Now this is how boys used to play out during the 1950’s & 1960’s.
One of our readers Steven Matthews sent us this picture of him and some of his friends out playing and shooting BB Guns at the Blue Waters Quarry, just off Strathaven Road.
Stephen is the boy on the right with the BB Gun, Gerry McGuire of Townhill Road is the back left and the boy at the front with the blue shirt is Pat Carroll.
Like many of the kids back then, a hot summers day was spent at the Blue Waters quarry, where they would swim and hang about. There is even an old folklore that a train derailed somewhere in that area and people were killed and their ghosts still haunt the area.
Stephen went on to tell us:
“At roughly the same time me and a couple of pals collected bunches of rhododendron flowers from Lady Watson’s mansion driveway in Neilsland but we were caught by the Police and drove up to the front door of her mansion.
She came out, dressed like a toff, along with her 2/3 Dalmatians. We apologised, then Police drove us home to our parents”.
What is your memories of spending your summers at Blue waters? Or, even better do you have any pictures to share?
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In modern day Hamilton we are so lucky to have water when we want it and also use as much as we want but in the old days water was not always on tap. Hamilton has old water wells dug deep where a shaft would be ‘sunk’ down to the natural water supply, and this was how the old Hamiltonian’s who were not living close to one of the local burns got their water. In fact, there are lots of wells in Hamilton that our streets take their names from such as ‘Portwell’, ‘Wellbrae Road’ & ‘Blackswell Lane’. Further to this one famous well of its time was called ‘The Lady’s Well’, a contradiction of ‘Our Lady’s Well. This well was a slow running one and it yielded only one gallon of water in five minutes, however, the Lady’s Well was a favorite of many of the townsfolk as it was recorded to have some of the best ‘Tea Making Water’ in the town! And, not to mention that its slow flowing water provided wonderful opportunities for ‘Gossip’ at the wellhead. Sadly, the location of the Lady’s Well is unknown to me, but I would like to find it one day. One important thing to note is that to preserve the Scottish Sabbath, the town’s public wells were closed from the Saturday night till Monday morning, so if you missed your pail of water, you had to make do with the local burn water.
The water supply in Hamilton, as one might expect, was far from satisfactory, and the difficulties became more acute as the population grew. Boring wells was carried out in many streets at a great expense, and it was only after a major outbreak of cholera that the town council was persuaded to install a municipal water supply.
Let me take you back to 1704, when the population of Hamilton was less than 3,000 inhabitants, this of course being before they found out how our rich coal seams beneath the town were in abundance! The health of Hamilton was in a very bad state, and it was recorded in the town’s death registers that “Number of ye dead are 109 of which number there are children dead of Small-Pox 43”.
Eighteenth century Hamilton only consisted of a few streets in the vicinity of Hamilton Palace. The town as it grew had houses built on the higher ground up to Quarry Road, the New Kirk Road (Now Church Street) and out as far as the hamlet of Townhead (Now Townhead Street) Even in these new districts & streets of Hamilton, each house had its own “Midden” in front of it which would have attracted rats and other vermin. There was dampness and decay everywhere and the stench of decomposition lingered around the streets.
The very early and very few water wells installed in Hamilton were used for public property and according to the old burgh accounts of Hamilton, I found that the old records tell us that the town council sunk three public wells in the year 1733, the cost being met by voluntarily subscriptions. Many of the other public wells in future years were sunk at the public’s expense.
Records in the year 1787 when the population had risen to just under 5,000 ¬- 75 children were swept away by small-pox. It was not only diseases that required the town to have fresh water but In times of drought many wells dried up and could not keep up with the demand. The need for water was so bad that when in terrible times an unfortunate fire would break out it was hard to distinguish the old vennels in the town. The famous fire at Barrie’s Close which smoldered for eight days wiping out a whole large section of the old Hamilton Town brought much dismay and alarm of the Burgesses and council.
Hamilton had 5 practitioners at that time, and it was only later in 1841 when a report was run on the poor of the town that the appointment of a salaried medical officer was to be put in place. It was only then that a new awareness was brought for the need for better housing and municipal services.
There were also wells at the Tolbooth (Hamilton’s Jail House), the Castle Wynd, Quarry Loan Foot and there was also an undocumented well found in recent years at the Hamilton Museum. We hear even before these of Black’s Well. We also see the name recorded as ‘Portwell’ where even in 1941 there used to be a plaque visible on the gable end of an old house at the foot of Shieling Hill.
Some of Hamilton’s wells possessed special properties and were believed to have had powers of curing disease. As mentioned earlier, The Lady Well, once a place of pilgrimage at the old church and situated near the old Tolbooth, was said in latter days to be especially good for “masking” tea, and when the duke included the Tolbooth in the Palace grounds, public opinion was so strong that he had to lead a pipe from the well to the street.
The only well that never dried up was the Spout at the Avon Mill, and many an honest penny was earned carrying water to the town in times of scarcity. As mentioned, the wells were closed on Sundays, all water for the weekend having to be drawn on a Saturday night. One of the prominent ministers of the town was summoned to appear before the presbytery because he had allowed his servant-maid to draw water from his own private well on the sabbath.
As I move on from telling you about the earlier water supply in Hamilton, years later in the early eighteen hundreds, a man named Mr Robert McGavin of Tuphall House was instrumental in procuring the erection of certain public wells, which at the time proved a great boon to the inhabitants of the district.
He received a valuable service of plate from his constituents on retirement in token of his services. The inscriptions thereon bearing testimony to his corresponding philanthropic exertions. In fact, these influential Hamiltonian’s back in the day made sure that we wouldn’t think twice about going to a burn to get a drink of water but that’s where our ancestors all drank from.
