An Enormous Reckless Blunder: The Story of the Lewis Chemical Works

by Ali Whiteford

In 1844, James Matheson purchased the Isle of Lewis with the vast fortune he had made trading in the Far East. A man with a thirst for knowledge, especially in the fields of science and technology, he was also interested in ways to exploit the abundant natural resources of his new acquisition. At the same time, on Dartmoor and in Ireland, peat bogs were being used as a source of fuels and other products, creating quite a stir in the markets. Henry Caunter, amateur scientist and business associate of Matheson, carried out experiments on the distillation of peat deposits in Lewis. These showed commercial promise and Matheson financed the development and construction of the Lewis Chemical Works which would produce, amongst other things, lighting oil and paraffin from peat.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Guido · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth account of the life and times of the Lewis Chemical Works, and the personalities involved in this little-known aspect of the history of the Island of Lewis.