recent images

Seafield rows, 3rd ‎May ‎2011

Seafield rows, 3rd ‎May ‎2011

Seafield rows, 3rd ‎May ‎2011

Seafield rows, 3rd ‎May ‎2011

Seafield rows, 3rd ‎May ‎2011

Recent images - old rows

Remains of the old rows in Ritchie Brother's yard, ‎12th ‎March ‎2010

Remains of the old rows in Ritchie Brother's yard, ‎12th ‎March ‎2010

Remains of the old rows in Ritchie Brother's yard, ‎12th ‎March ‎2010

Remains of the old rows in Ritchie Brother's yard, ‎12th ‎March ‎2010

Remains of the old rows in Ritchie Brother's yard, ‎12th ‎March ‎2010

Remains of the old rows in Ritchie Brother's yard, ‎12th ‎March ‎2010

Recent images - halls and villas

Seafield, 3rd ‎May ‎2011

Official references

There are three rows of 24 houses each on one side of the main road and two rows of 24 houses each on the other. The houses are all built of brick, but some 72 of them have lately been rough-cast. The 72 consist of a room (12.5 x 11.5), kitchen (14.5 x 11.5 also bed recesses), scullery with sink, and w.c. A coal cellar for each house is provided and a wash-house for every four tenants, as also drying greens. For 24 houses gardens are provided. Rental - 2/9 and 3/- weekly, inclusive of rates. Cement pavements are laid between the houses. There are also 24 houses of room, kitchen, attic, with boiler in scullery, and a garden in front of house - rental 4/6 per week. Dust-bins are emptied daily by the Company. There is a good water supply and drainage system. An additional 24 new houses have just been built with similar accommodation as the foregoing, at rentals of 4/-, 4/6. and 5/-. The latter is for houses with two attics.

Theodore K. Irvine, Report on the Housing Conditions in the Scottish Shale Field, 1914.

.......

Seafield: On the north side of the Main Road 33 houses have been officially closed. Houses No.1 - 24 facing south to be maintained. No block is completely empty at present. The houses on the south side to be maintained. Ritchie Bros. are still interested in a block of houses No.65 to 72, including shop, together with area of ground to the north of this block. Mr. Keddie to discuss this proposal with Ritchie Bros. Westwood to arrange to rehouse the tenants in this block as soon as possible by offering alternative accommodation.

Meeting held at Middleton Hall on 9th September to review position of house properties etc.

.......

When I was a Seafield we stayed in miners cottages. We had a room and a kitchen. We had running water and an inside toilet. The wash-house was around the corner and four of them used it. There were eight houses in a block, so four of them used one and the other four used the other one. There was nine of us in the family. We just had two beds in the kitchen and one bed in the room. We just all slept together.

R.B, born 1906, recorded in 1983

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• 179003 - Disposition by the Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Adam E. Shaw. Subjects: Morven, Seafield, Bathgate, West Lothian. Dated 1964. - Disposition by the Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Adam E. Shaw. Subjects: Morven, Seafield, Bathgate, West Lothian. Dated 1964. Details the sale of Morven, Seafield, Bathgate by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to Adam Edward Shaw for the sum of £2650. Attached is a plan referred to in the disposition with the boundary of the property highlighted in black. The plan is undated with a scale of 1"=30'.
  
• 143058 - Pumpherston 1 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Ritchie Brothers. Document recording the sale of No. 1 Seafield to the late Walter Wardrope for £100 and the subsequent sale of the same property to Ritchie Brothers, public work contractors, by his executor for £500. Mr Wardrope's date of entry was 2nd December 1963 and that of the Ritchie Brothers was 16th September 1966. A plan at the scale of 1:360 is included, which shows the 0.123 acre property in red. A map of Seafield at a scale of 1:2500 shows the wider area within which the property is located.
  
• 143056 - Pumpherston Houses at Seafield 132 - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Norman Ritchie and John Ritchie as Partners of the firm of Ritchie Brothers. Records the sale of 17 houses at Seafield North for the sum of £600, with the date of entry being 16th May 1968. A 1:360 plan of the area is included. Titled Seafield North it shows the locations of the properties in red. They comprise Nos. 2-6 (0.359 acres), Nos. 8-9 (0.193 acres), Nos. 11-12 (0.150 acres), Nos. 14-17 (0.329 acres), & Nos. 21-24 (0.259 acres) with a total area of approximately 1.270 decimal acres.
  
