The talk of Blantyre during March 1893. Taken from a local newspaper,
“During the past few days the village of High Blantyre has been the seat of much fruitful gossip owing to it becoming known that an alleged elopement had taken place near Spittal, and that the runaway couple were in hiding in a garret in the neighbourhood.
It seems that the husband, who is employed as a fireman at the Spittal Colliery, two miles or so west of Blantyre, and residing there, returned from his work a fortnight ago only to find that not only his wife had left him, but all the furniture had been removed he knew not where. There had been a lodger in the house, however, for some weeks, and he had his suspicions, but made up his mind to wait patiently and keep a watchful eye. “
The result was that at the beginning of last week he discovered that his runaway wife had taken a house at Gardiner Terrace, High Blantyre, and there the missing couple were safely residing. He made up his mind for the ‘attack’, and on Thursday morning, accompanied by the village policeman and a horse and cart, he proceeded to the house in question. “
If all the stories are true he got a warm reception, but the presence of “the law” had its effect, and having expressed his willingness to be content with a share of the furniture, he loaded the cart with some of the best, and departed, saying “he was willing to let the wife go.”
The wife, it is alleged, was determined to stick true to her new lover, and remained behind with whom she had previously declared to be “her son.” The son, not relishing the new position of affairs, is reported to have fled in the presence of danger and gone, no one knows where; so the lovelorn woman has fallen between the stools.”
I’ve colourised this 1920’s photo of Main Street from 100 years ago, which still shows Gardiner Terrace on the right hand side, in the space where Ladbrokes now occupies.
