The Stein family
Generations in the shale oil industry
John Stein was a retorts foreman in the very earliest days of Young's Addiewell Oil Works. His photograph with his wife in a fine crinoline dress can be seen above.
His daughter, Agnes, was born in Whitburn in 1864, but the family moved to Addiewell when she was very young, and lived in Faraday Place - known as Gaffers' Row. In the webpage entitled Agnes Stein, you can read more about her life as a teacher.
Her brother, James Stein, also went into the shale industry. He married, and had three children: John, born about 1897, James, and Jean. You can see a photograph of James Stein with this wife and three children in the gallery above. They also lived in Addiewell and worked for Young's PLMOC.
John Stein, the oldest boy, went into the shale industry when he grew up, and became a senior manager with Scottish Oils Ltd. Above you can see a photo of the clock that was presented to him and his wife by his colleagues in the Mining Department of Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company, on the occasion of his marriage in 1919. There is also a close-up of the inscription.
His wife was Meg Haig, who also had a connection with Young's, for she was born in a cottage at the gates of Limefield House, Paraffin Young's home at Polbeth.
John Stein retired in 1957, aged 60. In this picture, you can see a photo of him taken about this time.
John Stein and his wife Meg had three children, Margaret, Jim and Jean. It's Jean and her niece Clare Harding who have very kindly supplied all this information and all the photographs on this page.