Craighead girl held to ransom

Most Blantyre residents are aware of the old stone pillars that remain of the Craighead Viaduct (pictured here in 2010). They once belonged to the North British Railway. In the early 1900’s the viaduct was a busy thoroughfare, allowing not only rail, but pedestrian crossing too. Located behind the current Whistleberry Estate, in a North South direction, they connected elevated positions at Blantyre to Bothwell over the River.

Sinister events took place on Saturday 9th July 1910, when a local nine year old girl and her friend were at the Blantyre end intending to cross over. Suddenly and without warning, a vagrant tramp appeared from the bushes and held the girl, to her terror and ignoring her frantic pleas for release. Her young friend, in fear ran off back in the Blantyre direction. The tramp was Mr John T McLelland of no fixed abode and his intention was theft, demanding she pay a penny to be allowed to cross. With no money and having to refuse, the girl was subjected to the terrifying ordeal of being held at the edge of the precipice leaning at the overhang at great height.

Her friend’s cries for help thankfully attracted the attention of a passing Uddingston Minister cycling on his way home. He was quickly informed what was happening nearby. The brave minister then cycled in the direction of the Viaduct, engaged and confronted the vagrant. The tramp, upon realizing another adult was on the scene, immediately released the girl without harm and sped off towards the nearby streets. With a quick check that the girl was ok, the young and fit minister mounted his bike and gave chase, managing to keep up with the middle aged tramp. Upon the steel inclines of nearby Whistleberry Road, his cycle managed to overtake the tramp allowing him to jump off and wrestle the vagrant to the ground. A witness volunteered to go into Blantyre along Glasgow Road and fetch the police from the Station. For an hour and a half, the minister sat on the tramp on the Whistleberry Road, despite his lofty efforts in trying to escape. The police arrived, the tramp was charged and was to appear in court the next day. The girls were unharmed. The Fiscal reported the tramp was fined 30 shillings, but without the means to pay, was to be imprisoned for a total of 15 days and nights.

Source: The Dundee Courier Tuesday 12th July 1910

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said:

Gail Gillon The stories you report are fascinating. Poor kids though…
Stewart Sharp Brilliant story
Mary Higgins Poor wean
Tom Loggie LNER line to Bothwell
Claire Conner Oh my poor wee girl! Good on the minister! As for the tramp I hope it didn’t encourage him to commit more crimes cause he would have been better fed in jail than on the streets.
Christine Forrest Yes really sad but was better off in prison with food and shelter wonder if the poor guy was previously a miner no welfare benefits on offer so dire straights for him although out of order to frighten and traumatised a child so sad
Lynne Conner I can never imagine trains going over this x always thought my Mum was kidding me on xx
Marian Maguire Such a sad story, terrifying for the children and the tramp was probably better off In prison, warm, a bed, and hot dinners.
Robert McLeod-Wolohan i remember going there many times, we had such fun there, catching tadpoles, frogs and of course fish lol such great times we had.
Jessie Caldow Thank God for the minister. He was there at the right time.
Gord Fotheringham Places we would play….and i mean play are often Seen here was indeed a joy to grow up in this area of the clyde….the property on the bothwell side had the best pears…
Isobel Hollis …a memorable recount; thank you!
Jim Frame Years ago my pals were down the calder and came across a couple of tramps in a corrugated shed on the last viaduct to cut a long story short one of the tramps lit a bottle of belair hair laquar and threw it over my pals face setting it on fire we ran up to the first house and called the police think he got jailed pals were Mathew Thompson and john hay
Irene Dickman Right time right place! God bless the minister
Mary MacLennan The atmospherics around this place always disturbed me could never wait to get away from the place suggest there is a negative force that needs to be removed