Isabella Stillie or Weir, the middle-aged wife of a pensioner, residing at Hamilton Road, Cambuslang, was before the Hamilton J.P. Court in October 1925 charged with having in July stolen a purse containing 8s and co-operative checks from the house of Mrs Chambers at Main Street, High Blantyre. A plea of guilty was tendered, and […]
In September 1925, a serious situation arose in Blantyre when coal and mineral trains were continually being raided. In the dock in early October that year was James Cotter, miner, 52 Auchenraith Road, Blantyre, who was charged with stealing a quantity of coal from moving waggons at Auchinraith Road on the branch of the […]
Time and time again I find the 1920’s an era of great unemployment for Blantyre and a time when hardships drove men (and women) to do things that would normally be grossly out of character. One such story is that of Alexander Walker Hunter, whom, in 1925 was 31 years old, a married man who […]
A sharp reminder of Blantyre’s problems and issues came at the start of December 2017, when I was emailed these photos of the problem of fly tipping in Auchentibber. Taken directly outside Auchentibber Farm (derelict), the roadside of Auchentibber road is an absolute mess. This HAS to be the worst i’ve ever seen it. […]
On the evening of Tuesday 19th September 1967, Matt Boyle, the High Blantyre publican had cashed up at his Main Street pub and was making his way home. He lived at a detached house near Kirkton Cross, which had the name “Parkhurst”, (pictured here in 2007 by Jim Brown) Matt, born in 1899 was 68 […]
On the evening of 14th September 1967 residents were alarmed to see smoke coming from the letterbox of the mail pillarbox at the bottom of Stonefield Road. Police and the fire brigade were called but could do nothing until they contacted postal workers at the post office. A local postman opened the box, which by […]
A significant rammy occurred in Blantyre on the evening of Saturday 30th January 1926. Seven young men from Burnbank had come over to Blantyre to attend a dance in the Blantyre Co-operative Hall at the corner of Glasgow Road and Herbertson Street. Whilst in there, growing concern and rumour was whispered amongst the males at […]