‘Lady Park‘ was the former name of upper fields belonging to Greenhall Estate adjacent to Greenhall Farm.
In May 1917, Alexander Marshall Junior (14) of School Lane was caught deliberately setting fire to 8 yards of hedge at Lady Park. He pled guilty in court. He was caught red handed by an approaching police officer who had seen the smoke. When confronted by the shocked officer, the youth hung his head in shame when asked, “Boy, is this how you serve your country whilst men are fighting war? By burning Farmer’s hedges?”
The location was stated as Lady Park, the description given as being on the High Blantyre to East Kilbride Road. The name may have given way in the late 1920’s to become the ‘Lady Nancy’, a name more commonly known today or alternatively, give the description, may have been the field next to Hamilton Road, where now Greenhall View (House) and Farm Shop stands.
The name “Lady Park” seems to have vanished from Blantyre’s modern history.
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said:
Chris Ladds I think we have to be cautious with this name Paul as it may relate to various female associations in the nearby Glen. My research has shown that the Rotten Calder had an early dedication to a local mother/washer goddess which was a variant of the pan-Celtic Deva/Dee/Dea theme. Although the field locus in question is not directly on the banks, we have evidence for sites around the gorge casting their influence into neighbouring surroundings. Case in point is Craigmuir referencing cliffs on the edge of the Muir at the Glen and probably specifically Craigneith. We find Calderwood Linn referred to in one account as the Lady’s Linn.
Of course the Lady Nancy and Lady Park could well just be a later place name based on the story of a sick child as previously noted, but there should be caution all the same that it may be much older.
Are there any other lady or mother dedications around the spot?