Continuing our look at brand new “old Blantyre photos”. This time a private photo, so exclusively again on Blantyre Project, for the first time online, one of the only known two photos of Mid or Middle Row at Blantyre Works.
Mid Row – or Middle Row was two blocks of single storey homes and one at double storey aligned in a north south configuration, part of which formed one side a quadrangle at Blantyre Works.
Little is known about Mid Row and nothing published on or offline about it, so I’ve taken some time to research the following, which is expanded upon in my books.
Henry Monteith at Blantyre Works Village appears to have built the rows of houses during the 1820’s. There were 22 terraced houses around 7 or 8 per block, built of brick with slate roofs and they housed the workers of the mills.
The homes were made to a good standard for the time and were part of the gated village enclosure. They were numbered evenly only from 12 right up to 54.
By 1895, they were all owned by Joseph Francis Monteith who let them out. They shortly after changed hands to William Baird & Co, who would continue to let them out, this time to their miners.
Between 1905 and 1915, Fore Row a double storey tenement in front of Mid Row was demolished, making Mid Row visible and facing out on to Station Road. In 1920, Angus McQuarrie owned a shop at number 12, which was the most northern nearest Shuttle Row. He leased this out to David Powell, a flesher or butcher.
The houses were all demolished in 1928 lasting around 100 years, as part of the clearance to make way for the opening of the David Livingstone centre nearby.
From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2016
Thanks for this great photo. My 3rd great grandfather lived here (1861 census). His name was Robert Steven (a ‘master gardener’ ). He and his wife Jane (maiden McKinnon) and family plus his mother in law Janet Walker are said in the census to be at 1 Middle Row.
My Great Great Grandparents: Cornelius Kane and Mary (Malone) Kane lived here at middle row, early 1900’s.