By 1850, the population of Hamilton had grown to well over 10,000 inhabitants and it was then that a water supply came in for attention and parliamentary approval.
Putting the plan into action.
In the mid eighteen hundreds, Hamilton had no fresh water supply in fact, it was one of the worst areas of Scotland with a town of its size to have no water mains. Albeit, the town had a main burn running straight through it, so we were in a good position to have a fresh water supply, we just had to work out a way in how it could be brought to each part of the town. It was then that the town worthies started to think about taking the water not from the wells, but from Hamilton’s higher grounds.
The idea of Hamilton having its own burgh water supply was brought to the table during a town council meeting and a group of influential people in the town got together and in September 1852 they discussed if the town council should finance this massive project, or should a joint stock company be formed and it was then decided that it would be the latter. The Hamilton Water Company was established, and the provisional committee of men who stepped up to the plate were:
• John Meek Esq. of Fortisset – Provost of Hamilton.
• Baillie William Paterson – Builder.
• Baillie James Hamilton – Lace Manufacturer.
• Robert Brown. Esq of Dumbrixhill.
• William Leighton. Esq Hamilton Palace.
• William Aikman, Esq, Writer & Banker.
• P.W. Dixon, Esq Tuphall.
• William Rankin, Esq, Merchant.
Also, with power to add to their number were the following:
• Interim Treasurer – Thomas Anderson, Esq, Banker in Hamilton.
• Engineer – William Gayle, Esq, Buchanan Street, Glasgow.
• Interim Secretaries – Messrs. Henderson & Robertson, writers at County buildings in Hamilton.
In 1852 The town of Hamilton contained a population of over 10,000 souls, and it was rapidly increasing. There was no town in Scotland of the same extent so deficiently supplied with water, none being available either for sanitary purposes or for extinguishing fires, and but a very scantly supply for domestic uses, and that was procurable only at much trouble and expense to the inhabitants of that era.
Although Hamilton was nearly destitute of water, the town as it is today, was so fortunate to command and excellent and abundant supply of water by Gravitation. Today there are several sources of water on our high grounds towards the south-west. In the year 1852, they were all examined by the engineer on the water committee, William Gayle, and in the opinion of Mr. Gayle, the abundant supply of good water, suitable for all domestic purposes, could be obtained from the dear reservoir, via Earnock Burn and at a point near the old farm of Wellbrae, which was little more than mile from the town in a direct line.
For this plan to come in to action, a network of reservoirs would be installed high up above Hamilton, the water from these sources was to be brought into the Town along public roads without interfering with private property, excepting where it is proposed to form a reservoir and filters on the estate of Earnock.
From calculations made by Mr. Gayle, the probable cost of bringing the water in to the Burgh, from Wellbrae, including filters will not exceed the sum of £4660 and for Contingencies it was expected an additional £933.00 would be needed, bringing the cost of Hamilton’s new water supply to £5593. Did they keep to the budget?
THE DUKE & THE WATER SUPPLY.
The water supply coming through the town of Hamilton was the talk of the day amongst everyone, including the Duke of Hamilton. His Grace, the Duke of Hamilton, the magistrates and other influential parties in the town and neighborhood were all most anxious to promote the prosperity of the burgh, and the comfort and health of its inhabitants, by supplying them with an abundance of water which was the absolute necessity of which was admitted by all, and this would only be accomplished by means of a public company.
It was proposed that a joint stock company was to be formed for the purpose of building Hamilton’s water supply and the Hamilton Water Works were established. The subscribed capital that the board were looking to gain a higher amount of what was first thought and a sum of £8000 (Approximately £641,488.80 in today’s money) and this was to be divided into 1600 shares of £5.00 each (Approximately £401.00 in today’s money) If you put this into perspective, £5.00 back in 1852 could buy a person 7 stones of Wool, 2 quarters of wheat and it would pay a skilled tradesman’s wages for 25 days! This indeed was going to be the most important thing to happen in Hamilton since the discovery of coal.
The Hamilton Water Works Company needed this project to work and even though the brains behind this ambitious project could foresee what the benefits would bring to Hamilton, they had really sold the Idea of a modern-day Hamilton with each area having a fresh water supply coming from the Cadzow Burn that they had made a very bold statement and they told its investors to expect a handsome return of no less than 5% per annum! Yes, this was a project so large, that if some of Hamilton’s most notable worthies were buying into this and even his Grace the Duke of Hamilton, then why would the hard-working tradesman not want to tap into their life savings and get a share in this modern company! Let’s pray that this was going to be a success; everyone was counting on it.
For all the inhabitants of Hamilton, generally an abundant supply of water was going to be an Incalculable advantage and to none so more than the working classes. This was assuming that the water rates did not exceed 6d in the point of rental.
So, on Friday the 17th of September 1852 an advert was placed in the in all the major newspapers, including the Hamilton Advertiser & the Glasgow Herald reaching out to the people of Hamilton and the wider Lanarkshire offering shares of £5.00 each. This was a very smart move because back then the newspapers were a very trusted source of news & advertisements.
By November 1852, the momentum for the installation of the water works was building up and the company had now been to the courts to acquire lands, rivers, streams, springs & burns in the surrounding area of the town.
