Ulva House is a contemporary beautiful large, detached house on the north side of Rosebank Avenue, just off Station Road at the Village, Blantyre.
It was built in 1898 going into 1899 by a spirit merchant, Mr Angus McQuarrie of Ardrossan. The house is not on the 1898 map of Blantyre. When first built, it had a large garden to the west, which was in the 2010’s sold off to make way for modern, semi-detached homes. ‘Ulva’ is likely a reference to the Isle of Ulva where David Livingstone’s family came from, a nod to the famous individual who once lived a street away to the north.
Angus was a successful spirit merchant and publican, a member of Blantyre Parish Council and he acquired the land from the Monteith Estate when they no longer had a use for the nearby Blantyre Works. His acquisition of land in the last years of the 1890’s also included several further acres to the north towards Blantyre Works and indeed alongside his proposed house. Shortly after building his house, Angus built impressive 3 storey sandstone tenements nearby which he called Ulva Place. He owned many homes at that location. With an interest in politics, he took an active role in the betterment of community affairs in Blantyre. However, he did not live at his tenements or at Ulva House. Instead, the house was let out to a friend, Mr James Francis MacDonald, a fellow publican, the rent being a considerable £42 per year in 1905. James had moved from nearby Fore Row following its demolition.
Ulva House is distinguishable from neighbouring adjacent modern homes, by an older style Tudor pitched roof above upper windows. It exudes charm and character, still there today.
When the post Office formed more logical postal addresses in the 1920’s, it was given address of 9 Rosebank Avenue, Low Blantyre. James MacDonald lived there a long time until the 1920’s when his landlord and friend Angus McQuarrie died. The McQuarrie interests then passed to his widow.
James’s business was located in Glasgow Road following the turn of the 19th Century. Trams would trundle past the bar, located on the North side of the road. It was located at the corner of Clark Street, directly opposite the entrance to Merry’s Rows, today now the site of Devlin Grove.
In 1930, according to the valuation roll, the house was owned by Mrs. Mary MacQuarrie, the widow of publican Angus McQuarrie who during the 1920’s had also owned the ‘Range’ public house in Eddlewood, Hamilton. According to the valuation roll of 1930, Mrs. Mary MacQuarrie (or Fleming) owned the buildings, which included houses at 1, 2, 3, and 4 Ulva Place and also 2 shops at its corner with 94 Station Road. She was likely a wealthy individual by this time inheriting all houses in Ulva Place and 9 Rosebank Avenue. During 1935 the house was let out to Mrs Helen Robinson, a teacher and daughter of James MacDonald. The stonework of the building was cleaned with some care around the Millennium. This lovely family home has been sold several times in recent decades including again recently and with Rosebank Avenue continuing to be a desirable area, has doubled in value in the last 3 decades.
Ulva House is pictured 16 years ago in 2008.
Would YOU like me to look at the history of your home? All I need is your address and permission, with a promise it will always be researched in a private, sensitive manner. There’s very few old buildings left in Blantyre I haven’t written about!
