2012 Calderside Farm by Jim Brown
Pictured here in 2012 is Calderside Farm in Auchentibber. Located in Blantyre Parish, the farm sits high up on the fields just off Calderside Road and commands impressive views of both Blantyre and East Kilbride.
In trying to find out when the farm was built, unfortunately Roys map of 1747 just ends at the field where the farm stands, so I could not confirm it’s existence back to that date. However, Jim Cochrane, whose family lived at Calderside, told me the house dates back to 1825, but the buildings around it are older dating between the 1600’s to 1747.
The first solid evidence of the farm in history, i found myself is 1859 where not only does it appear on maps of that era, but there are also some good descriptions of it and the nearby area.
It is described then as “A good Farm Steading. The property of G. Anderson Esqr. of Springfield. There are Cement Kilns about 12 chains north of this Farm. Coal, & a stone used for making cement are found on this property.“
This 1859 map puts the farm into context. On the 16th September 2014, I was contacted by Jim Cochrane who shared with me, some photos of the farm taken between the 1930s and 1950s. Jim is related to the Marshall family who owned the farm at that time.
Interested in the comment about nearby kilns, the 1859 description is as follows, “Five brick Kilns, on the side of the Parish Road, about 12 feet high &open on the sides, next the Road. They are used for burning stone to Ashes, which are afterwards ground in mills in Glasgow, for the purpose of producing Roman Cement. The stone used is got by mining. (Mine written on Trace 6 , XVII-1). There is a row of dwellings opposite the Cement Kilns which has no name.” These Kilns were on the land that is now occupied by Calderside scrapyard, across the road from modern homes.
Interestingly, in the opposite field is Campknowe, the conical circular hill fort site dating back to 2000BC. In the farm fields at this location, flooding often occurred. The description in 1859 goes on to say, “A piece of low wet land at the bottom of “Camp Knowe” , in an arable field on the Farm of Calderside. It is at present sewn with corn, & may be considered as arable ground, being only flooded in winter, & then can at any time be drained by means of a sluice which empties it into a Stream that enters the Rotten Calder. It is principally kept for Curling in Winter. The Surveyed edge cannot now (June) be defined.”
You might be interested to know that my great grandmother Janet McNeil was the famer at Calderside Farm according to the 1911 census. She lived there with five of her children, all of whom were employed on the farm. She must have left shortly after the census as I see from the Marshalls contribution that they seem to have been there since about that time.
I don’t know when she took over at the farm but she was not living there in 1901. I do know that two of her daughters were married there in 1905.
I have a photograph of the farm taken at that time. It is a post card and the postmark on the back is dated 1905.
I will send you a copy if you let me know how to send it to you.
My Great Grandmother remained in the area because she is recorded as dying at Edge Farm in 1920.
That sounds very interesting Warwick! Its great to piece together the history of places from census, but more importantly from history from families. I’d love to see that photo. I can be emailed at paul@blantyreproject.com thanks.
Great viewing all the old photos of Calderside and my relatives especially my granfather.(Donny Marshall was my Father). Superb memories..many thanks for all the work compiling this.
hi i love these old pictures it helps me doing my family search my search has took me all over Scotland i now live in high Blantyre my names is james allan all the best .
thank you. If its Blantyre research , people, places, photos and stories you’re after…this is the site! 😉