Editing Bathgate (section)

== History ==

=== Medieval (c1100–1500) ===
[[File:Former Bathgate Parish Church (remains) 2006.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Remains of Bathgate's former Parish Church south of Kirkton Park]]

Bathgate first enters the chronicles of history in a confirmation charter by King [[Malcolm IV of Scotland]] (1141 – 9 December 1165). In royal charters of the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, the name of Bathgate has appeared as: Bathchet (1160), Bathket (1250) and Bathgetum (1316). Batket in the 14th century, and by the 15th appeared as both Bathgat and Bathcat, the latter an offshoot of Uchtred Dalrymple's feudal lineage, which ruled during ancient times. The name is a "manifest corruption" of an earlier [[Cumbric]] name meaning 'Boar Wood' (cf. Welsh ''baedd coed'').<ref>Price, Glanville, ''Languages in Britain and Ireland'' (page 122); Bethany Fox, '[http://www.heroicage.org/issues/10/fox.html The P-Celtic Place-Names of North-East England and South-East Scotland]', ''The Heroic Age'', 10 (2007), [http://www.heroicage.org/issues/10/fox-appendix.html appendix].</ref>

Early records of Bathgate are somewhat sketchy. It is recorded that, around 1160, Uchtred Dalrymple, Sheriff of [[Linlithgow]], and [[Geoffrey de Melville]] came to Bathgate at the command of King [[Malcolm IV]] and measured out an area of land which was to form the basis of Bathgate Parish. The church and all its associate property were placed under the auspices of [[Holyrood Abbey]] at that time and paid a tenth of its income from the land to that institution.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cavanagh|first=Cybil|title=Old Bathgate|year=2006|publisher=Stenlake Publishing|location=Catrine, Ayrshire|isbn=9781840333770|page=3|url=http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=439|access-date=28 March 2013|archive-date=16 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816234953/http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=439|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1315, the daughter of King Robert I of Scotland ([[Robert The Bruce]]), [[Marjorie Bruce|Marjorie]] (alternatively spelt Margery) Bruce, married [[Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland|Walter Stewart]] (or Steward) (1293–1326), the 6th Lord High Steward of Scotland. The dowry to her husband included the lands and castle of Bathgate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.armadale.org.uk/bathgatecastle.htm |title=Bathgate Castle |access-date=22 December 2012 |archive-date=9 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509180409/http://www.armadale.org.uk/bathgatecastle.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Walter died at the castle on 9 April 1326.  This marriage is still celebrated in an annual pageant forming part of the Bathgate Procession & John Newland Festival, colloquially known as the Bathgate Procession.

In the 1846 book ''A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] writes:

{{cquote|Of this ancient castle, some slight traces of the foundations only are discernible, in a morass about a quarter of a mile [400&nbsp;m] from the town, in which, though it has been drained and brought into cultivation, kitchen utensils of brass, and coffins rudely formed of flat stones, have been discovered by the plough.}}

Another antiquarian, W. Jardin, in the ''Statistical Account of Scotland Vol I'' (1793), and referring to Walter Stewart, states:

{{cquote|Some traces of his mansion may be seen in the middle of a bog or loch about {{convert|1/4|mi|m|disp=sqbr}} from the town. Hewn stones have frequently been dug from the foundations, and some kitchen-utensils of copper or brass have been found.}}

Dating from around the same time the remains of Bathgate's former parish church still stand at Kirkton. The original 12th-century construction was absorbed by a later build in 1739 when a new church was erected on the same site. The walls of the church were consolidated in 1846.<ref name="autogenerated2">Buildings of Scotland; Lothian, by Colin McWilliam</ref> This simple whitewashed edifice served the community until its last service on 9 April 1882. King Malcolm IV makes reference to the original church in a charter, granting it to the monks of [[Holyrood Abbey]]. Records show that Holyrood Abbey gave the church to the abbot and monks of [[Newbattle Abbey]] in 1327.

=== 17th–18th centuries ===
[[File:St Marys RC Church, Bathgate by Charles Menart.jpg|thumb|St Mary’s RC Church, Bathgate by [[Charles Menart]]]]
{{Main|Hilderston, West Lothian}}
In 1606 [[ore|silver ore]] was found at nearby [[Hilderston, West Lothian|Hilderston]], in the shadow of Cairnpapple Hill, by a prospecting [[Coal miner|collier]], Sandy Maund.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sasaa.co.uk/case%20studies%209.htm |title=sasaa king jamie's silvermine |publisher=Sasaa.co.uk |access-date=1 September 2011}}</ref> This accidental discovery began a short-lived crown "project" in the area. Advisers to [[James I of England|King James VI of Scotland]] became aware of the discovery, and in April 1608 repossessed the land for the crown. The prospector [[Bevis Bulmer]] and [[Thomas Foulis]] opened a mine called "God's Blessing".<ref>''HMC 9 Salisbury Hatfield'', vol. 19 (London, 1965), pp. 213, 236-7.</ref> A sample of the ore was shipped to London,<ref>Michael Brennan, Noel Kinnamon, Margaret Hannay, ''Letters of Rowland Whyte to Sir Robert Sidney'' (Philadelphia, 2013), p. 573.</ref> and assayed in the [[Tower of London]] by Andrew Palmer.<ref>''HMC 9 Salisbury Hatfield'', vol. 20 (London, 1968), pp. 4, 74, 239.</ref> By December 1608 it was clear that the ore in the mine was of varying quality and by March 1613 all efforts to extract silver from the area were abandoned.

