Auchentibber School Admission Register 1916 – 1959

In July 2015, a High Blantyre man (who shall remain anonymous unless they prefer to be named), arrived at my front door with something to show me. In his arms was the original Auchentibber School Admissions Register! Dating from 1916, the register covered all 456 pupils who attended the school and was an incredible source of information in its own right.

Whilst Auchentibber school originally opened in 1880, it had closed down afterwards for some time, re-opening it is believed in 1903. As such, there probably was a long lost register before this one.

The find was most exciting! As well as the name of each pupil, the date they joined the school, their date of births and the date they left school was shown. Their guardian or parents name and address, whether they were exempt from religious education, where they last studied at, and also the reason they left school! WOW! I was blown away by this. I was able to extract SO many things from this data and felt quite privileged to be looking at it, for such census data won’t be publicly available for many years.

The register was a couple of dozen pages long, A3 size and in good condition, despite being saved from a rubbish coup in Auchentibber many years ago. The entires are recorded very neatly and even include one boy who lived at Craigneith Castle for a few months with his father (almost a ruin at the time, it was likely he was squatting there! The boy was Robert John Diarmid Dalyrymple Topping, aged 5. He left the district shortly after.) Some of the other comments against why people left were sad, sometimes with the word simply “death”, a stark reminder how common childhood mortality was back then.

Using the data in a different way, I managed to retrieve more accurate dates for certain Auchentibber buildings being demolished. For example,

1. Latest mention of anybody living at Craig Row is an admission on 9th January 1928. However, that pupil William Duncan moved to High Blantyre Primary 24th August 1928. The most the register can tell us about Craig Row’s final year is an assumed 1928.

2. Latest mention of anybody living at Clyde Row is an admission on 25th August 1936. 5 year old Michael Steven of 15 Clyde Row. He was a pupil there until 30th April 1937. The entry is an important one as it narrows the window of demolition down massively. Referring to what i call the 1936 map, upon closer inspection that part in Auchentibber was actually surveyed in 1939. Clyde Row and Craig Row are not on that map. Gone. As such, Clyde Row has a demolition date somewhere between April 37 and Summer 39.

For the first time published online, I could also summarise the number of pupils admitted to the school each year, which I have recorded below as follows:

1916: 18

1917: 17

1918: 21
1919: 16
1920: 16
1921: 13
1922: 19

1923: 9
1924: 24
1925: 24

1926: 22

1927: 19

1928: 17

1929: 21

1930: 10

1931: 17

1932: 8

1933: 17

1934: 21

1935: 9

1936: 19

1937: 8

1938: 12

1939: 4

1940: 5

1941: 8

1942: 4

1943: 5

1944: 3

1945: 1

1946: 5

1947: 7

1948: 10

1949: 7

1950: 9

1951: 5

1952: 5

Looking at the above data, we can see for the first time that from the second world war he numbers had dropped off considerably. i.e far fewer children being admitted to this school. This also coincides with mining starting to become exhausted in Auchentibber and the community getting smaller as a whole. The data, (if assumed complete) suggests the school stopped admitting youngsters in 1952. John Fleming (son of Alexander Fleming) of Calderside appears to be the last pupil admitted to Auchentibber school on 25th August 1952. However, some of these children stayed on at the school beyond that year and indeed the last person, who was the sole pupil of the school in 1959, left on 30th June 1959 and was Stewart Chapman of Newhouse, whom I’m told was part of the family of butchers.

During war years, some are listed as “evacuees” living at nearby farms.The entire data has enough to keep me busy investigating and following up stories for many months and I thank the gentleman for handing it in to me and for the good blether we had about Blantyre.

