Rather interesting Bathgate facts
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Did you know that the world’s first major oil refinery was in Bathgate? Chemical engineer James Young developed a process to make paraffin for lubricating-oil from a specific type of coal – cannel – found in the coalfields around Bathgate. He and some business partners opened Bathgate Chemical Works in 1852, soon diversifying into lighter oils for lamps. They protected their techniques with a mix of security measures and patent cover, but in the 1860s petroleum products undercut them and their local raw materials were running out.
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Famous Bathgate people:
David Tennant
Sir James Simpson
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