In April 1893, Cosmo Devito was charged with stealing £25 from his employer’s garden. Claiming he found the money in a buried box without knowing it belonged to anyone, he faced court. Despite mitigating circumstances, he was sentenced to 21 days in jail, raising questions about justice and responsibility.
On Tuesday 7th August 1894, almost 130 years ago, William Shepherd a miner of High Blantyre stood in court accused of stealing coal. Now it’s easy to look back at historical entries in newspapers and conclude that somebody was simply a thief, just because history has them up in court for that charge, but in […]
When the Greenhall Pitch n Putt was open at High Blantyre during the 1970’s, one particular problem was the constant theft of the hired out golf clubs. By May 1977, then over a dozen clubs were missing in that opening season alone, the Council had enough and decided to act. Gathering in all the clubs, […]
The 22nd December 1895 wasn’t a day local woman Jane Murphy (or Power) would want to remember. 128 years to the day, and many generations ago, this story saw a Blantyre woman falling on the wrong side of the law. That day, Jane who lived at Craighead Rows had seen an opportunity arise at Blantyre […]
Here’s a great story which I hope you haven’t heard before. On 31st January 1905, three Blantyre boys were playing in a hayshed in Stonefield, Blantyre. On that Winter Tuesday afternoon, Robert Murdoch (17), Alsworth Laing (12) and Alexander Laing (11) were keeping warm by playing inside, when the two younger boys should in fact […]
Entrusted with a watch, albert and badge by a compatriot to keep for him whilst he underwent a 30 day prison sentence, Adam Brown a Polish miner of Broompark Place pawned the articles on the 4th February 1908. This was the very day after his pal had asked him to keep them for him. Adam […]
Don’t blame me for the title, this was reporters choice of words in the Hamilton Herald and Lanarkshire Weekly News in May 1908, reminding their readers of the old adage, “Better meddle wi’ the devil, than the bairns o’ Blantyre” in relation to a break in. It was said that in the first week of […]