1768-1838

Charles Tennant was born at Ochiltree in Ayrshire into a family that had worked on the land for generations. By the 1830s he was head of a family firm which was to continue to expand long after his death. His inventory is interesting in that it shows his clear commitment to the development of the railway network in Scotland. No doubt he realised that an efficient transport system would be of benefit to his own business.

Charles left his humble origins to become involved in the manufacture of silk. He studied bleaching, and in 1798 patented the use of chloride of lime in that process. Two years later he established his chemical works at St. Rollox, Glasgow. This was the foundation of a business empire which, having consolidated itself as one of the major manufacturers of chemicals in the world, expanded into the fields of mining, metallurgy and explosives. The firm went on to develop important mines in the south of Spain.
He died in Glasgow and is buried in the Glasgow Necropolis

Charles' grandson, Sir Charles Tennant (1823-1906), who took over as head of the business, was a prominent Liberal, serving as M.P. for Glasgow from 1877 to 1880 and for Peebles and Selkirk from 1880 until 1886. By this time he had built himself a large country mansion, The Glen, in Peeblesshire, and lived the life of a country gentleman.