Mary O Neill, shared this photo of her great grandfather, Robert Henderson who resided above the West End Bar for 50+ years.

This photo was taken about 1949-50 and he would have been approx. 85 years of age. He was born in 1865 in Clelland and the Henderson family moved to Barnhill when Robert was a young boy. 501 Glasgow Road was also the address of the apartment above the West End Bar previously known as 2 Bardykes Road and West End Place. The Henderson family lived there from around 1900 – 1953. I did see that a Robert Henderson was living at Barnhill in 1895, so it could be that the family were in Blantyre earlier than 1900.

Robert worked as a gardner for the Jackson family at Bardykes House on Bardykes Road, nearby to his home. Apparently Mrs Jackson’s eyesight wasn’t the best. One day, Robert and his son John were walking towards the Bardykes House and Mrs Jackson pointed her rifle at them shouting at them to stop. Robert shouting back ‘it’s alright Mrs Jackson it’s only me Robert and my son John’. She sounds like a lady not to be messed with!

His wife Elizabeth Mary Neillans was killed in 1943 when she was hit by a chieftain bus on Glasgow Road. They lived in the end apartment furthest from the door to the bar.

Samuel Henderson, Roberts father worked for the blacksmith John Templeton at Barnhill, who was also his brother in law (Samuel was married to Jane Nicol.) Samuel maybe helped build parts of the infamous “early aeroplane” as he worked there about that time. Unfortunately Samuel died suddenly in 1868 after a drinking session in the Hoolets (Barnhill Tavern) pub, when he fell down some stairs.

Thanks to Mary for sharing these interesting insights.