The Town of Broxburn developed from a village in the 19th century on the Edinburgh-Glasgow road into a centre-point for transporting people and goods. The Union Canal (1821) is on Broxburn's western side while the railway (1849) was to its south. The discovery of coal, iron and shale oil resulted in an increase in population and the creation of gigantic waste 'bings' which surround the area. Many buildings survive from the mid- and late-Victorian era while much housing to the south (the Old Town) was created in the late 1960s. Recently though, Broxburn has witnessed many new housing developments.
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A Historical Appreciation of the district would not be complete without mentioning the mansion house at Kirkhill on the west of the town. There have been many owners of Kirkhill, but the one that interests the Protestant historian is Henry Erskine, Third Lord Cardross.
In 1679 a reputedly 10,000 strong Royalist army, under Duke of Monmouth, encamped at Kirkhill while hunting Covenanters after the battle of Drumclog. Rev. John King, Chaplain to Lord Cardross, was taken prisoner and later executed at the Market Cross in Edinburgh for preaching at coventicles. Lord Cardross however, an ardent covenanter who had been fined on many occasions and subsequently imprisoned for a number of years, was released from jail but sought refuge in North Carolina. After being driven from North Carolina, Lord Cardross joined a group of fellow Scots in Holland, where he was reunited with his wife, there to await a favourable opportunity of returning home. The opportunity was presented in 1688 when, with the other exiled Scots, he accompanied William, Prince of Orange, to England. Restored to favour, he died in 1693, holding the office of Governor of the Mint at Edinburgh. His son David, the fourth Lord of Cardross, in 1729 became Lord High Commissioner to the Church of Scotland.
The earliest records of Orangeism in Scotland, dating from around 1830, do not reveal any Orange Lodges operating in West Lothian, although two lodges were established just outside the county at Wilsontown. The membership probably taken from the employees of the Wilsontown Iron Company who had opened there at the turn of the century, followed shortly by the Shotts Iron Company in 1802.
Due to the lack of early records as well as the disruption of the order between 1836 and 1851, Orangeism in West Lothian can only trace its origins back to the 1850's.
The first two lodges that settled in Broxburn had connections with the earliest military origins of Scottish Orangeism, Hearts of Oak LOL 44 having had their warrant first granted to a Scottish military unit.
As with several early lodges it eventually found a permanent home as soldiers settled in the central belt, and by the 1850's if not earlier its place of meeting was settled in Broxburn, where it flourishes to this day. In the 1850's it was one of the lodges that comprised Edinburgh District, No. 52 of the Grand Protestant Association of Loyal Orangemen of Great Britain until 1853, and thereafter John Knox No. 5 District of the newly formed Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland.
Another Lodge LOL 54 was also established around this time, but probably did not settle in Broxburn until the late 1860's when the new shale oil industry was beginning to expand. With close links to the Royal Artillery (who were stationed at Leith Fort), it was the military from which it drew many members. As late as April 1868 LOL 54 was still meeting in Edinburgh, The Worthy master being Bro. Robert Walker. On the 14th of that month a dinner was held in the Grape Tavern, Edinburgh, to bid farewell to members of the lodge who were posted to Shorncliffe with the Regiment, and it is most probable that it was following their departure and the end of the active military connections that the lodge moved to Broxburn where the shale oil industry was attracting many men. The lodge sadly no longer functions.
Mining and Iron manufacture were labour intensive Industries, as a result, the local populations could not meet employers' demand for workers. Immigrants from Ireland (and elsewhere) descended on Scotland. Many were Ulstermen and were keen to uphold their traditions and cultures in their new home. This is the commonly held view amongst many historians and observers, however, it should not be overlooked that the Papal Aggression issue of 1850 seems also to have played a part in the overwhelming growth of Scottish Orangeism in the 1850's and 1860's, and the influx of Irish after successive famines may tend to suggest there was already a Scottish Orange Tradition before the mass industrial immigration.
In fairly recent times West Lothian District LOL 31 has hosted the parade in 1978, and 1989 and now thankfully in 2003! However the earliest parade (that known records exist for) that West Lothian District (then No. 48) was involved in was held on Tuesday 12th July 1892 at Armadale, where 9 Districts were accompanied by 25 bands. It is also documented that Broxburn District 31 were accompanied in Armadale by the Broxburn Conservative Flute Band and Linlithgow Pipe band in July 1901.
Click for Big Picture of the County Demonstration in 1978
As for hosting a major demonstration the West Lothian Courier of 14th July 1922 states:
"A great Orange demonstration was held at Broxburn on Saturday last, the first on such a large scale since 17 years ago when the brethren assembled in a park behind North Albyn Cottages. Twenty Four Years ago the celebration took place on the Whinny Knowe, and 35 years ago Forkneuk Park, Uphall was the scene of the gathering"
This intriguing snippet suggests that Broxburn hosted a major parade as far back as 1887, and also in 1898 and 1905. We can however find no other evidence for these parades.
The article tells us that the demonstration in 1922 numbered 5000, took 30 minutes to pass a given point and had a total of 12 districts from West Lothian and Lanarkshire. Also participating in the procession were 12 bands (the only one that is still in existence today being Armadale Flute Band). The Parade set out with "bands playing and banners flying, headed by two machines in which were prominent officials and the speakers"
"A force of 43 policemen was distributed along the route some of whom were mounted, fortunately though little call was made on their services further than regulating vehicular traffic, the procession being of a most orderly kind"
The Chairman on the day was Bro. Frank D. Dorrien. It is reported that he was "delighted" to see such a large demonstration. He hoped "it would be the means of raising up new blood in this district to join the order and bringing back those who were once inside it", what was said in 1922 could undoubtedly be said today!
The only disappointment about the day was,
"The Weather which had threatened rain from the start of the proceedings unfortunately got worse about 2.30 and by the time the speakers mounted the platform there was a heavy downpour"
The present District warrant (No. 31) was issued in 1936. Geographically the district covers an area which encompasses Broxburn, Uphall, Uphall Station, Pumpherston, Mid Calder and East Calder. The Present W.D.M. is Bro. David Armit, L.O.L. 178.
District 31 presently has 5 Lodges functioning under its jurisdiction.