Mr. William Cumming was a bank messenger from Denistoun, working in the Clydesdale Bank on Glasgow Road from the early 1970’s until just after 1975.

Along with wife Toni, the couple lived in the house above the bank on the south side of Glasgow Road with 3 sons David, Mark and Cameron.

Son Cameron said in 2018 “Myself and David were not the biological children of William and Toni. We were both fostered under the care of the local social services. Our names were never legally changed but Cumming was used for school for convenience and never questioned. David also had special educational needs and was mixed race (my only memory of him was he was an exceptionally handsome child and charmed everyone he met). The bravery of William and Toni to look after us is still an inspiration to me.”

During 1975, David sadly lost his life on the River Clyde at only aged 10 and is remembered here in this article. Cameron added, “I witnessed David’s death in the Clyde. As a group of five or six children during the school summer holidays we told our parents we were going to the Livingstone Memorial to play but instead we played on the riverbank further downstream. David said he wanted to try to swim and got swept out so quickly none of us knew what was happening until it was too late. None of us could swim. There was nothing sinister, just a very tragic accident.”

The family moved to Partick shortly after the accident. Cameron remembers having to sit in front of the Procurator Fiscal in Hamilton in an office on his own, despite his young years, to give his account of events.

With thanks to Cameron for providing personal detail and insight into this tragic event. Clydesdale Bank is pictured just a few years later in 1979. The upper floor being David’s home for those few years.

Photo: Courtesy Gordon Cook

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said:

Margaret Mary OSullivan So sad.

Joan Adams A remember the 3 boys and that tragic day at the bridge at David Livingston’s we lived at the back of the bank in Calder st spent a lot of time in their house and my brother

Liane Guthrie Joan Adams I can see what ended up my childhood home thru the trees. I lived in 135 Calder street x

Joan Adams Liane Guthrie a lived 126 Calder st x

Joan Adams Liane Guthrie I was 126 x

Liane Guthrie We moved in fair Friday 1976 I sold it 2007 x

Joan Adams Liane Guthrie my family still live in Calder st

Joan Adams Liane Guthrie my family still live in Calder st x

Andrena Black So sad.

Kate Mcinulty So sad god bless xx

Elizabeth Smith My husband Angus Smith worked in this Clydesdale Bank in Blantyre from 1971….when he left Hamilton Academy aged 17 …until 1973/4 when he moved to work in offices at Ravenscraig.