Notice was given to all “that the water works had applied to parliament in the session holden to the year 1853 for a bill for an act for the better supplying with clean water, the parliamentary burgh or town of Hamilton and suburbs thereof and places adjacent in the county of Lanark and for that purpose, with powers to take and acquire by compulsory purchase, or otherwise, lands and other Heritages and certain Rivers, Brooks, Streams and springs of water, and also to construct, lay down, and maintain, such Reservoirs, cuts, aqueducts and other works, with proper roads of approach, and other conveniences in connection therewith, as may be proper and necessary; AND in particular to construct and maintain the following works – that is to say, a Reservoir, or Reservoirs, with embankments and all proper works connected therewith on the Burn, Brook, or Stream called Earnock Burn, partly on the lands called Well-Brae, and partly on the lands called Laigh-Muirhouses, both in the parish of Hamilton; commencing at or near the farm steading of the said lands of Well-Brae, at a point marked ‘A’ on the plan hereinafter mentioned and terminating at points marked ‘B’ on the said plans also a filtering basin and a distributing basin on the said lands of Well-Brae and Leigh-Muirhouses in connection with and at, or near to the said Reservoir or Reservoirs; also a cut or conduit, commencing at, or near to a place called Kennedy’s House and terminating at or in the said Reservoir or reservoirs and also a main pipe or track commending to the said distribution basis, and terminating in the Town of Hamilton at, or near the south-west end of Almada Street; and also with powers to take and acquire Burn, Brook, or Stream called Kennedy’s Burn”.
The works required to bring fresh water from high up on the hills above Meikle Earnock and down to the town of Hamilton was indeed going to be a massive disruption BUT, nonetheless, the health of our ancestors was going to significantly improve by the town getting dragged into the modern world of having a fresh water supply.
The first reservoir to be installed was sunk in 1854 on the lands of Wellbrae Farm and even today, this dried up reservoir is still here on the same spot, hidden from view, you pass it as you drive down Muttonhole Road. The water was piped all the way from the dear reservoir some 52 miles from Hamilton. It held 54.5 m.g. of water.
Horrible Death at Leechlee Street.
At the time of the Water Works planning a terrible accident happened at Leechlee Street. On Wednesday the 2nd of January 1856 a well-known street character and Spaewife (Fortune Teller, or witch) known as Lizzie Steel who was known to be of intemperate habits died under shocking circumstances.
Poor Lizzy had been in her Leechlee street backyard where she drowned or was suffocated in the building cesspool. The state of the back premises in this street and other Hamilton streets that were inhabited by the poorer inhabitants of the town and loudly called for the attention of the board of health.
The middens and cesspools that lay in many of the poorer classes back yards were offensive and were giving very dangerous health issues to the townsfolk. They were dangerous to health and very hazardous to children and others going about in the dark.
One of these midden-steads was a tank said to be four feet deep and fully six feet square and was said to be quite easy to drown a person stumbling into it, and there was no fence to prevent such an accident.
Who was to blame for permitting the existence of such horrible man-traps and fever-breeders? The death of Lizzie Steel in such terrible circumstances would have no doubt assisted the Hamilton Water Works get some traction and from that day on, it was full steam ahead.
Falling behind on the completion date & Hamilton’s first ever piped water is used at Peacock Cross.
The company were trying their hardest to keep to their deadline for completing the works throughout Hamilton and by the 17th of May 1856 they had to admit to the townsfolk and their shareholders, that they had fallen behind schedule.
Owning to the failure of the contractor to observe the terms of his contract, to have the works completed by 15th of May, it was still to be several months before the works were to be finished.
The pipes throughout the town by then had been laid and by Thursday the 15th of May the water was let on. A hose was attached to the fire-plug at Peacock Cross, and the very first supply of pipe water to be brought through Hamilton was inaugurated by the Provost, in presence of the water commissioners, taking the nozzle of the hose in his hand, and playing the water over the tops of the adjacent houses.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE RESERVIOUR.
On Monday the 22nd of July 1860 an unfortunate accident happened at the Wellbrae waterworks. James Mitchel Jr, who was the son of Mr. Mitchell, the Waterworks superintendent was drowned while at his work. The sad accident happened around 10:00am where James, who was employed at the waterworks, had been repairing and painting the wooden gangway which led from the side and in towards the center of the reservoir.
James had been seated on a makeshift wooden raft made of planks of wood and it was thought that the planks had sailed from under his feet. Being unable to swim, James fell into the reservoir which was 10 feet in depth and about 7 feet from the embankment.
A workman who was near the embankment heard a cry and on approaching, he seen the head of James slipping beneath the water.
Being unable to swim himself, the workman could not do anything to assist and tried to fetch help. A boat was fetched from Bothwell Bridge and there was a search carried out, where they found James’s body near the side of the embankment at 2:00pm.
James was unmarried and it was said that he was a very well-behaved young man, and he was a member of the Hamilton No. 2 Rifle Company. James was buried at the Wellhall Road Cemetery and at his funeral were all the staff at the Waterworks along with members of his platoon. There were more sad times for this family, as James Mitchell Sr, died only a few years later. James Mitchell Sr. had been living at 5 St. Johns Lane when he passed away.
THE FIRST WATER RATES INTRODUCED IN HAMILTON.
By June 1862 it was time for the company to start recuperating its money and we see the very first water rates being introduced to Hamilton and how would the Hamiltonian of that century view these charges? I have the feeling that Hamilton’s outspoken folk, just as they are today on the Hamilton News Stand community Facebook group would be talking in the streets about the ridiculous high charges and why would they want to pay for their water, when they could simply just walk to a standpipe, or a mile or two to the nearest burn and get their pails of water for free! It would also probably be fair to say that not all of Hamilton’s people could afford this luxury of water piped directly to them.
