Warning: This story contains upsetting content.
A tale of cruelty in High Blantyre in 1924 ended up being heard in court.
James Glyn, a miner of Forrest Place, High Blantyre and his wife had an infant child who was very sickly and ill. Intervention from his parents was causing problems for his marriage with suggestions by the parents that not enough was being done to look after the child, by BOTH parents. Things came to a head when the grandparents overhead their son talking about the baby’s illness and cruelly suggesting, “it was a pity it [the baby] was not dead!”
The baby was an 11 month old infant at the time, malnourished and in desperate need for care from parents. Problems continued and James and his wife separated, the mother taking the child. That Summer, the baby sadly died on pneumonia.
Still separated owing to their differences, after the child died, James appeared at his wife’s house under the influence and caused a breach of the peace. In Hamilton Sheriff Court it came out that he did ill treat and neglect his eleven–month old child and it was stated by the Fiscal that his conduct showed unheard of callousness and heartlessnes.
James had refused to pay anything for the funeral, and would not give his wife money. The doctor’s report stated that the child’s death was brought about by undernourishment. By the time of the trial in June 1924, the couple were living together again. Sheriff Sherman passed sentence to James Glyn, of six weeks’ imprisonment.
Picture: For illustration only. From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2018
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