Series 4 > Scottish industrial history

THEBEGININGANDTHEEND OF
THE LEWIS CHEMICAL WORKS,
1857—1874, by D. Morison
edited by T. I. Rae, ph d
introduction. This brief history of the Lewis Chemical Works
was written in 1895 by D. Morison, who, as becomes apparent
during the course of the narrative, was production foreman at the
Works. The idea of distilling oil and tar from the peat of the bogs
of Lewis was conceived by Henry Gaunter, apparently a servant or
agent of Sir James Matheson, the proprietor of the Lewis estate at
the time. Sir James, envisaging the scheme as a source of employ¬
ment for the people of the island, encouraged Gaunter, who, in
association with Dr. B. Hariot Paul, an industrial chemist, set up a
distillation plant just outside Stornoway. Morison narrates the
story of the trials and errors these men made, and the accidents
which occurred, before an effective plant was set up. In 1861 it was
operational; but unfortunately, just when his abilities as a chemist
were most needed to develop the by-products of the distillation,
Dr Paul left Lewis. The failure to appoint an efficient chemist in
his place, who could have exploited effectively the chemical pro¬
cesses, was, in Morison’s opinion, the main reason for the subse¬
quent decline of the Works, to Sir James Matheson’s financial loss.
A not immodest man, he is quite emphatic that the decline could in
no way be attributed to D. Morison.
Morison shows himself as a man of forthright judgment, a
stem critic of ineptitude, and of an independent turn of mind.
He respected those whom he regarded as his social superiors only
if they merited that respect - and he had very little for Henry