From the illustrated social history book…

Arnot

Constructed: >1906<1909	Other Names: None
Constructor: William Coats	Original Address: Name only
House Type: Detached Villa	Current Address: 315 Glasgow Road

Brief Summary: William Coats of nearby Stonefield Cottage obtained this vacant plot of land sometime between 1906 and 1909. He constructed a well built, stone detached cottage of one and a half storeys.

As the picture shows there are certainly some tudor influences in the design. His build was likely to allow family members to live close together. The Coats family of Blantyreferme were responsible for building several buildings on Glasgow Road including those around the Stonefield Tavern and were one of the most prominent property owners on Glasgow Road during the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries.

Despite sounding slightly French, ‘Arnot’ has its roots in Scottish origin in Kinross-shire. The name most fitting to Coats purchase of Wheatlandhead Farm fields, for in Gaelic it translates as “the place where barley is grown.”

Margaret Coats, a spinster and sister of William, would live at this address which was always 315 Glasgow Road until her death in the early 1920’s. The house went to her trustees, letting out to Peter Craig, a grocer in the mid 1920’s. In 1930, this handsome house was empty as sale was progressed to Helen and Margaret Weir, who bought the house for their retirement.

In later post war years, the ‘Averell’ Family lived there. The cottage is today, well kept, pretty in appearance and is unique in its design and charm.

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,

Joan Anderson Do you know if the name Gilmour shows up on the records living there in 50/60’s?

Blantyre Project Sorry Joan – I only have records up to late 1930’s and rely upon kind comments like yours and others to fill in ownership in latter years. Im comfortable with this, as I don’t want to invade the privacy of people living in these homes in more modern decades.

Joan Anderson Thank you and also hope whoever is living there now might see your posts and help update detail

Blantyre Project that would be useful. Im sure posts on these houses this week will attract the attention of residents in this area of Glasgow Road in due course.

Moyra Lindsay Mrs Young who had Bowies fruit shop lived there. A relation of yours? Margaret Averrell lived next door eventually, although she stayed with her aunt Mrs Young at weekends in the thirties when she visited her from Greenock. Mrs young would give her and my mum the price of Hamilton pictures . My mum worked for her starting in 1933 for 7/6 a week.

Margo Clayton This is the story my mum told me.

Blantyre Project Thanks Moyra. Yes, this family of Bowie’s are related to me. Appreciate the comments as always. You definitely have comments against some of the stories in the imminent large book coming out.

😉

Moyra Lindsay Blantyre Project wow!

Moyra Lindsay Margo Clayton who was your mum?

Margo Clayton Mary Bowie

Kathryn Allan Lorraine FinniganFinnigan John Finnigan current owners x

Sharon Morrison Doonin Geraldine McLaughlin Mg Cornfield x

Geraldine McLaughlin I loved that house Sharon x Gran always called it Arnot Cottage . It didn’t have an upstairs back then x

Sharon Morrison Doonin Geraldine I remember it well. Your Grans was the first stop on my Catholic paper round and I still think of that when I pass the house. It’s one of my favourite houses in Blantyre

❤️

Geraldine McLaughlin Sharon mine too

💕 lots of good memories there x I’ve been thinking about my grandparents a lot recently, was talking about them on Sunday. A day full of memories for you too, we are so lucky to have them xxx

Sharon Morrison Doonin Indeed. Blessed x

Marian Maguire Margaret madden (a Mrs Dempsey). who was a teacher at st. Blaine’s lived there, they moved away to Ireland. Also I think some of the McLaughlin the undertakers family lived there, possibly gerry.

Mary McGhee It was May (McDermott)McLaughlin, Felix’s widow. She moved there from Broomknowe, further along Glasgow Road, when her son Brian moved there. He had lived in Station Road. When he moved out of Station Road, his brother Gerrard moved in. I don’t remember Gerrard living in Arnot Cottage with his mum but he may have done. Think this was early 70s.