South Arthurlie House
All that remains of the extensive printworks operated by the Hays family
Our GHSS report on South Arthurlie House provides more information on the history of this printworks property
Appearing as Allison's Arthurlie on the 1856 Ordnance Survey, the OS Name Book records that "This name applies to a few dwellings with gardens adjoining occupied by Mr Hays and others. - the property of the occupier named." The nearby and now disappeared Woodside House is recorded as "A neat dwellinghouse the property of and occupied by Mr Hays." South Arthurlie Printworks is recorded as "An extensive print works the business of which is conducted by Mr Z Hays the proprietor." The 1851 census records there being 199 male employees and 96 female. The same census has George Heys at Springhill, John Heys at Woodside and Henry Heys at Sunnyside with Zeachariah in Alison's Arthurlie House.
In 1842 the business had been acquired by Zeachariah Heys and in late December of the same year, part of the works was damaged by the floods caused by the Glanderstoun reservoir disaster. As reported in The Scotsman of January 4th 1843:
APPALLING OCCURRENCE NEAR BARRHEAD, RENFREWSHIRE - NINE LIVES LOST(From the Glasgow Post)The next place that suffered from the floods was the Print-Works of South Arthurlie...Two dwelling-houses, a large out shed, and a byre, with all they contained, were instantaneously carried away. And we are sorry to relate that, with one of the houses, the entire family of occupants but one child were instantaneously drowned and buried in the ruins. With the exception of the husband, the other family shared the same fate as their neighbour....
The business of Z Heys & Sons was carried on by his descendants and the name Zechariah passed on. In 1884 George and John Heys retired and Henry continued the business with "Zechariah John Heys, Stonehouse, Barrhead; Zechariah George Heys, Springhill Villa Barrhead & Zechariah Henry Heys Rockmount Barrhead" (from Land Tax records and Notice of Dissolution, Edinburgh Gazette).