William Alston Dykes, the commissioner of the Hamilton waterworks put out a statement in the Hamilton Advertiser, the Hamilton Herald, and other new outlets that the company had started the 45th clause of the Hamilton Water Works where charges would be applied to its direct customers, and they were proposing to apply the following charges to its ratepayers:
Domestic Purposes:
• Shops, Offices & Workshops 3d per £1.**
• Hotels, Spirit Shops and Public Houses 6d per £1.
• Water Closets within Inns, Hotels and other public establishments each 7s 6d. **
• Baths in Hotels 7s 6d.
The money due was to be made payable 1 year in advance, except where money was taken by meter in which case the money was to be taken half-yearly.
** 3d (three pence), with reference to the above, this became thruppence, commonly referred to as a “threepenny bit”. 6d (six pence) known as a “tanner” or half a shilling. 2/– (two shillings, or one florin, colloquially “two-bob bit”)
What was old money worth today?
The pound was the same pound we use today. We still have a penny, but the old one was larger in size and worth a lot less. The shilling is no longer UK currency. It had a value of 12 old pennies, or 12 pence.
…
How much did things cost in old money?
English butter per lb 3/-
Nescafé 2oz 2/3
Omo washing powder per lb – 1/11
** 7s 6d was roughly £22.17p in today’s money.
INSPECTION OF THE WATER WORKS 25th APRIL 1864.
Eight years after its construction the waterworks was undergoing a routine inspection and below is a transcription taken from the inspector.
“We recently spoke of the very satisfactory state of these works and are now enabled to give the result of Mr. Gale’s inspection, as detailed in his report, which was submitted to the commissioners at their meeting Tuesday last. The success of the undertaking has, from the first, been so unvaried that few the townspeople would consider a formal inspection of the works necessary, still it most gratifying to know how well they have stood the scrutiny of a gentleman of Mr. Gale s standing and experience”.
The Commissioners the Hamilton Water Works replied:
“Gentlemen, I had the pleasure of accompanying Provost Dykes, and other Water Commissioners, over the works. The whole are in a stale of complete efficiency and are in good repair. The embankment of the reservoir always was, and continues to be, perfectly watertight.
It has preserved the shape and outline given it when completed, about eight years ago, almost unchanged. The slight excess of height with which it was constructed, to allow for future subsidence, in part still remains and the embankment will now probably never settle down to a perfectly level line top. It was constructed with great care, and pains were taken to consolidate the material, foot by foot, the embankment was raised”.
“The puddle trench was sunk to considerable depth below the original surface, and the result has shown that a perfectly water-tight foundation has been reached. The spring met with in the bottom the trench, and which was conducted to the tail of the outer slope by a six-inch cast-iron pipe, continues to discharge much the same quantity of water it did before water was put the reservoir.
The thickness in the puddle wall is in excess of what usually allowed for embankments of this height; and the whole material of which the embankment is composed is of clayey and water-tight nature.
This embankment has nothing in common with the embankment which lately failed near Sheffield. There, they had a deep valley with layers of open rock and shale forming the sides and bottom. The material forming the embankment is full of stone and quite open, and was put in layers about five feet high, and left consolidate itself.
The puddle wall was not thick as the Hamilton embankment, although the height is three times greater, and no valves were put the inside end of the pipes has been done at Hamilton. I have every confidence in the security of the embankment and in the efficiency of the whole work; and my confidence has increased from the fact that it is not now an untried piece of work, but one that has been subject many times within the last eight years to the most severe tests that can be brought upon it, both from the reservoir being quite full and from the occurrence of heavy floods.
The only thing I can find to remark upon is the perishing of some of the stone pitching the embankment near the top water level, and in the flood water channel. This will require some repairs during the summer. l am. Gentlemen, your obedient servant, Signed “James M. Gale.”
By July 1865 some of the townsfolk were not looking after their water supply and the waterworks were forced to put out a notice in the Hamilton Advertiser. Some of the townsfolk had overflowing cisterns and broken waterpipes which was leading to water being wasted. So, to try and stop the wastage, the company was going to impose fines which could be as much as £5, or the household could have their supply cut off.
The waterworks like today were trying to educate its customers that the supply pipes and cisterns were to be maintained by the individual and not by the water company.
This issue was getting worse and by May 1869 the company were given powers to visit every house in Hamilton who had a water supply. The inspectors would check every pipe and cistern and if a household was found to have been wasting water, or had any broken apparatus, then fines would be put upon the tenant of the property.
The waterworks were approaching fourteen years of service and it was time to upgrade some of its apparatus. The reservoir at Earnockmuir had two massive filters that prevented mud and other debris getting into the supply pipes. The first water filter was completed on the 25th of November 1870 and for a period of time, the water had to be drained and turned off to allow the work to be carried out.
Mr. Anderson, a banker, was in presence with two other of the water commissioners, Mr. Meek, and Mr. Forrest, also present was councilor Keith. The two new filters were larger than a modern-day house and stood 50ft by 36ft and as you can imagine, the installation of the filters would have been a very large job to undertake.
When they were installed, they gave an area of nearly three times the extent of the old ones, which had been in use since it was opened, the purity and good quality of the water was to be proportionally increased.
Owing to the extraordinary pluvial nature of the soil caused by the carrying out of the operations, the beneficial effects was not to be realised for a few weeks, when the work was to be finally completed.
The old filter was intended to filter only 12,000 gallons of water per day, while the consumption of the town by 1870 was an average of over 225,000 gallons. It was then to be seen why the improvements were urgently called for and it was then that a second reservoir was to be planned.
The replacing of the old fire-clay conduits by 8-inch cast iron pipes between the reservoir and the clean water tank was to also add materially to the excellence of the water.
