Bev Smith in Australia sent me this message, “The people I am trying to learn more about are Thomas Gemmell and Agness Jackson. I prefer Agness to Agnes, as it was written that way in an old family Bible. She was born or baptised 3.3.1800 in Blantyre. Agness’s parents were Robert Jackson & Janet Gardiner. There […]
Thank you to Alison at the David Livingstone centre who emailed me this most detailed description of the World Fountain, written and published in the late 1930s. I think it offers a definitive description of the sculpture and I hope in not much detail to compromise your interest. “Much has recently been written of the great […]
One of Blantyre’s most recognisable icons. The World Fountain at David Livingstone Centre. Given by the wife of Councillor A.B Maxwell in his memory and designed by Mr. F. C. Mears the Trust Architect this work of art was commissioned to be part of David Livingstone Centre. Mrs Maxwell died just 2 weeks after presenting […]
I was recently looking through a trunk full of Blantyre “stuff” I’ve collected over the years and surprised to see that some contemporary (and unremarkable) booklets or articles I’d put away at the time, are now in themselves turning into pieces of Blantyre history and becoming more interesting! For example, this advert for Wilkie’s Farm […]
Station Road in 1910 is the subject of this next photo. Beautifully colourised and shared here courtesy of Jim Cochrane. To the right are the fields that were eventually to become the Low Blantyre Public Park. The train station is just around the corner in the distance out of sight. The houses on the left […]
I’m always finding out something new about my home in High Blantyre. Yesterday was no exception. I live at Croftfoot, a 280 year old house that sits beside Kirkton Park. Whilst tidying up, I noticed for the first time, that initials were carved into one of the sandstone blocks on the wall. It would have […]
Mr John P Jackson was the representative of a long line of Jacksons who have held lands and position in Blantyre for the 400 hundred years previous to this articles source. His ancestor also John Jackson first entered into position at Bardykes in 1502, making the land at Bardykes one of the oldest occupied premises […]