I recently told the story the other day of seventeen year old Hugh McNeil who drowned in the Clyde in Summer 1915. That Summer was hot and it may surprise you to know that another person drowned only the week before. Little Robert Shearer was only 9 years old in July 1915. His father was […]
Tag: drowning
Rescue Workers Appeal, 1916
In September 1916, an anonymous volunteer involved in the rescue and recovery of people in difficulties in the River Clyde was concerned about the frequency of drownings in the Village. He wrote to the papers making an appeal, as follows word for word: “As I was one of the voluntary rescue party the recent drowning […]
Drowning Accident , 1917
Drunken Death at Newhousemill
About 9 o’clock on the morning of Sunday 13th October 1867, the body of man named Matthew Arneil was found laying face down in the Calder River under Newhousemill Bridge, on the boundary with East Kilbride Parish (back roads). Matthew was a miner residing at Newfield, Blantyre. When found quite dead, he appeared to have […]
Drowning at Haughhead, 1861
About 5 o’clock on Monday 17th June 1861, a collier named William Bishop, aged 17 went into the River Clyde at the riverbank about 300 yards west of Haughhead Bridge and didn’t come out alive! He entered the river on the north side and swam towards the Blantyre side, but unfortunately about only 6 […]
Tortured by Scandal – 1924
This story has been pieced together using several news reports. This is the tale of a Burnbank girl tortured by scandal, and featuring heroic actions of 2 Blantyre men. In 1924 Mary M‘Gladdery was a young woman who lived at 309 Glasgow Road, Burnbank and for many years until then had been the merriest […]
Back from the Dead
Womans Body found in River
I’ve lost count of the amount of people who drowned in the Clyde at Blantyre, whether accidentally (or indeed deliberately through own actions). Not a nice story to dwell on , but this newspaper report from 27th July 1931, told of another body being discovered in the water. “WOMAN’S BODY IN RIVER. The body of […]
Drowning at Blantyre Weir 1932
A drowning tragedy took place on Saturday 25th June 1932 at the Blantyre Weir, which spans the River Clyde, between Low Blantyre and Bothwell. Along with several companions 10-year old Alex, McDermott, who resided with his parents at 45 Murray’s Building, High Blantyre, was walking across the upper ledge of the dam. He lost his footing […]