Pictured in 1903 looking down Station Road is the Village, Blantyre.
Beyond the circular former gatehouse to Blantyre works, is the Village Bar and behind that the three storey tenements of Ulva Place.
Ulva Place was a former street in theVillage. It was more of a cul de sac. Leading eastwards off of Station Road, to the north of Rosebank Avenue, this small street had large tenements on its north side, which housed many people following the slum clearances of nearby Blantyre works. Built in 1900, the likely constructor of the properties is Mr Angus McQuarrie, who certainly owned the buildings, leasing them out right into the 1920s. The houses were numbered 1 to 4, but subdivided into 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d etc with 6 properties to each of the 4 homes plus 2 others above the shops.
The name Ulva Place appears to be attached to the properties from as soon as they were built. The reference is perhaps related to David Livingstone’s descendants who came from the island of Ulva, over to Blantyre over hundred years earlier.
Amongst the first families to rent from Mr. McQuarrie are noted in 1905 as being the Bensons, Burns, Carmichaels, Gillies, Hendry, Lee, MacClimens, MacDonald, MacGlinchey, MacKay, Maxwell, Muir, Ogilvie, Paterson, Russell, Stewart and Thomsons.
By 1910, the Post Office was situated at the corner of Ulva Place with Station Road, a letter box existing at that location for many decades after. The tenements were not far from the old Blantyre Workd Burial Ground.
According to the valuation roll of 1930, Mrs. Mary McQuarrie then owned Ulva House, a house at 9 Rosebank Avenue, Low Blantyre. She also through inheritance, owned Ulva Place houses at 1, 2, 3, and 4 and also the 2 shops at its corner with 94 Station Road.
These houses provided homes for many, many families. In almost every valuation roll between 1905 and 1930, the family surnames are for the best part different to the previous roll, suggesting people came and went at these homes, most likely as employment opportunities did too around the Blantyre Works area and collieries.
From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c)
On social media:
Hello Wrights.
Sandy Wright here. I attended Low Blantyre Primary School then David Livingstone Primary.
My grandfather was Alexander Wright of Andrew Wright and Sons Builders based at the end of Rosebank Avenue.
He lived with my gran at 13 Station Road in a house called Glen Dava and we lived in 49 Station Road, Jack’n’ Villa.
I was told that Dowd and Wright, the builders who preceded the firm converted the Livingstone Memorial and there is a film somewhere of the opening.
Hi thank you for your message. My Gran was Christina Finlay Wright (1903-1981), her father was William Finlay Wright and he had a brother Alexander (would this be your grandfather) I think they lived at Arden Cottage as children. My grans Grandfather was Andrew Wright. My mum did say the builders had something to do with the Livingstone Memorial (do you know where the film of the opening is?) Jill
Hello Sandy, I wonder if you remember me, Linda Mackie? We bet each other a penny for the election outcome one year at David Livingstone primary school (after we left Nessie’s school) and we both went to the Academy in Hamilton?
I hope you have done well and are in good health nowadays. It doesn’t seem that long ago we were in primary…
Marion I no you as you no me my name Robert family name Robin your dad and my dad and me played bowling on Saturday morning at welfare at number 24 finlay and his mum&dad stayed they went to Aberdeen hope this helps with quest. Stay aafe
Thank you for that, yes my mum thought that Finlay and his mum and dad went to Aberdeen, she doesn’t know anymore about them though. Finlay was my mums cousin. Take care
His mum and dad had B&B in aberdeen then small hotel we visited they sold and bought antique shop
Yes mum can remember them having a small hotel she thinks it was Union Street in Aberdeen and then she does remember something about an antique shop, she didn’t know where that was. Did you keep in contact with Finlay?
Wow how lovely Jill, you and Robert are first cousins? His father was your Uncle (nephew to your gran)?
