Birdsfield in High Blantyre most likely got its name from being exactly that a field, commonly used by birds. However, Birdsfield Farm was not the place to be if you were a bird in July 1932.

A court case was heard in July 1932, where a fourteen year old boy was found guilty of causing cruelty to hens. (I’ll keep this article short as it’s not one i wish to linger on). A fine of £5 was imposed on High Blantyre’s Archibald Struthers who was accused of hounding a collie dog and an alsation dog, on to a hen turkey and her brood of thirteen chickens at the back yard of Birdsfield Farm. The young farm worker, who actually worked at Birdsfield, was accused of instigating the attack which saw the hen and all the chickens being ravaged to death by the two dogs.

Looking at this, its quite possible this was a revenge attack for something the boy was not happy with, perhaps being overworked or accused of something else? The only positive thing out of the whole event, is the confirmation that even in the 1930’s , cruelty to animals and fowl would not be tolerated by courts.

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Alan Baird i like to see photos with an overlay , it lets you see things as they were as oppose to how they are now