Jack Bruce Band

Jack Bruce Band1.JPG

Donald Orr sent us an old flyer from his collection. Donald told us:

“The late, great ,Jack Bruce, bass player, vocalist, and song writer with supergroup Cream, came down in the world, the night he played to a less than full house, in Hamilton.

Posters announced there would be 1000 watts of power, from the Best Bass Player in The World, and with Chris Spedding(” Motor Bikin’ “), on guitar, it was a hard rock performance. Jack, originally from Paisley, moved on to huge crowd again in future years. A great musician!” 

Did you go to this Gig? tell us your memories and even better show us your photos.

11 thoughts on “Jack Bruce Band”

  1. Dear Garry:

    Thank you so much for your website and the many stories about Hamilton. I am writing in the hope that you or your readers can help me with questions about graveyards in Hamilton.

    I am writing to find the graveyard of my great-great-great grandfather Thomas Paterson (born about 1791 and died between 1851 and 1859) and my great-great-great grandmother Semple Paterson (maiden name of Aiton), who died between the 1841 and 1851 census reports. They married in 1808 in Hamilton at the Muir Street Relief Church. They were a weaving family. I have been unable to locate their burial site or any records about their deaths. Perhaps they were interred in the Muir Street Relief Churchyard. Do the death or interment documents for that church exist in a library or archive?

    I welcome any assistance you can provide. Having visited Hamilton some years ago, I hope to visit one again.

    Sincerely,

    Thomas G. Paterson
    Professor Emeritus of History,
    University of Connecticut, and
    Affiliate Professor of History,
    Southern Oregon University

    63 Gresham Street
    Ashland, OR 97520 USA
    541-201-0369 (home)
    541-908-6229 (cell)
    paterson@mind.net

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    1. Hi Thomas, thank you for contacting me. I will look in to this for you and I will update you in due course. I have Aiton’s in my family from around this time. They were a big family in Hamilton and as you know they have been in Hamilton for many years. One question that I have is the name Semele Paterson, this is the actual name? It’s really unusual. Would happen to have any old photos of your family in Hamilton? Aw the best, Garry

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      1. Hi

        Thank you very much for replying. Yes, her given name (forename) is Semple. That is very unusual. Somebody wanted to honor a Semple and keep the name going? It is a mystery that I would like to solve. I welcome any help you can provide on my questions.

        I do have a few photos of my Paterson family. My great-great grandfather was Alexander Aiton Paterson (son of Semple Aiton and Thomas Paterson, and born about 1823 and died December 12, 1902). A handloom weaver, but he also gained some attention as a musician (flute) and political activist. He is interred in Bent, but there is no marker. Wilma Bolton actually discovered him for me. If I can master my computer and copy a photo of him and his spouse Anne Rankin, to which e-mail address should I send it as an attachment?

        The Hamilton library has a copy of my self-published book: YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS: THOMAS PATERSON, JR., SUZANNE MONCHAMP PATERSON, AND THEIR MANY FAMILIES THROUGH HISTORY (Ashland, Oregon, 2011). It is also available on-line for free at FamilySearch. There is considerable information about my family in Scotland. My grandfather Thomas Paterson (1883-1965) departed Hamilton in 1906 and made his way to Canada and then Oregon.

        Best, and thanks, Tom Paterson

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      3. Hi Thomas, I have uncovered a story from 1857 where a David Paterson was murdered. Just by Chance, could your Descendant have been called David? This David was also a weaver and the dates tie in with the info that you have provided. Here is a Transcription that I have done from a news paper article. Garry.

