This photo incredibly from 137 years ago is of Waterloo Row, at a time when the Blantyre works village was at the height of being maintained well. Many mill workers lived in Waterloo Row and the adjacent rows forming the Village at the bottom of Station Road.
In 1880, washing lays out on the slopes in drying greens on the eastern side, facing down on to the River Clyde. It must have been a time of transition for workers when this photo was taken. A new school at Glasgow Road meant some children no longer went to the old school pictured on the right hand side. The mills were also in decline, jobs being lost through lack of orders and ever evolving mechanised work.
Talk would of been about coal, about the discoveries being made all over Blantyre and arrival of large coalmasters sinking pits, building homes in Stonefield to house them. I’m sure many families switched profession from weavers to coalminers in that decade.
The houses were destroyed by fire on Burns Night 1928, and today their location is now the homes at the very back of Fagan Court and Caskie Drive.
Extracts from “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2017
In this photo of Waterloo Row, would house # 2 be the house next to the school, or the last house on the left? My late mom Helen Dolan was living in # 2 when the 1928 fire broke out.
I will need to get back to you on that Michael. I’ve added it to my little list.