Bathgate remained a very small rural community until the middle of the 19th century with only a foray by [[Covenanter]]s in the 17th century to unrest the populace. [[Francis Hindes Groome|Francis Groome]], in the ''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland'' (1882–84) writes:

{{cquote|Some of the inhabitants suffered hardship and loss in the times of the persecution; and the insurgent army of the Covenanters, when on their march from the W to [[Battle of Rullion Green|Rullion Green]], spent a disastrous night at Bathgate.}}

[[Robert Louis Stevenson]], in the book ''Lay Morals, Part 2: The Pentland Rising. A Page of History'' further elucidates upon this night in November 1666:

{{cquote|A report that [[Tam Dalyell of the Binns|Dalzell]] was approaching drove them from [[Lanark]] to Bathgate, where, on the evening of Monday the 26th, the wearied army stopped. But at twelve o’clock the cry, which served them for a trumpet, of 'Horse! horse!’ and 'Mount the prisoner!’ resounded through the night-shrouded town.}}
His depiction goes on to describe how the half the army perished in the freezing weather as they headed towards the [[Pentland Hills]].

=== 19th century ===
[[File:Bathgate Academy(1).jpg|thumb|Former Bathgate Academy in 2010]]
Established around 1800, the Glenmavis Distillery in Bathgate was purchased in 1831 by John McNab, who produced the eponymous ''MacNab's Celebrated Glenmavis Dew'' from the site until the distillery's closure in 1910. In 1885, the distillery was producing 80,000&nbsp;gallons of single malt a year which was transported to Scotland, England and the colonies.<ref>[[Alfred Barnard|Barnard, Alfred]] Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, 1887; reprinted Birlinn Ltd (1 July 2007); {{ISBN|1-84158-266-2}}</ref>

In 1831 [[Bathgate Academy]] was built. Designed by the Edinburgh architects [[R & R Dickson]] this is Bathgate's only large public building of historic merit. It was endowed by a Jamaican plantation owner John Newlands.<ref name="autogenerated2"/> The building later became part of Balbardie Primary School, and later still was changed into private housing.

By the opening of [[Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway]] in 1849, local mines and quarries were extracting [[coal]], [[Lime (mineral)|lime]], and [[ironstone]].

[[James Young (Scottish chemist)|James Young]]'s discovery of [[cannel coal]] in the Boghead area of Bathgate, and the subsequent opening of the Bathgate Chemical Works in 1852, the world's first commercial oil-works, manufacturing [[Kerosene|paraffin]] oil and [[paraffin wax]], signalled an end to the rural community of previous centuries.<ref name="Hendrie151">{{cite book |last=Hendrie |first=William |date=1986 |title=Discovering West Lothian |location=Edinburgh |publisher=John Donald Publishers |pages=147–151 |isbn=9780859761628}}</ref> When the cannel coal resources dwindled around 1866, Young started distilling paraffin from much more readily available [[oil shale|shale]].<ref name=autogenerated1>Groome, Frances, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882–84)</ref> The landscape of the Lothians is still dotted with the orange spoil heaps (called bings) from this era. Collieries and quarries and the associated industries (brickworks, steelworks)<ref name=autogenerated1 /> were the main employers in Bathgate as the 19th century drew to a close.

Between 1882 and 1884, Bathgate High Parish Church was constructed on Jarvey St.<ref name="HESJarveySt">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB22129|desc=JARVEY STREET, HIGH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND WITH GRAVEYARD, BOUNDARY WALLS, RAILINGS AND GATEPIERS|cat=B|access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> Designed by Wardrop and Reid, the church was built of sandstone in [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque architectural style]].<ref name="HESJarveySt"/> It is Category B listed.<ref name="HESJarveySt"/>

=== 20th century ===
[[File:Bathgate, George Place.jpg|thumb|George Place and the Steelyard in central Bathgate, with the McLagan Fountain]]