        MURDER AT HAMILTON 1857.
        A very brutal murder took place on the evening of Saturday the 10th of October 1857, between eight and nine o’clock, which caused great distress in the town. David Paterson, a weaver to trade, had proceeded to the house of Thomas Reilly an Irishman, living in 46 Quarry Street, who kept a “wee pawn” establishment, and dealt in buying and selling cotton waste and such like material, including weavers’ weft, when an altercation arose between the two, and a scuffle took place within the house, in the course of which Reilly dealt the David Paterson several blows, in consequence of which he died in a few minutes.
        Some individuals who were outside saw, through the window of the house, and seen the several of the blows given; and a woman, who was in the house at the time, says that Paterson took off his coat at first, and challenged Reilly to fight with him; while another eye-witness says, that after Paterson had seated himself in an arm-chair at the side of the fire, Reilly deliberately barred the outer door, and then passionately struck him while a sitting on the chair.
        The first blow sent his head right against the jamb at the fire-place, and after he was in that twisted and helpless position, Reilly continued to strike him several heavy and brutal blows, till the cries of parties at the window compelled him to stop. It seems these blows had been more than enough to finish the unfortunate man.
        Reilly afterwards attempted to revive him by throwing cold water in his face and bathing his head. On finding that Paterson was apparently dying, lie left the house immediately and absconded. Dr. Miller was sent for, who arrived just at the moment that deceased breathed his last.
        Should the woman’s in a statement prove correct the case against Reilly will not ultimately be so serious as It would otherwise have been, and only be a charge of manslaughter or culpable homicide. It was also noted both parties were the worse of liquor. David Paterson left a widow and three young children.
        The body of David Paterson was taken charge of during the night of Saturday and Sunday, in Reilly’s house, where the Vicious attack occurred, by Quintin, one of the town’s officers, until Sunday, when a post mortem examination was made.
        David was buried at the Hamilton Parish Church yard. There was also no parent’s names recorded on his death cert. The stated time of death was 8:30pm and the cause of death was effusion of blood from the skull. The death was registered Five months later on behalf of the procurator fiscal Thomas Dykes.
        When the story of the murder went to press in the Hamilton Advertiser on Monday the 12th of October, Reilly was still at large and had not been apprehended, although several of the officers of justice were on the alert. It was rumoured that Thomas Reilly was still lurking a about Hamilton.
        Thomas Reilly was an Irishman, and a private in the 1st Regiment of Royal Lanarkshire, Militia.
        Ref: Glasgow Herald 12 October 1857.

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    2. HI Thomas, I have just transcribed a Newspaper article from 1857. Do you think that there may be a possibility that Thomas went by the name of David?

      Here is what I transcribed, Let me know if this makes any sense to you. Garry

      MURDER AT HAMILTON 1857.
      A very brutal murder took place on the evening of Saturday the 10th of October 1857, between eight and nine o’clock, which caused great distress in the town. David Paterson, a weaver to trade, had proceeded to the house of Thomas Reilly an Irishman, living in Quarry Loan, who kept a “wee pawn” establishment, and dealt in buying and selling cotton waste and such like material, including weavers’ weft, when an altercation arose between the two, and a scuffle took place within the house, in the course of which Reilly dealt the David Paterson several blows, in consequence of which he died in a few minutes.
      Some individuals who were outside saw, through the window of the house, and seen the several of the blows given; and a woman, who was in the house at the time, says that Paterson took off his coat at first, and challenged Reilly to fight with him; while another eye-witness says, that after Paterson had seated himself in an arm-chair at the side of the fire, Reilly deliberately barred the outer door, and then passionately struck him while a sitting on the chair.
      The first blow sent his head right against the jamb at the fire-place, and after he was in that twisted and helpless position, Reilly continued to strike him several heavy and brutal blows, till the cries of parties at the window compelled him to stop. It seems these blows had been more than enough to finish the unfortunate man.
      Reilly afterwards attempted to revive him by throwing cold water in his face and bathing his head. On finding that Paterson was apparently dying, lie left the house immediately and absconded. Dr. Miller was sent for, who arrived just at the moment that deceased breathed his last.
      Should the woman’s in a statement prove correct the case against Reilly will not ultimately be so serious as It would otherwise have been, and only be a charge of manslaughter or culpable homicide. It was also noted both parties were the worse of liquor. David Paterson left a widow and three young children.
      The body of David Paterson was taken charge of during the night of Saturday and Sunday, in Reilly’s house, where the Vicious attack occurred, by Quintin, one of the town’s officers, until Sunday, when a post mortem examination was made.
      When the story of the murder went to press in the Hamilton Advertiser on Monday the 12th of October, Reilly was still at large and had not been apprehended, although several of the officers of justice were on the alert. It was rumoured that Thomas Reilly was still lurking a about Hamilton.
      Thomas Reilly was an Irishman, and a private in the 1st Regiment of Royal Lanarkshire, Militia.

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      1. Hello Garry

        I have searched my records and some websites about David Paterson, who died in that ugly 1857 incident you wrote about. I can’t find anyone in my family line who matches the name or the date. Any idea how old the victim was?

        Best, Tom Paterson

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  2. Hi Garry, I was the promoter of the Jack Bruce concert at Hamilton Town
    Hall. He was programmed to play a few weeks earlier but an accident to his hand meant the gig was postponed. Lots of tickets had to be refunded and this unfortunate change to a Tuesday night led to the gig being about 60% booked. You mentioned Chris Spedding on guitar, The drummer was was John Marshall and (I could be wrong) the organist was Graham Bond. Jack’s mother came down from East Kilbride to visit. A lowlight was that the guy who ran the town hall tried to unplug the amplification at 10:30…The band played until pm!

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