Summer 1898 saw a huge music festival take place in Blantyre at the grounds of Blantyre Lodge (now the David Livingstone Birthplace grounds). On the afternoon of Saturday 13th August 1898, Blantyre Parish Brass Band put on an amazing free concert. The weather was beautifully fine and well advertised in advance, attracted a huge crowd […]
On Friday 21st October 1898, Mr John Murdoch had his article published in the ‘Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald’ which told of his exploits of travelling through Lanarkshire looking for the prime spots where fruit growing was taking place. In the middle of the article, he described a brief stop at Blantyre where he discovered villagers […]
This beautiful and unique Blantyre house is Blantyre Lodge which once sat where the current sand playpark is at David Livingstone Birthplace grounds in the Village. In Winter 1914, at the start of WW1, it was home to many Belgian Refugees, who had fled the atrocities in their homeland and came to Scotland. On the […]
In previous articles, I have suggested that Blantyre Lodge may not have been lived in during the 1920’s, for it was known that it had become somewhat dilapidated and the Jolly family, formerly tenants of the large house (which once stood beside Shuttle Row), had gone by that time. It was of sincere interest […]
A beautiful description of the former Blantyre Lodge is uncovered here. Pictured is William Jolly’s Lodge at Blantyre Works, together with the floorplan. Mrs Helen McGowan Jolly, a daughter in law of William Jolly, describes the house in one of her many letters, “The old house of Blantyre Lodge was a 2-storey stone built mansion […]
On 21st June 2015, I was contacted by Australian lady Marg Boardley (nee Sommerville) who emailed, “I’m visiting from Australia and came across your Blantyre page. My great aunt, Helen Smail Sommerville gave her address on her marriage cert in 1917 as Blantyre Lodge, Blantyre. Do you have any record of her working there? She […]
Pictured here with the kind permission of Historic Scotland is Blantyre Lodge around 1900. This building once stood in what is now the sand play park at David Livingstone Centre. In 1901, William Jolly, a retired schools inspector age 62 and his wife Mary Anne also 62 lived in the house with their daughter Carolina. […]