It was also added that the commissioners had obtained sufficient grounds to enable them, if necessary, to construct a third filter and an additional tank. The large hole in the ground which was left after the new installation was to be enclosed by a substantial fence and the cost of the improvements cost the company around £1500 (£189,978.95 in today’s money). The contract was given to Mr. J. Purdie of Hamilton and R Tennant of Strathaven. (Purdie Street in Burnbank is named after this builder)
Only five years later in 1875 the towns folk were consuming much more water and it was in this year that the first Cadzow Reservoir was installed, and substantial work was once more needed to maintain the grounds at the reservoir, this being installed close to Earnockmuir Farm.
The clerk to the commissioner was another member of the powerful Dyke’s family and Edward P. Dykes on the 6th of November 1875 put a notice in the Hamilton Advertiser inviting companies to put in a tender for the construction for the two new reservoir embankments and a fire clay and iron pipe conduit and it was importantly listed that the lowest price would not necessarily be accepted.
A GREEDY LANDOWNER GOES TO COURT.
On Thursday the 2nd of June 1887 Hamilton’s Baronet and coal master Sir John Watson or Earnock was taken to court by the Hamilton Water Works. The majority of the Committee recommended acceptance of the terms offered by the Duke of Hamilton and Mr. Watson or Earnock for the ground for a new reservoir and that the construction be proceeded with the estimated cost being £4150.
Mr. Wylie, convener of the committee explained that while the duke agreed to lease the ground at £4 an acre, reserving the mineral rights, Mr. Watson asked the same sum also reserving the minerals together with £200, or £8 a year for damage done to a quarry and plantation, one million gallons of water per annum, or a daily supply of 2750 gallons for compensation water, and liberty to fish on the stream.
A long discussion followed in which the unreasonable character or Mr. Watson’s demands were strongly anjmadverted on, and it was finally agreed to delay the matter and, in the meantime, to send a deputation to Mr. Watson to endeavor to get better terms arranged for. Yes, in my opinion Mr. Watson was a greedy man, but this was how he became so rich and powerful during the family’s reign in Hamilton.
WATER SUPPLY AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.
In 1888 notice was given to the inhabitants of Hamilton telling its people that a ‘Bill’ had been passed in parliament and that there was going to be major upheaval and disturbance which would be affecting everyone from the town, the outskirts and even up through the countryside.
Water was now going to be an integral part of every area, street, household and building throughout the burgh and when the ‘Bill’ passed in parliament it would allow the waterworks to dig through the farmers’ fields, the streets and pipes, standpipes and pumps would be getting installed.
The water was to be taken from the Kype Stream that flowed from the far back lands of Avondale in the parish of Lesmahagow and with the mass of water required for the town of Hamilton. The second basin was to be built south of the lands of Hamilton and they were both now given names and were known as Cadzow Reservoirs 1 and 2.
The main one was number 1 which was called ‘Hispielaw’ (This was the one at Earnockmuir) and number 2 which was in front of it, close to Muttonhole Road this was called ‘Burnhead’. These reservoirs would work alongside Wellbrae. The second reservoir named Burnhead was to be a storage reservoir and it was to run in line with the Cadzow Burn.
THE WATERWORKS GO TO COURT SEPTEMBER 1899.
It wasn’t too long after the latest groundwork had started that the work being carried out throughout the lands of Hamilton had started to annoy certain folk! There was a very wealthy landowner who went by the name of Mr. Hope Vere.
Mr. Vere was in his day a very rich man and he could afford to take on the mighty water works company, so on Monday the 11th of September 1899 a special meeting was held at the Hamilton town council chambers for the purpose of considering a report from the water committee for a settlement of Mr. Vere’s claim in connection with the new works at the Kype. Yes, indeed, the water works committee, brought out their ‘Big Guns’ and Provost Keith presided and the other members in attendance were none other than Bailies MacHale, Pollock and Smellie, treasure Keith, and councilors Kemp, North, Tainsh, Meechan, Purdie and Rose with Messrs. W. Pollock and P.M. Kilpatrick the town clerk.
As I stated beforehand, you will of course know that Hamilton has some of its streets named after most of these men.
Provost Keith asked the town clerk to read the communications which had been received from Mr. Hope Vere’s agents setting forth the conditions under which they were prepared to accept any offer of compensation made by the commissioners.
The communication was as follows:
110 George Street, Edinburgh, 7th September 1899 – Dear Sir, We refer to your letter dated the 26th July, the offer in which has now been carefully considered by Mr. Hope Vere and his advisers, Mr. Hope Vere will be glad if terms can be arranged, but he is not willing to agree to accept the sum named in your letter, nor is he willing to agree to all the alterations in the conditions named to him. With a view, however, still to an amicable settlement, we are authorised to write to you again as follows:
1. The price and compensation to be paid by the Hamilton Water Works Commissioners to be £3500, this sum including payments for land taken for the reservoir, for wayleave for the road of access, and for the track, in which one pipeline only shall be laid as shown on the notice plan, dated 29th July 1898, for severance and damage to shootings during the construction of the reservoir. Interest at five percent shall run on the paid sum from the date of the commissioners breaking ground.
2. The Hamilton Water Works Commissioners to settle Mr. Hope Vere’s tenants claims for compensation, for loss of tenants’ profit, or of any other kind, and for disturbance during the construction of the works except only a proportionate abatement of rent for the land taken. As shown on the notice plan which Mr. Hope Vere will allow. The commissioners shall also be able and pay for the repair of any fences and dykes injured or broken down by workmen employed by the contractors.
