In March 1893, Hugh Fegan, a pawnbroker in Blantyre, advertised items for sale, including two costly patent mangles priced at £12 10s, while miners earned only 4s weekly. This highlights the mangle’s luxury status, prompting speculation about mining families potentially crafting their own. The advertisement reflects the era’s economic challenges.
It’s always fantastic when somebody researches a Blantyre subject in detail and shares those words here. Dave Barry had Blantyre ancestry involved in the pawnbroking business and has taken time to share his research here. The well written words are Dave’s and he’s given me permission to share them here. “In 1886, Blantyre had […]
Dave Barry contacted me in October 2015, saying, “Dear Paul, Although not a native of Blantyre, I’ve unearthed some family history from the area, and have written the attached brief summary. While researching my great-grandfather, a grocer in Holytown who died aged 32, ruined by the crash of the City of Glasgow Bank in 1878, […]