On Saturday 13th May 1893, a tragic event happened at High Blantyre Train Station, just off Craigmuir Road, which resulted in the death of a well known Blantyre man.
Mr John Hamilton, aged 41 was killed whilst crossing the rail line at the south end of the platform. The deceased man was of quiet disposition, unassuming and well known in the district. John had been at an exciting chapter in his life, having just upgraded and renovated an impressive house at High Blantyre just off Sydes Brae, at ‘Newhouse’. Indeed, he’d only moved into the property 2 weeks earlier!
Mr Hamilton was employed at Glasgow Customs House and was on his way to work intending to catch the 9.20am train to Glasgow. A little further down directly in front of his house was the railway line and High Blantyre Station. Crossing over his own fields, he arrived at the railway and proceeded to cross it on way to the station.
Suddenly, his foot caught on the signal wire and he tripped, falling on to the opposing railway track. Before he could regain his footing, he was struck by the firebox of a moving mineral train and being dragged along the rail, was sadly run over. We won’t go into his injuries, but they were significant. He was almost at once lifted, but died thereafter.
He left a widow and three children. The signal wire had a lot to answer for! Only 3 weeks earlier, just 50 yards away, a young man named Purse, died under exactly the same circumstances.
Newhouse is pictured by Jim Brown just over a decade ago. An interesting house with good land attached to it and a public right of way, which passes directly in front of it. (I once viewed this property when it was up for sale in the early 2010s before settling on the home I’m in now). Its my understanding the Hamilton’s owned this property for much of the 20th Century.
