The Muirhouselaw Tile Works, also called the Muirhouselaw Brick and Tile Works, was a mid-19th-century manufacturing facility on Muirhouselaw Farm in St Boswells, Roxburghshire, Scotland. The site primarily manufactured red clay bricks and drainage tiles for agricultural applications in the Scottish Borders.
The following extract is from an article published in the Southern Reporter on 21 September 1876.
Accident at Muirhouselaw Tileworks, St Boswells – Accident to a boy. On Tuesday last, an accident of a serious and painful nature occurred to a boy, eight years of age, son of Mr Whitson, one of the lessees of Muirhouselaw Tileworks. It appears that the boy’s hand had accidentally come in contact with the bruiser used for crushing the clay at the tile works, which drew in his fingers; and so fearfully were they mutilated that amputation was found necessary. Unfavourable symptoms, however, began to appear on Monday, when there was no other alternative left but to amputate the whole hand, which was successfully done by Drs Bell, Dewar, and Lundy. The little sufferer is now doing as well as might be expected.
In 1876, workers in the Scottish Borders faced perilous conditions, with frequent accidents and shifts that stretched endlessly.
Historical records reveal that the works sprang to life between 1858 and 1861. Absent from the 1841 farm plan, the site makes its first appearance on the 1859 Ordnance Survey map. Set on the estate of John Ord Esq., the works thrived under the guidance of notable figures such as William Fleming, the skilled brickmaster, and William Dodds. Today, the site proudly stands as a derelict testament to Scotland's rich industrial heritage in the brick and tile industry.
Geographic coordinate: 55°32'25.1"N 2°35'53.8"W