Records of William Lind & Co Ltd, contractors and quarry masters, Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland

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Scope and Content

Memorandum and articles of association 1929-1972
Financial records 1937-1969
Production records 1944-1971
Correspondence 1956-1976
Technical report files 1949-1971
Quarry records 1910-1972
Plant records 1956-1971
Maps and plans 1934-1972
Photographs 1910-1960s
Staff records 1929-1967
Miscellaneous documents including company history, press cuttings and trade association membership certificates 1937-1972

Administrative / Biographical History

In 1902 , William Lind of West Calder, West Lothian, Scotland, and Frank Cavin of Quarrelton, Renfrewshire, Scotland, set up in partnership as quarry masters and contractors. The business was based at Elderslie and was known as Cavin & Lind . In 1929 , Frank Cavin died, and the partnership was dissolved and a new company, William Lind & Co Ltd , was formed. William Lind was the chairman of the copmany and James Lind, his son, and Matthew Reid were its directors. In 1934 , William Lind died and in 1941 , Matthew Reid also died; his position being taken over by J I Cavin.

Cavin & Lind had operated quarries at Craigenfeoch and Rannoch, Perth & Kinross, but the operation at Craigenfeoch Quarry was closed after the First World War. Later, quarrying operations were also carried out around Scotland at Blair Atholl, Perth & Kinross; Elgin, Moray; Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire; Dundee; Dumfries, Dumfries & Galloway; and Corpach, Argyll & Bute. Gravel pits were worked at Lossiemouth, Moray; Elgin, Moray; and Dalcross, Highland. In 1967 , the firm acquired the Craigengaun, Loanhead and Cairncurran Quarries, although the intention was to put Craigengaun Quarry into suspended animation until at least 1970 .

Major contracts undertaken during the 1930s included the gas supply link between Johnstone, Renfrewshire, and Bishopton, Renfrewshire, and the outfall sewerage and purification works at Johnstone. During the 1940s the company undertook the construction of beach defences and airfields in North East Scotland. In 1950 , the civil engineering section was closed in order to concentrate on the operation of quarries and the sale of quarry products, including road surfacing materials.

In 1966 , the company acquired William Smith & Son (Quarrymasters) Ltd , Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire. The company had been incorporated in 1936 and was acquired at the same time as Craigengaun Quarry Co Ltd.

In 1967, William Lind, the grandson of the founder, entered into partnership with W H Malcolm to form a new company, Loanhead Transport Ltd , until the Malcolm family bought out William Lind's share in the business in 1988.

In 2002, William Lind & Co Ltd was still registered as a non-trading dormant company at Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Arrangement

This material is arranged into series, which consist of numbers of items related by format and/or function. Within series, the items are generally arranged chronologically.