3. The commissioners shall further settle all tenants’ claims, arising from time to time, through the inspection, maintenance, and repair of the works.
4. The Hamilton Water Works Commissioners shall fence in the reservoir and if required by Mr. Hope Vere, but only in the event that the access road, or as much thereof as he may require, and shall maintain the fences in all time, and they shall all necessary gates on the road of access. They shall also be bound to keep the access roads in proper repair to the reasonable satisfaction of Mr. Hope Vere, and he and his tenants shall always be entitled to use it for all ordinary agricultural and sporting purposes. The commissioners shall reinstate all pipes, drains, walls, and fences interfered with by them.
5. Mr. Hope Vere or his successors shall be entitled to connect pipes to the commissioners’ main to take a supply of water to his farms of Juanhill, Deadwaters and Yardbent, or any of them, and without any charge or assessment being made by the commissioners for their right, or for the water he or his tenants may use, the connections with the main pipe being made by the commissioners at their expense, the ferrules, stopcocks, and pipes from such connecting points to the farms being provided and laid at the expanse Mr. Hope Vere and his successors.
6. The commissioners shall settle all competent claims against them arising at the instance of lower proprietors or others for loss of water or otherwise.
7. The commissioners shall maintain the works in all time in good order. In the event of any damage occurring in consequence of the default of the commissioners in connection with their operations in constructing, inspecting, maintaining, or repairing the works, to Mr. Hope Vere’s lands or his tenants’ crops or stock by overflow of water or bursting of pipes, they shall be bound to compensate him or them, therefore. It shall be no bar to the said compensation that the damage has been caused, directly or indirectly by the lawful operations of Mr. Hope Vere or his successors, or his or their tenants in the ordinary and proper occupation of the lands or reserved minerals and others or in any other manner of way.
8. The line of access road of pipe shall be adhered to as closely as possible, and not altered without Mr. Hope Vere’s consent, nor shall more than one pipe be laid without payment or further wayleaves.
9. In the conveyance of the ground for the reservoir, the whole rights of shooting and fishing on the reservoir shall be received to Mr. Hope Vere and his successors, and he or they shall be entitled, if he or they so desire, to place a boat on the water for the use of himself, his family and visitors resident for the time being in his house, and others duly authorised in writing by him or foresaid, and to stock the reservoir with trout from time to time. Provided always that should the works of the commissioners be damaged by the use of the boat, Mr. Hope Vere shall be bound to make the necessary repairs at his own expense, and in case of his failure to do so timeously, the commissioners shall be entitled to make the repairs at his expense and to recover the same in any contempt court: provided, further, that the boat shall not be used nor the reservoir so stocked with trout as to foul the water in the reservoir in any way. The coal ironstone, shale stone and other minerals and fossils under the land to be acquired, except only such part thereof as shall be necessary to be dug or carried away or used in the construction of the works, provided he takes permission and removes them forthwith. The terms of the Water Works Clause Act, 1847, shall apply to such excepted minerals, stone, and others.
10. The commissioners shall, over and above the aforesaid sum of £3500, pay the whole expenses Mr. Hope Vere has incurred in the matter, including the fees of his advising engineer, and of his law agents. His property being entailed, a formal nomination of valuators under the lands clauses act will be necessary, and the whole expense of this, and in connection with the conveyance to be granted, which will be in the statutory form, shall also be paid by the commissioners. If the final offer, for Mr. Hope Vere, which is open for fourteen days, be not accepted it is not to be founded on or referred to in any subsequent proceedings.
Yes, Mr. Hope Vere was indeed a real hard-nosed businessman of his day and was brave to ask for such a large amount in return. However, the waterworks commissioners truly were backed into a corner and Mr. Hope Vere had the ball in his court.
THE OUTCOME.
The committee eventually agreed to offer the sum of £3500 for settlement of the claim, and to grant a supply of water to the three farms named, on condition that the pipe leading such supply be no larger than one-half inch in diameter, and that the supply further did not exceed 1000 gallons per day to each farm. The commissioners reserved power to have meter regulating such supply.
Regarding the permission sought for to place a boat on the reservoir, it was agreed that the words” and others duly authorised in writing by him or his foresaid” be deleted, and that the permission extended only to Mr. Hope Vere, his family, visitors, and servant’s resident in his house. It was agreed to recommend Mr. Alexander Allan, valuator, for the formal references.
Provost Keith, in moving the adoption of this report, said that Mr. Hope Vere at first claimed £4000, while they offered £3200. The letter read at the outset of the meeting was in reply to that offer. The engineer, to whom the meeting had been referred, considered under all the circumstances. That the offer of Mr. Hope Vere to take £3500 in settlement of all the claim was a fair one and was to be preferred to the proposal of going to arbitration, where perhaps hundreds of pounds, in advance of the anticipated estimate might have to be expended.
The water committee, prior to this meeting, had given the mater due consideration, and had agreed to recommend the acceptance of the offer of £3500.
Baillie MacHale seconded the adoption of the report. Although this appeared to be a high price to pay for the amount which they required at the Kype, he thought, comparing it to the sums paid in similar circumstances by other bodies that the Hamilton Water Works commissioners were making a good bargain indeed.
An old right of way.
By December 1899, the upheaval of the new water works were not only annoying landowners, but they were upsetting a local Hamiltonian who enjoyed having long walks up the fields and back roads of the town. Someone anonymously wrote a letter to the Hamilton Herald newspaper to voice their concerns.
Sir. – Throughout the columns of your valuable newspaper allow me to call public attention to the closing of an old right of way, which has been used as a public road for upwards of 70 years. This old road branches off at what is known as the Strathaven Railway Bridge, through part of Mackie’s farm and on to Cornhills farm, making a nice “short cut” to Hamilton Water Works.
