When misfortune befell upon the Park family in Springtime 1904, a change in direction was needed.
David Park and his family lived in Musselburgh but when he became unemployed, he decided to pursue work with William Baird as a miner at Craighead, Blantyre. The family packed up and left Musselburgh for good arriving in Blantyre on Friday 6th May 1904. Renting a house at Chalmers Buildings near Rosendale Terrace, their new home was near David’s new place of work, not far off across Glasgow Road.
However, the busy Glasgow Road itself would intervene in the fate of this family.
As David Park and his wife Ann (Logan) and their family unpacked and settled into their new home, the children decided to explore their new environment. Heading outdoors, one immediate attraction were the brand new tramcars passing by their windows. Trams had only been in Blantyre a short time.
Young David Park Junior was only 4 years old when he was out that Saturday evening. Around 8pm it would have still been light as he took an interest in a passing tramcar. Outside the Caldwell Institute immediately outside his home, young David had went to pass in front of the car when he was knocked down by the vehicle.
In those days, there were no lower guards and sadly his little body was carried below the tram. The tram stopped immediately and when he was removed found that he had died instantly. This little soul denied a life. Police did not attach any blame to the driver of the tramcar reflecting this was a tragic accident.
Newspapers incorrectly noted the boy as being David Stark, but I’ll correct that here by confirming this was David PARK after retrieving his death certificate. It was a most terrible start for a family coming to Blantyre to make a new life. Newspapers of the time confirmed this was the first fatality in Blantyre claimed by any of the tramcars of the Lanarkshire Tramway Company.
David Park (4) is remembered here today in this article.
