You’ll remember I recently posted about Jennifer Swantek’s, “Reid” family. Well, here’s another interesting connection and fabulous photo.
Pictured here in the 1920’s is Jennifer’s great, great grandmother Martha Reid (nee McLachlan), wife of John Reid. She’s standing at the entrance to Gate Cottage, a former Blantyre houses once situated on the right hand side (eastern side) of the Blantyre Works Village entrance. In the early 1930’s a railway oil supply vehicle ran out of control and crashed into this cottage, damaging it badly.
In 1929, Martha Reid’s daughter, Mrs Martha Lyon lived there as a widow. Her mother, Martha Reid (nee McLachlan) b1843 had died there in 1926 and is still shown as the occupier in 1925. It had address 85 Station Road. In both 1925 and 1930, according to the valuation registers of those years, the cottage was owned by William Baird & Company Ltd (coalmasters) meaning the Reid family were renting.
Martha Reid died in 1926 in Blantyre. I’m sure this was one of the trigger events which saw most of the family leave to go to America a year later.