Now, it is a great pity we should lose such a nice country walk as this walk, to be shut out and compelled to walk on a dusty toll road on a summer’s day. Does any of our parish councilors know of this? If so, why is it allowed? I hope our councilors will see to this and have it re-opened unless there is a reason for having it closed. I fail to see any reason whatever. – I am yours, etc. Right of Way.
This old right of way is sadly out of memory for many of the people of Hamilton, however, I know exactly where it was! And I am pleased to say that this old byway still today is very much in existence, albeit it’s now used as a farmer’s track. Many of you would certainly have walked this old byway without knowing that it once was a public right of way and as we now have the freedom to roam act, you, and I unlike the person in 1899 can now walk up this steep old byway and enjoy some of Lanarkshire’s finest views.
The old byway can be found in two ways, one when you travel up Strathaven Road, or when you walk on the old railway line that leads from Meikle Earnock Road down to the Strathaven Road.
As shown on my 1888 – 1913 map of Hamilton, you will see where I have outlined the old right of way. You can approach the start of this walk from the old railway line at the Strathaven Road end, also known as the ‘Black Path’.
From here you look straight ahead over to the fields looking towards Strathaven and you will see a little dirt & stone path. You can then walk parallel to the railway line within the field, and it will then incline up a steep hill up towards an old ruined out-building.
From here you can enjoy some of the fantastic views over Hamilton & Lanarkshire, great for pictures, you can walk another few minutes and you will come to the end of the track and here you will be met with a metal gate. This is where the track ends, however, if you choose to continue to walk across the fields, be mindful of cattle and please keep a dog on the leash, the farmer won’t be too happy if you upset any of his livestock. Now, back to the Water Works.
A JOLLY DAY OUT.
By 1910 the reservoirs were a part of everyday life for the people of Hamilton and the commissioners were still on top of their inspections. On Wednesday the 22nd of July that year there was a day out made from the visit where members of the town council invited some special guests to have the day out with them.
The meeting started at the Town House at 10:00am where the party of six boarded a carriage supplied by Mr. William Wallace, (The town carriage-hirer) and was led by Mr. C Robertson, the town officer, who was dressed in all his full hat, robes & uniform.
The party headed out on their jolly up through Brandon Street, Union Street and on to Wellhall Road, where they visited the filters at Townhill.
Having inspected the different plants to be seen there, the drive was continued to the reservoirs at Wellbrae & Cadzow, the latter on this occasion being reached by way of Burnhead Farm (Owned by Farmer W. Brownlie) to permit the party viewing the inlet.
It was found that at both places there were large sheets of water, and it was felt that the town’s supply for the summer was well assured. Re-entering the machines, the latest filters at Blackbog on Strathaven Road were the next place of halt and there amidst much mirth & mock ceremonial the novices of the company were initiated into the “Mysteries” of sand filtration.
A delightful drive was thereafter enjoyed to Strathaven, where luncheon was excellently served by Mrs. Kemp of the Crown Hotel. At the very acceptable function, the chair was taken by ex-Bailie Smellie, the enthusiastic convener of the Water Committee.
He was supported by Mr. W. R. Copland, Civil Engineer – Glasgow. The croupiers were Bailie Kemp and treasurer Paterson. The other members of the company included Bailies Cassells, Anderson, and Robertson; Councilors Moffat, Gilmour, Brown, Slorach and Walker; Mr. James Mackie, burgh chamberlain; Mr. John Millar, chief constable Mr. P. M. Kirkpatrick, town clerk; Mr. W. H. Purdie, water superintendent; Mr. W Allan, foreman; Mr. Robert Weir. J.P. Fiscal; Mr. W Bennett, Upholsterer, Mr. Thomas Anderson, Builder; Mr. John McGirr, Mr. Alex Rankin (From America) and press representatives.
Apologies for absence were intimated from Mr. W. Alston Dykes (the oldest of the water commissioners in the burgh), ex-Provost Keith and commissioner Gun; Dr Loudon Medical officer; Mr. T. Gillespie, assessor, and others.
The loyal toasts having been duly proposed from the chair, the toast of “Hamilton Town Council” was very happily submitted by Mr. Copland. He recalled the long association his father, the late Sir William Copland had with the water schemes of Hamilton and went on to state that his own personal connection with this important department of the burgh’s work dated from 1886, in which year he had discharged his first commission as an apprentice civil engineer at the Wellbrae reservoir.
He coupled the toast with the name of the provost Pollock, who made a racy and assuming reply. “The Water Committee” was next proposed by Mr. Bennett and ex Bailie Smellie in reply, reviewed very interestingly the present-day features of the burgh’s water supply.
Mr. Moffat proposed the guests and Messrs. Anderson and Rankine acknowledged. The latter, who is a friend of Bailie Kemp’s and presently on a visit from New York to this country was particularly happy in his acknowledgement of the council’s kindness which he laughingly added he would have pleasure in returning should Hamilton’s municipal representatives ever visit America. The concluding toast was that of “Chairman and Croupiers” submitted by Bailie Cassells in characteristic fashion.
The drive was afterwards continued to Kype where the town’s largest and most important water scheme was inspected, and everything proved to be in the best condition. Mr. Maider, the resident superintendent, was heartly complimented upon the grounds being kept and attractively laid out. The homeward drive was via Blackwood, Hamilton being reached shortly after eight o’ clock in the evening.
