On Monday 5th July 1897, Minnie Hutchison , a 21 year old housekeeper of High Blantyre found herself standing in the dock at the JP Court, Hamilton. The charge was that she had ridden a bicycle after the allowed hour, without a lamp attached. So, we have to remember, this was a law at this […]
Just when I thought my recent story about a Motor car collision in Blantyre was our town’s earliest mechanised vehicle accident, I’ve found an even earlier one, this time in 1898! This is a story about a vehicle accident, 5 years before trams! On Monday 24th January 1898, Hamilton man William Muir found himself in […]
I hope nobody minds minor, incidental stories like these. Such events took place over 125 years ago, and do reflect actual events in Blantyre at the time. Such snippets help form a larger picture of what was going on, such as this story about hungry miners. Four Blantyre men, found themselves in bother with the […]
A story to show how much things have changed in over 120 years in Blantyre. On Sunday 9th July 1899, patrolling police officers found 4 young miners playing cards in the street at Dixon’s Rows, Stonefield at 4 o clock in the morning. They were taken into custody. The same officers then made their way […]
Saturday 22nd July 1899 and Blantyre boy Arthur Hamilton, aged 13 found himself standing in the dock at the Sheriff Court standing in front of Sheriff Davidson. Arthur, a miner from Broompark Place had been caught throwing stones at the railway signals and insulators on the telegraph poles at the Hunthill junction of the Caledonian […]
On evening of Monday 4th June 1900, Charles Roger a Polish miner from Craighead Rows and Joseph Higgins of McAlpines Building, Blantyre got into a quarrel at Mr Kelly’s Public House on Glasgow Road. As was the tradition then, they “took it outside” to the pavement. From the statement submitted to court, Higgins then drew […]
Constable Thomas Docherty was congratulated on the smart capture of a thief in Blantyre during 1901. Bringing justice to Blantyre. However, first we need to go back a step….. On Sunday, 30th June 1901, a young man from Cambuslang had been out all night and was travelling back through Blantyre, heading home to Cambuslang on […]