On social media:

Caroline Lee That’s really interesting I think my grand dad & uncle maybe on these
- The Blantyre Project what were their names Caroline
- Caroline Lee Papa, Charles Boyle, Uncle James (named after his uncle of died in WW1
- The Blantyre Project James Boyle born 18th February 1929. Enrolled for school 10th April 1934. His guardian was Charles Boyle of 9 Clyde Row. He left Auchentibber school shortly after only attending for 2 years on 11th December 1936, to go to attend “Woodburn Special School”
- The Blantyre Project No Charles Boyle, but the register only starts in 1916.
- Caroline Lee Thanks Paul, that would b our uncle Jimmy. Our Gran always praised the teacher at school as she was the one who realised he was deaf. They wanted to send him to the School for the deaf in Edinburgh, Papa refused (saw a documentary on the school a few…See More
Carolyn Patterson This is a great part of Blantyre’s …almost like a missing link thanks for sharing. :0
Thomas Barrett My dad Patrick and brothers Peter n William went there.
- Thomas Barrett Thanks Donna forgot about a ma wee aunti Mary lol x
- Donna Barrett lol sorry don’t know what happened to that comment I posted my Facebook playin up x
- The Blantyre Project Mary Barrett enrolled 30th April 1917, born 12th March 1910. Edward Barrett was her guardian and they lived at Braehead (the house now scheduled for demolition at top of Parkneuk Road) Coming from St Cuthberts to attend Auchentibber.
- Thomas Barrett lol it sure is.
- Thomas Barrett I wonder why my dad was exempt from religious studies?
The Blantyre Project Its a great piece of Blantyres history. A forgotten register, salvaged. A further post is scheduled soon offering the scanned details from this register.
Eleanor Duncan Nailon William Duncan that is my dad.xx
- The Blantyre Project William Duncan, born 11th November 1922. Enrolled into school on 9th January 1928. Guardian was John Duncan of 10 Craig Row. William was exempt from attending any religious studies. He left Auchentibber school on 24th August 1928 to attend the school in Blantyre.
Joan Longmuir Amazing
Anne G Barnshaw Wow!
Jean Orr I’m sure my dad went there as he was born 1928 – Robert Watson
- Mary Cushley I’ll ask my Dad tonight Jean.
- The Blantyre Project Robert Watson, born 20th February 1928. He enrolled on 9th January 1933. His guardian is noted as Walter Watson of 14 Parkneuk Road, Auchentibber. He left on 24th August 1937 to attend the school in High Blantyre.
  - John Duncan I was one of the last pupils to attend the school me and my bro william moved to coatshill just as the houses were finished building and attended nessies until David livingstones opened
  - The Blantyre Project This is interesting John. It would suggest the register is incomplete. It has a last admission on 25th August 1952, and i suspect you went to school well after that! It is good confirmation that there’s more to this story.
    
    John Duncan I left about 1956,57
    
    The Blantyre Project A mystery to me is the last pupil left in 1959, according to the register, but the school didnt officially close until 31st December 1962. I wonder if the council kept it on for use as something else, or had to wait until a lease expired? Strange.
    
    John Duncan It was yous for the Womens wrvs they used it
    
    John Duncan My mother Catherine Gallacher Duncan father William Duncan move into my grandparents house John catharine Gallacher
    
    Richard Strang William strang.my dad lived& went to school there.told me story’s about it.I sent someone pictures of the sunken gardens and quoits green.we have grandads gold medal.
    
    The Blantyre Project Thanks Richard. It was myself who received these. Theres a Mary Strang of 9 Clyde Row b 28th March 1931, enrolled 6th January 1936, daughter of David Strang. Sister Sarah, b 29th Sept 1929, enrolled 21st August 1934, sister Katherine b 15th Feb 1928, enrolled 9th Jan 1933. Then of course WIlliam Strang, b 19th November 1926, enrolled 31st August 1931, guardian is David of 7 Clyde Row. He left on 25th August 1936 to attend HIgh Blantyre school.
    
    Strang was a prominent name in Auchentibber. A little further back Agnes Strang b1st Oct 1921, daughter of William Strang of Clyde Cottage.
    
    However, i think your family is the Clyde Row family noted above. You can find out about the history of Clyde Row here https://blantyreproject.com/…/the-history-of…/