• 143059 - Pumpherston 7 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited with consent ut intus in favour of Joseph Gibson. Records the sale of 7 Seafield to James Ritchie for the sum of £100 and his resale of the property to Joseph Gibson for the sum of £200. Date of entry for the first was 22nd March 1963, and for the second 20th November 1967. A plan at the scale of 1:360 is attached, with the property of 0.60 acres marked in red. A 1:2500 map shows the wider location within which the property is situated.
  
• 143060 - Pumpherston 10 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Robert Wardrope. Document records the sale of 10 Seafield to Robert Wardrope for the sum of £280, with the date of entry being 25th October 1965. Includes a plan at the scale of 1:360 showing the property of 0.061 acres in red, and a map at the scale of 1:2500 which shows the location of the property in the wider area.
  
• 143061 - Pumpherston 13 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited (with consent of Mr. and Mrs. Ian Stewart) in favour of Mrs. Catherine Gunn. Document records the sale of 13 Seafield to Ian Stewart and Mrs. Margaret Ritchie or Stewart, spouses, for the sum of £100 and the subsequent resale of the property to Mrs. Catherine Gunn for £250. Dates of entry given as Martinmas 1967. Accompanied by a plan at the scale of 1:360 with the property of 0.061 acres shown in red, and with a map at the larger scale of 1:2500 showing the location of the property within the wider area.
  
• 143062 - Pumpherston 18 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited with consent ut intus in favour of Norman Robinson Denholm. Records the sale of 18 Seafield to William Gilchrist for the sum of £180 and his resale of the property to Norman Robinson Denholm for the sum of £300. Date of entry was 6th September 1963 for William Gilchrist and 20th May 1966 for Norman Robinson Denholm. Includes a plan at the scale of 1:360 showing the property in its two discontinuous parts, the first in red with an area of 0.037 acres and the second in green with an area of 0.021 acres. This is accompanied by a map at a scale of 1:2500 showing the wider area within which the property is located.
  
• 143063 - Pumpherston 19 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of James McBain Kelly and Mrs. Dorothy Mary Millar Hamilton or Kelly. Two copies, one of inferior quality. Document records the sale of 19 Seafield to James McBain Kelly and Mrs. Dorothy Mary Millar Hamilton or Kelly, his wife, for the sum of £205, with the date of entry 18th June 1965. Includes a plan at a scale of 1:360 showing the two discontinuous parts of the property. The first part of 0.037 acres is shown in red (orange in the inferior copy) and the second part of 0.022 acres in green. This also contains a 1:2500 map showing the wider area in which the property is located.
  
• 143064 - Pumpherston 20 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Norman Ritchie, John Ritchie and Howe Ritchie. Document records the sale of 20 Seafield to the late Miss Martha Loughridge for £75 and its resale by her executor Matthew Bryson to Ritchie Brothers for £25, with entry as at 2nd December 1963 for Matthew Bryson and as at 1st December 1971 for Ritchie Brothers. Accompanied by a 1:360 scale plan showing the location of the two parts of the property of 0.037 and 0.021 acres in green and red respectively. This also includes a 1:2500 scale map showing the location of the property in the wider area.
  
• 143065 - Pumpherston 73 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Robert Whitelaw Marshall Potter. Records the sale of 73 Seafield to Robert Whitelaw Marshall Potter for the sum of £200 with entry as at 28th August 1967. Includes a photocopy of the 1:360 scale plan showing the location of the 0.126 acre property along with the 1:2500 scale map showing its location in the wider area.
  
• 143057 - Pumpherston Houses at Seafield 132 - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Norman Ritchie (Nos 74-76-78-80-84-88-etc); Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Norman Ritchie (Nos 97-99-101-104-106-108-etc). Two documents recording the sale of 22 houses at Seafield to Norman Ritchie, public works contractor. The buyer paid £765 for the first group of nine houses (total area 0.687 acres)and £1105 for the second group of 13 houses (total area 0.979). Date of entry for both is 18th May 1970. Each document is accompanied by a 1:360 scale plan (titled Seafield and dated 6th March 1970) which has the relevant houses edged in red.
  
• 143066 - Pumpherston 75 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Ritchie Brothers. Documents the sale of 75 Seafield to Ritchie Brothers for the sum of £300 with entry as at 17th September 1968. Accompanied by 1:360 plan showing the location of the 0.066 acre property in red, with a 1:2500 scale map showing the wider area in which it is situated.
  
