Bernard Callaghan and James Gormley, two Blantyre boys from Craighead Rows had a little adventure on 30th December 1905, which was abruptly terminated. First, they each had a half penny ride on the tramcars, then fortified with chocolate bars, varied their method of travel by jumping on a train from Blantyre to Hamilton West. Then […]
Tag: birch
Bad Boys Birched, 1908
In early August 1908, the hay at Low Blantyre was being cut and stacked. Hard work for all the farm hands, made all the more difficult by a period of prolonged, warm weather. This story takes place near Blantyre Mill Farm, just off Station Road in fields which would later be occupied by village housing. […]
Teenage Midnight Prowl
In April 1914, four Blantyre teenage boys met up in the middle of the night to go on a rampage through a local business. James Ryan (15) of Semple’s Buildings, William Docherty (15) of Allison Place, William Johnstone Jnr (14) of Glasgow Road and Robert Sim (13) of Glasgow Road, all Springwell boys met up […]
The Little Thief, 1916
In July 1916, little Alexander McLuckie Jnr (11), the son of Alexander McLuckie a miner, was in trouble again. Not with parents though. With the law. As summer holidays started, the lad who lived on Glasgow Road, Blantyre found himself in a Hamilton Juvenile Court after being charged with a series of thefts from other […]
Rice Reid
<<< Back to Schools Robert MacFarlane (10), residing with his parents at 8 Hunthill Road, High Blantyre was misbehaving in February 1928. I uncovered this little story where he was ordered at Hamilton Sheriff Court to receive four hard strokes with the birch-rod as punishment. This was his punishment for an amazing series of thefts, eight in […]