The 22nd December 1895 wasn’t a day local woman Jane Murphy (or Power) would want to remember. 128 years to the day, and many generations ago, this story saw a Blantyre woman falling on the wrong side of the law. That day, Jane who lived at Craighead Rows had seen an opportunity arise at Blantyre […]
A story next from 1896, some 127 years ago, sufficiently far back in history to put some surnames to. On Saturday 7th March 1896, a rummy took place at Baird’s Rows (Craighead Rows), just off Glasgow Road, Blantyre. Being quite drunk, Charles Monaghan, a miner illegally entered the house of Thomas Mullen and began to […]
On Monday 6th July 1896, at the Justice of the Peace Court in Hamilton, Mrs Annie McLay (nee Smith) was charged with throwing on the carriageway opposite her home at Larkfield, a “pail of slops”, contrary to the Roads Act. Sanitation in Blantyre had vastly been improved upon by the 1890s, with proper drains being […]
On Saturday 25th August 1896, a peculiar find on the High Blantyre railway track had police and authorities left with a puzzling mystery. A large quantity of dynamite was found on the railway track at High Blantyre, quite by chance. Police were called for and the officers were immediately engaged in endeavouring to find out […]
A daring burglary took place in the early hours of Sunday morning, 23rd August 1896 at Larkfield, Blantyre. On the site of the current Olive Music Lounge (Doon Inn), 127 years ago was the Larkfield Spirit Vaults, a public house occupied by Mr. John McLaughlin. The robber entered under cover of darkness by bending back […]
On Saturday 22nd May 1897 at the Burgh Police Court, fourteen year old Blantyre miner, Patrick O Brien stood in the dock, accused of being an “annoyance” to train drivers. O’Brien pled guilty of standing in front of locomotives, a practice which was prevalent in Blantyre in the months preceding this. It was becoming a […]
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 […]