1915 Crossbasket Castle, by D Ritchie
1922 saw a spate of break in’s around Blantyre (some things never change I hear you say!). Perhaps driven by dire economic times and hardships people had to endure, several notable properties suffered thefts.
On 6th June 1922, the laundry room at Crossbasket House, High Blantyre was broken into. The house occupied by Robert Findlay lost 6 shirts, a pair of drawers, a pair of trousers, a pair of knickers, 2 pairs of socks, 2 sets of pyjamas, 4 pairs of stockings and a mangle cover! (Crossbasket is pictured in 1915 a little earlier)
On 16th June 1922, Arthur Brown’s Nursery at Barnhill was targeted. Tools were removed, namely pliers, knives, scissors, baskets, an alarm clock, a glaziers diamond, magnifying glass, ledger key, a dictionary, gun cartridges, and a box of pencils!
On 18th October 1922, Calderglen was the target. A tool shed at the stables was broken into. The estate occupied by Miss Laura Cochrane lost a saw, a plane, 2 axes, a hammer, 3 paint brushes and a soap box. The thieves then moved to the dairy and stole 26 dozen eggs, 2 zinc basins, one pint measure and 3 baskets, a haul which would have surely needed a cart to be removed!
From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2018
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,
Eleanor Clark My dad would walk past Crossbasket House every Sunday, he would be 14 when it was broken into