With the family’s homes in Rutherglen now part of the chemical processing facility, in 1859 James White II purchased land near Dumbarton for a grand new mansion far from the atmosphere of the works: Overtoun House was built in 1862.

However his reputation for godliness and upstanding generosity was tarnished in 1899 by the figurehead of the Labour Movement, Keir Hardie,[6] to whom the employees had turned for help regarding their situation after appeals to management and an attempted strike had proved unsuccessful.

In the short term this led to widespread perforation of the septum in their noses and ‘chrome holes’ (ulcerations burnt into the flesh), as well as lung cancer, digestive disorders and skin diseases over longer periods.

The exact number of workers affected is unknown due to unreliable figures and reluctance among authorities of the time to acknowledge and document any direct link between the chrome dust and the health dangers.

According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: "There was no effective rebuttal of the charges and Overtoun stood accused of hypocrisy, not least because his passionate sabbatarianism did not extend to closing his chemical works on Sundays.

Soon afterwards, improvements in the works were introduced, including baths and recreational facilities on-site, although the sanitary issues were addressed to a satisfactory standard only after a further damning report into Whites by the Medical Inspector of Factories Thomas Morison Legge.

Further investigations confirmed that J & J White Chemicals had been routinely discarding up to 2.5 million tonnes of their waste materials (Chromate Ore Processing Residue, COPR) at locations around Rutherglen, Cambuslang and Glasgow (such as Carmyle) for many years, and at the time this was permitted.

The most prominent dumping ground identified was an area of parkland and playing fields on a former quarry in the Eastfield district adjacent to two main roads, which was fenced off and lay abandoned for a decade before suitable decontamination could be carried out.

A new park and a housing development were laid out on the site,[12] but concerns in the community are such that the alarm was raised immediately when attempts were made to carry out test drilling for sewer works in 2014.

[13] Other sites either confirmed or strongly rumoured to have been contaminated with COPR – most of which are now believed to have been sufficiently decontaminated – include: The issue was highlighted in some detail by the then MP Tommy McAvoy during a debate in the House of Commons in 1995.

[24] The waste ground to the rear of the stadium also had a very high level of contamination, which caused great concern as this land fell along the exact route due to be taken by the M74 motorway and would lead to the chemicals being disturbed.

[29] Due to the contamination issues at Shawfield, an expensive and comprehensive cleanup operation – anticipated to last 20 years – is ongoing to allow the large site to be utilised safely in the future.

[30][31] Although Greggs bakers left the area in 2007, moving to new modern facilities in Cambuslang,[22] other businesses remained including a sizeable Arnold Clark Automobiles showroom/servicing centre, which eventually closed in early 2021 with the site quickly cleared for decontamination.

[32] The project, operated by Clyde Gateway,[33] will allow high value business and industrial units to be installed,[34] with favourable road links to central and eastern Glasgow (via Rutherglen Bridge) and access to the motorway network.

[38] The first building of the new development within Shawfield, the flagship Red Tree Magenta business centre,[39] was completed in 2018[40] and formally opened the following year with good tenancy uptake levels.

[42][43][23] The Morris furniture firm, in operation since the 1900s[44] (initially based in Cowcaddens,[45] then at Castlemilk from 1990[46] followed by the Oatlands end of Shawfield from 2000)[47] was once famed for providing fittings in luxury ocean liners, but was also at the centre of a bitter industrial dispute in the 1980s,[48] and further controversy occurred in the 2000s when they were awarded substantial compensation payments for relocation due to the M74 motorway.

In the early 21st century, the completion of the M74 motorway cut through the area resulting in the demolition of some industrial units as well as Southcroft Park, the historic home of Glencairn FC, forcing the team to relocate its playing facilities to Burnhill – although the social club was rebuilt at the original location.