• 143067 - Pumpherston 77 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Alexander Sim Duncan. Records the sale of 77 Seafield to Alexander Sim Duncan for the sum of £377 with date of entry as at 22nd March 1968. Includes a 1:360 plan with the property of 0.064 acres outlined in red, as well as a 1:2500 map showing the location of the property in the larger area.
  
• 143068 - Pumpherston 79 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Richard Gray. Records the sale of 79 Seafield to Richard Gray for £200 with entry as at 2nd January 1964. Accompanied by a 1:360 plan with the property of 0.063 acres outlined in red, and a 1:2500 map showing its location within the larger area.
  
• 143069 - Pumpherston 81 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Thomas Millar. Records the sale of 81 Seafield to Thomas Millar for the sum of £505 with entry as at 4th October 1963. Accompanied by a 1:360 plan with the property of 0.093 acres outlined in red, and a 1:2500 map showing the location of the property in the larger area.
  
• 143070 - Pumpherston 82 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Ritchie Brothers. Records the sale of 82 Seafield to Ritchie Brothers for the sum of £715 with entry as at 4th October 1967. Accompanied by a plan at the scale of 1:360 with the property of 0.065 acres outlined in red, and 1:2500 scale map showing the location of the property within a larger area.
  
• 143071 - Pumpherston 83 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited with consent of David Kerr in favour of Ritchie Brothers. Records the sale of 83 Seafield to Ritchie Brothers for the sum of £200 with entry as at 1st January 1968. Accompanied by a 1:360 plan with the location of the property of 0.062 acres in red, and a 1:2500 map showing the location of the property within the larger area.
  
• 143072 - Pumpherston 85 Seafield - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Miss Jean Hamilton Grant & Others. Records the sale of 85 Seafield to Miss Jean Hamilton Grant, Miss Christine Hamilton Grant, Miss Mary Grant and Miss Agnes Grant for the sum of £200 with entry as at 1st September 1967. Accompanied by a 1:360 plan with the property of 0.064 acres outlined in red, and a 1:2500 map showing its location within a wider area.
  
• 143073 - Disposition No. 86 Seafield. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of William Goodall Orr of No. 86 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. Details the sale of No. 86 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to William Goodall Orr for the sum of £200. Includes a location plan which shows the area referred to in the disposition highlighted in black. The scale of the plan is 1inch=30ft.
  
• 143074 - Disposition - 87 Seafield, Bathgate. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of George Orr. Subjects: 87 Seafield, Bathgate. Dated 1970. Details the sale of No. 87 Seafield, Bathgate by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to George Orr for the sum of £650. Attached is a black and white location plan with the property highlighted in black. Scale of the plan is 1/2500. Included are 2 colour copies of the location plan with the property hightlighted in red.
  
• 143075 - Disposition: 89 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of James Fraser. Subjects: 89 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. Details the sale of No. 89 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to James Fraser for the sum of £200. Attached is a black and white location plan of the area with the property highlighted in black. The scale of the plan is 1/2500. Included is a colour copy of the location plan with the area highlighted in red.
  
• 143076 - Disposition: No. 90 Seafield, by Bathgate. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Mrs. Lilian Nicol or Diamond. Subjects: No. 90 Seafield, by Bathgate, West Lothian. Dated 1968. Details the sale of No. 90 Seafield, Bathgate by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to Mrs. Lilian Nicol or Diamond for the sum of £200. Attached is a black and white location plan with the property highlighted in black. Scale of the plan is 1/2500. Included is a colour copy of the location plan with the property highlighted in red.
  
• 143077 - Disposition: 93 Seafield, Bathgate. Dated 1968. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of George Reid Callander. Subjects: 93 Seafield, Bathgate. Dated 1968. Details the sale of No. 93 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to George Reid Callander for the sum of £200. Attached is a black and white location plan with the property highlighted in black. The scale of the plan is 1/2500. Included is a colour copy of the location plan with the property hightlighted in red.
  
• 143078 - Disposition: 94 Seafield, Bathgate. Dated 1967. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Mrs Susan Ness. Subjects: 94 Seafield, Bathgate. Dated 1967. Details the sale of No. 94 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to Mrs Susan Ness for the sum of £200. Attached is a black and white location plan with the property hightlighted in black. Scale of the plan is 1/2500. Included is a colour copy of the location plan with the property hightlighted in red.
  
• 143079 - Disposition: No. 95 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of William Wallace of No. 95 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. Details the sale of No. 95 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to William Wallace for the sum of £358. Attached is a black and white location plan with the property highlighted in black. The scale of the plan is 1/2500. Included is a colour copy of the location plan with the property highlighted in red. Attached to this is a letter which asks for further details to be added to the linen map, dated 29th April 1969.
  
