Harthill Co-operatives
West Benhar, also known as Muirhead Row, was a mining village south west of Harthill built by collieries in the 1870s that by 1910 had passed into private ownership[1]. It consisted of 195 single story cottages built in 22 rows, 18 on the north side of the road and 4 on the south side. 61 of the cottages were a single apartment room with the rest being two apartment. The rows on the south side were demolished in 1910. In 1913 the remaining rows were declared a public health issue with an order to remedy the issues[2]In 1916 the council was delaying closing the rows with 20 cottages in critical condition[3]By the end of 1928 there were only 14 occupied cottages, the occupants refusing to move to Shotts[4]. The remainder of the rows were demolished in 1929. The map opposite shows Harthill and West Benhar around 1924[5].
WEST BENHAR CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY 1885-1969
The society was formed in late 1885 with a store opened in West Benhar in December 1885[6]. This was followed by a store in Salsburgh in May 1896, a stores in Harthill in September 1886, a store in Blackridge in May 1898 and a store in Whitburn by 1900. From at least 1894 the society was holding it's meetings in Eastfield, which was absorbed by Harthill. The society effectively transitioned it's main operations to Harthill. In 1915 the society opened a new bakery in Harthill[7]. In 1921 the boot repair and shoemaking machinery was centralised in Harthill. In February 1925 the grocery sales for the quarter were £4261 for West Benhar, £9031 for Harthill, £4031 for Salsburgh and £3585 for Blackridge. The society had also built 23 dwelling houses by 1925. In 1926 the society opened a store in Eastfield but retained the old West Benhar store assuming that new houses would be built at West Benhar when Summerlea Colliery reopened[8]. The houses were never built and the old store would have closed by 1929.
The society joined West Lothian in June 1969, shortly after it's formation[9].
| WEST BENHAR CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD | ||
|---|---|---|
| File:WBharCoop.H.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WBharCoop.H | |
| Value | ½d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Yellow Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:WBharCoop.1.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WBharCoop.1 | |
| Value | 1d | |
| Add Desc. | 2.25mm thick | |
| Size (mm) | 21 | |
| Manufacture | Black Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:WBharCoop.1a.jpg | ||
| Source | (TCS 11) | |
| Filename | WBharCoop.1a | |
| Value | 1d | |
| Add Desc. | 4mm thick | |
| Size (mm) | 21 | |
| Manufacture | Black Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:WBharCoop.3.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WBharCoop.3 | |
| Value | 3d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 22 | |
| Manufacture | Red Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:WBharCoop.6.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WBharCoop.6 | |
| Value | 6d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 25 | |
| Manufacture | Brown Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:WBharCoop.8.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WBharCoop.8 | |
| Value | 8d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 24 | |
| Manufacture | Light Turquoise Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:WBharCoop.1S.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | WBharCoop.1S | |
| Value | 1/- | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 28 | |
| Manufacture | White Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
- ↑ The Housing Condition of Miners, Report by Dr John T. Wilson, Medical Officer of Health, 1910
- ↑ Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser, 01 Feb 1913, page 6
- ↑ Hamilton Advertiser, 29 Apr 1916, page 4
- ↑ Sunday Post, 04 Nov 1928, page 3
- ↑ Series: Ordnance Survey of Scotland. One-inch to the mile, Popular Edition, Sheet 73 Falkirk & Motherwell, 1932
- ↑ West Lothian Courier, 29 May 1925, page 4
- ↑ Hamilton Advertiser, 26 Jun 1915, page 6
- ↑ West Lothian Courier, 26 Nov 1926, page 4
- ↑ West Lothian Courier, 20 Jun 1969, page 5