Hi thank you for replying, that is nice to hear we are related. Do you have any information on Andrew Wright & Sons Builders, where they were located in Blantyre or any other information about my grans siblings? Starting a family tree. Thank you Jill
Hi Jill, there was a builder’s yard I recall, right behind my Grannie’s house at Knightswood Terrace, but iI didn’t think it was accessible from knightswood terrace. I puzzled as a child as to how the employees or indeed owners got into that building as the railway line was behind that again?? May be sending you on a wild goose chase, but just my childhood memory. Minnie and Jean of course would have been married so names would have changed but I recall playing with some of the Wright children, Robert Wright, (not Robert of Rosebank Ave) a favourite of mine, lived on our street, a new housing scheme in the mid fifties, at Hillview Drive, Blantyre. He was my age as we were in the same class at school. A robust wee boy, with a ready smile and kind. I’m sorry I don’t recall more, Alexander Wright was also in my class, his father a bank manager or clerk? Enjoy the season,
Hi thank you for replying and for the information I will ask my mum if she remembers any of these streets and names. Stay safe x
My granddad and father owned Andrew wright & sons who it finished in1960 I stayed at number 22 rosebank avenue
Hi thank you for your reply, I take it your Grandad would have been one of my Grans brothers (Andrew, Tom & Willie) my Grans name was Christina (she also had 2 sisters Minnie & Jean) and they stayed at Rosebank Cottage. My Gran had a daughter (my mum) and she s called Christine and I am her daughter (Jill). So would that make you and my mum cousins? My mum is keen to find out about my grans family and when we can we are going to go through to Blantyre and the Livingstone Project as my mum thinks Andrew Wright Builders had something to do with the rebuilding of the project and there is a plaque there? Thank you Jill
My granddad name was Robert known as bob my father his son robert known as bob the business finished in 1960 asi said grandad was at 16 we were at 22 idont no the name you say inew most of people in street except ones in connelly house towards station
Thank you for your reply much appreciated. Your grandad Robert was my Grans dads (he was William) brother, so he would be my Grans Uncle. My mum has often wondered what brothers were in the business, so I will let her know. Was Andrew in the business as well?
Hi my Gran was born and brought up (parents William and Marion Wright and siblings Andrew, Willie, Tom, Jean and Minnie) at Arden Cottage, 2 Rosebank Avenue.
Hello Robert I wonder if you are any relation to Sandy Wright who was in my class at school? I was fond of him, he was kind and intelligent, and “out of my league”, i think his father a professional person while mine was just a soldier returned from war and semi skilled labourer. When I think of these differentiations now, I’m amazed at the narrowness and arogance of the class system, we all bought into.
Hello, Carol, my paternal grand father also lived at 1 Ulva Place in 1919 after being in the Cameron Highlanders during WW1. Our story is that he abandoned my grandmother whom he married in 1919 who then abandoned their son, my father, leaving him with a neighbour in 1927, and fled to Canada never to be seen again. I have always tried to find any trace of our family but only now beginning the search through Internet. I wonder if we are related? Linda m Mackie Marieskind (NZ)
I stayed at 22rose bank avenue my father was robert wright my grand father stayed at no.16 theyhad andrew wright@ sons builders ltd blantyre
Hi Robert my name is Jill my Gran (Christina Finlay Wright) was born July 1908 in Blantyre and stayed at Rosebank Cottage, her siblings were Minnie, Jean, Andrew, Tom and Willie. Andrew had Andrew Wright & Sons Builders in Blantyre. Andrew would be my mums Uncle. Not sure what family they had but we might be related somewhere down the line?
Hi my grans dad was William Wright and their family had Andrew Wright Builders in Blantyre, what was the name of your grandfather?, as he would be my grans uncle. My gran stayed at Rosebank Cottage/
There was my GP robert his son Robert Andrew at station road, William stayed h/blantyre Tom at timber houses my GP brother Alex station road I worked some time and left my name is another robert hope this helps all have passed away
Hi Thank you very much for the information I will pass it on, much appreciated. Take care.