In 1904, St David's Church was built in Bathgate on George Street.<ref name="HESGeorgeSt">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB22128|desc=GEORGE STREET, ST DAVID'S CHURCH (CHURCH OF SCOTLAND) WITH BELL TOWER, CHURCH HALLS AND BOUNDARY WALLS|cat=B|access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> Designed by the Scottish architect [[James Graham Fairley]], it is in [[Early English (architecture)|Early English]] architectural style and the church is Category B listed.<ref name="HESGeorgeSt"/> The church includes a belltower in north Italian [[campanile]] style.<ref name="HESGeorgeSt"/> The church is now the local Bathgate cinema.<ref name="ELCinema">{{cite web|url=https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/west-lothian-church-turned-cinema-22209905| title=West Lothian church turned cinema to be investigated by ghosthunters for presences |publisher=Edinburgh Live |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> A few years later in 1908, St Mary's Roman Catholic Church was built to a design by [[Charles Ménart]] on Livery Street.<ref name="HESStMarys">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB50544|desc=LIVERY STREET, CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION (ST MARY'S) (ROMAN CATHOLIC), INCLUDING BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS AND RAILINGS|cat=C|access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> St Mary's is in a [[Gothic architecture|Gothic architectural style]] and is Category C listed.<ref name="HESStMarys"/>

In the mid-20th century, many local industries in the town had closed and West Lothian was designated a Special Development Area. In such areas, extra financial inducements were offered by the British government to assist companies wishing to relocate. As a result, in 1961, the [[British Motor Corporation|BMC]]—which consisted of the merged [[Austin Motor Company]] and [[Morris Motors]]—located a new [[truck|truck and tractor]] plant in Bathgate rather than expanding their [[Longbridge]] plant as originally planned. The plant closed in 1986 under ownership of [[British Leyland]].<ref name="Factory">{{cite web|url=https://www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/organisation/bathgate-once-more| title=Bathgate Once More: Researching, Recording and Preserving the Story of the Bathgate Truck and Tractor plant, 1961-86|publisher=Community Archives and Heritage Group |access-date=31 October 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Bathgate Partnership Centre - Lindsay House.JPG|thumb|left|Bathgate Partnership Centre – Lindsay House, opened 28 October 2011]]

On 24 March 1986,{{citation needed|date=May 2022|reason=[[WP:SPS]]/[[WP:UGC]] bad source removed}} the [[Edinburgh to Bathgate Line|Bathgate-Edinburgh railway line]] was re-opened to passengers for the first time since the 1950s. This railway line was extended as the [[Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link]] to [[Airdrie, North Lanarkshire|Airdrie]] allowing train services to run between [[Glasgow Queen Street railway station|Glasgow Queen Street]] and [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh Waverley]] via {{stnlnk|Bathgate}} on time and on budget in December 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11976653|title=New £300m Airdrie-Bathgate rail link reopens|date=12 December 2010|work=BBC News Online|publisher=BBC|access-date=27 December 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101212044400/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11976653| archive-date= 12 December 2010 |url-status = live}}</ref>

The world's oldest known reptile fossil, ''[[Westlothiana|Westlothiana lizziae]]'' (affectionately referred to as ''Lizzie''), was discovered in [[East Kirkton Quarry]], Bathgate in 1987; it is now in the [[Museum of Scotland]].<ref>Knell, Simon J, ''Museums and the Future of Collecting (Second Edition)'', (P170), {{ISBN|978-0-7546-3005-0}}</ref>

Early in 1992,<ref>[http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/news-se/news-fullarticle.htm?articleid=14479 News Article] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210857/http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/news-se/news-fullarticle.htm?articleid=14479 |date=27 September 2007 }}</ref> the US company [[Motorola]] opened a mobile phone manufacturing (Personal Communications Sector or PCS) plant at Easter Inch in Bathgate (now the Pyramids Business Park). In 2001, the global market for mobile phones dropped sharply and as a consequence, despite pressure from the highest levels of UK government,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1294237.stm|title=BBC News: Motorola to close Scottish plant | date=24 April 2001}}</ref> on 24 April 2001 Motorola announced the closure of the plant and the loss of 3,106 jobs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0016906.doc|title=Case Study Company: Motorola, Easter Inch, Bathgate| publisher=Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian}}</ref> The {{convert|93|acre|m2|adj=on}} site was occupied by [[HMRC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pyramidspark.com/office/description.html|title=Pyramids Business Park|access-date=6 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009024337/http://pyramidspark.com/office/description.html|archive-date=9 October 2007|url-status = dead}}</ref> In 2021 and early 2022, the Pyramids operated as the principal [[COVID-19 vaccine]] centre in West Lothian.<ref name="DailyRecord1">{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/west-lothian-over-40s-can-24274425| title=West Lothian over-40s can turn up for vaccine without appointment |publisher=Daily Record |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> In December 2021, it was announced that the Pyramids Business Park would become the site of a new large film and TV studio.<ref name="DailyRecord2">{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/hollywood-comes-west-lothian-business-25606882| title=Hollywood comes to West Lothian as business park to become site of £2million film and TV studio |publisher=Daily Record |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> Some previous productions at the site have included the film [[T2 Trainspotting]] and the TV show [[Good Omens (TV series)|Good Omens]],<ref name="DailyRecord2"/> which stars local actor [[David Tennant]].