The council homes which had newly been constructed at Logan Street in the early 1930’s proved too much of a temptation to some Blantyre residents, when upon seeing them built, by comparison to their own circumstances, proved a tempting solution to their own housing crisis.
At the start of September 1933, Blantyre squatters, Mr and Mrs Thomas Lippiatt and Mr and Mrs John Baillie, were re-arrested after they had again taken possession of Lanark County Council houses at Logan Street Blantyre, without permission. They made a further appearance before Sheriff M’Donald at Hamilton on 4th September 1933. It will be announced that sentence was to be deferred until the four accused gave an undertaking that they would forthwith remove from the houses immediately.
The Fiscal charged them with further trespass over that week-end, which they admitted. There was a sensation at the outset of their proceedings when Mr David Baird, writer, Hamilton, who appeared for the accused, addressed the Sheriff in these terms: “ Your Lordship will recollect that I appeared along with these people on Saturday, and gave an undertaking on their behalf and with their authority that they would remove from the houses in question immediately. Since then, l’m informed, that undertaking has been blatantly breached. Furthermore, I advised been advised by the accused that I am trying to represent, that they have withdrawn my mandate, and instructed Mr F. Casseli to appear for them. In these circumstances —the one as much as the other —I must unhesitatingly drop out of those proceedings.” In other words, they had removed their representation.
Mr Cassels explained that accused had been under a misapprehension regarding the time they were to leave the houses. They understood they had until Monday. As soon as they left the court on Saturday they got keys from the police and went to the houses for food. They spent the greater part of the day in searching the whole of the district for other accommodation, which they had now found. It was unfortunate that they had gone back to the houses on Saturday evening, but if the police had given them a little longer time they would have been out of the premises, along with their furniture. Given further chance by the court they would proceed straight to Blantyre and completely vacate the houses by removing their belongings.
The Fiscal said he did not think the Sheriff, in view of the facts, would consider there had been any misapprehension. The couples were informed on Saturday that they could have accommodation if they applied to Public Assistance Authorities. His information was that the Public Assistance Authorities had not been applied to. Mr F Cassels pointed out to the Sheriff that the people before him did not like the idea of going to the poorhouse. They had never been there, and did not wish to do so now. Sheriff M’Donald hoped that the undertaking now given to remove from the houses, was clear and definite. Go back now and leave immediately. On being given that assurance by the agent for the defence, he dismissed John Baillie and his wife on the first offence, and for the second trespass over the week-end, which, he said, he could not possibly ignore, he fined them ten shillings each or five days’ imprisonment. Thomas Lippiattf and Catherine Sharp or Lippiatt, his wife, were similarly dealt with.
On social media, mixed memories of Logan Street in previous years: