Continuing a look at Major Ness’s early days as the new Village schoolmaster in Blantyre Works School, some 166 years ago, back in 1856. There’s some good detail about those early times. It was not long afterwards from arriving when an occasion arose which brought to light the personal determination of Mr Ness and also […]
I had previously been contacted by Graham Glen who told me his grandfather, James Benson had made the beautiful stained glass windows for the former building on Glasgow Road. In February 2017, I was contacted by Ean Brown, Bill Holdsworth and Bill Andrew, who each confirmed that the windows had been carefully removed in 1977 […]
A beautiful little ‘writing slope’ (a rest to write your letters and documents on). This lovely object dates to 1873 and is kept in Low Parks Museum in Hamilton. The engraving on the burr walnut slope reads “Presented to Mr John Ness by his pupils Blantyre Works 19th July 1873”. The fine looking wood has […]
Continuing our look at the former Greenhall Rifle Range, High Blantyre. In September 1867, just 4 months after the Volunteer Corps Rifle Range opened, an article appeared in the Hamilton Advertiser describing a competition held there. It is transcribed here, the interesting part for me listing the target distances the competition aimed to fire at. […]
From the illustrated social history book… “Blantyre – Glasgow Road, The Real Story” by Paul Veverka (c) 2016 – 2018. James Aitchison, headmaster James Aitchison was another former teacher of Stonefield Parish School. He was born in Cambuslang on 6th September 1873, the son of John and Jane Millar. For the early part of […]
Jack Owens shared this lovely clear picture this week. Taken in 1946 are the children of Stonefield Parish School, affectionately known by some people as “Ness’s School.” Always wishing to add a little more to a picture somebody shared, I can tell you Jack that this was Class 1 in 1946 and their teacher was […]
The Scotsman on Tuesday 4th July 1933 revealed what was to happen to a well known bell in Blantyre. “There will be hung in a few days at the National Memorial to David Livingstone, in Blantyre, as an interesting link with the great explorer, the bell that did daily duty in the factory where […]