On Tuesday 29th July 1902, play during the school holidays went terribly wrong when several children were seriously injured at Craighead Rows, Blantyre. That Summers evening workmen were making some repairs and had been working with tar. Barrels of Tar lay close to the Criaghead Rows, (miners homes, just off Glasgow Road). When the men […]
1902 Coronation Celebrations
Following the death of Queen Victoria, the next Monarch to rule was Edward VII. In August 1902, Britain celebrated the coronation of the new ruler and Blantyre took part with its own events and tributes. On Saturday 9th August 1902, Blantyre had organised its own events to mark the occasion. These were generally in the […]
1900 Baby on big Chair
Another old Blantyre photo today, though again I don’t have much information. Photographed by Blantyre man David Ritchie, this cheery wee baby sits on a lovely button backed chair. The photo is a little blurry, which is to be expected being so young and not able to sit still yet. I think this is one […]
Look, it’s a Motorcar! 1902
More stories from Auld Blantyre, which I hope you’re hearing for the first time. 120 years ago, the sight of a motorcar was indeed a rare thing. Even more so if one was travelling through a small mining village like Blantyre. On Monday 19th October 1902 a sensation was felt when a motorcar unexpectedly passed […]
1964 Livingstone Memorial Church Choir
Main Street Thatched Cottage, 1911
One of my most favourite photos of old Blantyre is this one, previously not seen online until now. I’ve held back for several years showing this picture, until I researched a little more. Shared with Blantyre Project, nobody knew where it was, but I’d be happy to reveal the answer. This is Main Street. In […]
Police Census Statistics, 1902
Just over 120 years ago, during December 1902, the Blantyre Police conducted a census of the Parish of Blantyre, where they concluded the population was 14,382, (of which 7,775 were males). This was up from 13,942 at the end of the 1901 the previous year. Stonefield was the most populated hamlet with 3,516, followed closely […]