• 143080 - Disposition: No. 98 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Otton Tumilowicz of No. 98 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. Details the sale of the property No. 98 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to Otton Tumilowicz for the sum of £150. Attached is a black and white location plan with the property highlighted in black. Scale of the plan is 1/2500. Included is a colour copy of the location plan with the property highlighted in red.
  
• 143087 - Disposition: 100 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1968. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company in favour of Alexander Litza. Subjects: 100 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1968.
  
• 143088 - Disposition: No. 102 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of James Gardiner Arthur and another of No. 102 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969.
  
• 143089 - Disposition: No. 103 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Gregor MacKenzie of No. 103 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969.
  
• 143090 - Disposition: Number 105 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Thomas Elliott. Subjects: Number 105 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. Details the sale of No. 105 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to Thomas Elliott for the sum of £250. Attached is a black and white location plan with the property highlighted in black. Scale of the plan is 1/2500. Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Mrs. Edith Davey or Elliott. Subjects: No. 105 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1970. Details the sale of No. 105 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company to Mrs. Edith Davey or Elliott for the sum of £250. Attached is a black and white location plan wih the property hightlighted in black. Scale of the plan is 1/2500. Included is a colour copy of the location plan with the property highlighted in red. Included are 3 letters dating from 18th January 1968 to 11th September 1968 regarding the purchase of No. 105 Seafield by My Thomas Elliott.
  
• 143091 - Disposition; No. 107 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1968. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Mrs. Kathleen Isabella Byers of No. 107 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1968.
  
• 143092 - Disposition; No. 109 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in fvour of Robert Whigham of No. 109 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969.
  
• 143093 - Disposition; No. 111 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1968. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Henry Taylor Reid of No. 111 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1968.
  
• 143943 - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Messrs. Ritchie Brothers of No. 116 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Messrs. Ritchie Brothers of No. 116 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. Details the sale of a plot of ground in the Parish of Livingston and Country of West Lothian by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to Messrs. Ritchie Brothers for the sum of £150. Attached is a Location Plan which has the area referred to in the disposition highlighted in black (black and white copy of original). The scale of the plan is 1/2500 and is undated.
  
• 143094 - Disposition; No. 117 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Messrs. Ritchie Brothers of No. 117 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1969. Details the sale of No. 117 Seafield by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited to Messrs. Ritchie Brothers for the sum of £150. Attached is a black and white location plan with the property hightlighted in black. Scale of plan is 1/2500. Included is a colour copy of the location plan with the property hightlighted in red.
  
• 143095 - Disposition: 120 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1970. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of Ritchie Brothers. Subjects: 120 Seafield, by Bathgate. Dated 1970.
  
• 183793 - Officials Houses, Seafield - Envelope containing plans for officials houses at Seafield named Dunedin and Morven on the public road from Blackburn to Seafield. There are 2 drawings, 1 for each property showing boundary for each property edged in Red. Acres and dimensions for each property are given with a scale 1 inch = 30 feet. There is also a drawing for The Cottages on the public road from Blackburn to Livingston showing the site boundary edged Red and giving the total site acres and dimensions with a scale 1 inch = 30 feet. There is also a site plan for Seafield North showing properties numbered 1 to 24. These have been divided into plots edged Red and designated Area 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The acres and dimensions for each Area are given with a scale 1" = 30'. The envelope also contains drawing negatives and a number of drawings showing areas for disposal.
  
• 129025 - Correspondence from John Wardrope, 11 Seafield, by Bathgate: Let of ground at Seafield Rows, 1956 - John Wardrope, 11 Seafield, by Bathgate: Let of ground for garage at the rear of Houses Numbers 49 to 64 Seafield Rows.
  
• 129067 - Duplicate Lease between The Trustees of Sir John Pender, K.C.M.G., and The Pumpherston Oil Co. Ltd. - Duplicate Lease between The Right Honourable John Cuthbert, Baron Pender of Porthcurnow and Another, Trustees of Sir John Pender, K.C.M.G., and The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited, of Shale in the Lands of Seafield, Blackburn and Whitehall in County of West Lothian.
  
• 129068 - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of The County Council of West Lothian. - Disposition by The Pumpherston Oil Company Limited in favour of The County Council of the County of West Lothian, of Site of Septic Tank at Seafield. Dated 3rd September 1942. Includes plan of the area.