This indeed would have been a fantastic Jolly boy outing on that day and dare I say that they were quite cheery with all the toast that they gave each other. I wonder if all the town worthies of today could invite someone from America to have a get together, go out a wee jaunt around Hamilton and its surrounding areas with lunch and drinks and get away with it? I will leave that answer to you!
WATERWORKS TODAY AT BOTH SITES.
In the Summer of 2023 myself and my son Daniel visited the site of the Cadzow filters and then later with my friend Andrew Robertson, we took all the kids to the other site at Wellbrae.
We done some great exploring and there is a lot to be found at these sites. If you plan to take a trip up to the high grounds, please be mindful of the farmers field, close gates and look out for the cattle.
The site at the Cadzow filters is not safe for kids to explore on their own, there is a lot of cobbles and brickwork that has been overgrown with moss and grass and there is an abandoned shaft that I suspect leads to the filter basin, I did not want to descend down the ladder to see if there was any kind of network of tunnels, in my opinion it’s not safe. There are also some great areas where the very first old Hamilton Quarries were dug beneath the fields, we sometimes forget how much history we are surrounded with.
On the site of Hamilton’s very first reservoir at Wellbrae, this area today is a much different story. There is a lot of marsh ground, and you will have to be mindful if you have a walk around here. The ground also has mounds which are deep in places, a theory which I have for the land being so torn up is that further east just of Strathaven Road, this was the site of the ‘Ack Ack’ base and on the other side of Newhousemill Road was the other ‘Ack Ack’ battery. I know that during WW2, we set up large fires in the countryside to make the Germans believe that this is where the targets were and it just so happens that some of these targets were indeed situated just of Newhousemill Road, so it is possible that the uneven ground at the waterworks sites could have either had deliberate bombs dropped, or stray ones. There is no doubt plenty of things to be uncovered on these sites and one day they will reveal their secrets.
For some of Hamilton’s older residents, they can still remember deep water being on that site. In July 2023 I was on holiday in the south of Spain, and I met with Hamilton man Davie Hughes, and he was telling me that when he was a young boy he can still recall going up to the old reservoir and doing a spot of fishing and this would have been in the 1950’s.
When we stopped using the Hamilton Reservoir run by the Hamilton Water Works, we started to get our water from other sources at the Daer water and over time our reservoir’s dried up and faded in people’s memories. Wellbare is nothing more than a marshy piece of broken ground and Cadzow, as stated, is very unsafe. Some companies have currently been sinking Co2 shafts and pipes to test the land up there, why I do not know but perhaps the land will be earmarked for something soon.
What memories do you have of Hamilton’s old Reservoir’s? If you can remember them, please let us know.
Not the actual 1856 Leechlee Street Cesspit. For visual reference only.
The supply of water to the inhabitants of Hamilton was in 1856 very inadequate, both for drinking and other sanitary purposes, the majority being, in most instances, dependent on the arbitrary will of their neighbor’s for a supply from their private wells.
Long before the days where fresh water was to be piped directly into people’s houses, a terrible accident happened at Leechlee Street. On Wednesday the 2nd of January 1856 a well-known street character and Spaewife (Fortune Teller, or witch) known as Lizzie Steel who was known to be of intemperate habits died under shocking circumstances.
Poor Lizzy had been in her Leechlee street back yard where she drowned or was suffocated in the building’s cesspool. The state of the back premises in this and other Hamilton streets that were inhabited by the poorer inhabitants of the town loudly called for the attention of the board of health.
The middens and cesspools that lay in many of the poorer classes back yards were offensive and were giving very dangerous health issues to the townsfolk. They were dangerous to health and very hazardous to children and others going about in the dark.
One of these midden-steads was a tank said to be four feet deep and fully six feet square and was said to be quite easy to drown a person stumbling into it, and there was no fence to prevent such an accident.
Who was to blame for permitting the existence of such horrible man-traps and fever-breeders? The death of Lizzie Steel in such terrible circumstances would have later assisted the Hamilton Water Works get some traction and form the towns very first private water company.
Did you know that Peacock Cross was Hamilton’s very first area to have piped water brought to it?
The story of Hamilton’s very first water supply being piped to the town is currently being written and will be available very soon on Historic Hamilton.
Rhona Johnstone got in contact with me and asked:
“Hi Garry, Hi, I am doing my family tree and my Gt Gt grandfather’s address on his marriage certificate is No 6 St John’s lane, Hamilton. Can you tell me where this is or was please? I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Rhona”.
Rhona, St. John’s Lane & James Street were two streets situated behind Duke Street. They were demolished after the 1940’s, although I can’t give you an exact year. St. John’s Lane consisted of tenements, workshops & garages.
The site of the Duke Street car park now occupies the space that St. John’s Lane once stood & Wyler Tower is where James Street was.
Good luck with your family research and remember to let me know if you uncover a forgotten family story.
Can i also ask the name of your family that you are researching and i will see if i can uncover anything for you?
There is an old sandstone house in the street called Jura Gardens and this old house was at one point the only house on this stretch of land, it’s closest neighbour was Earnock Mansion House and before it was given a number or became part of a street at Jura Gardens, it was simply only known as Earnock Lodge.
It was the gatehouse to the Earnock Estate and in its early years; its occupants lived and worked for the Watson family. I was asked by one of my readers on Historic Hamilton to see if I could look into the history of the Lodge for a Mrs Walker who asked if I could find out who lived here as she believed that when she was a little girl around the 1930’s she walked from her house up Wellhall Road to the Lodge to see her uncle George.
I started my research by trying to find out who the occupants were and the first family that I found were a family that went by the name of Bonomy. Now this name is not a name that I have heard of and certainly do not recall researching it.
I found that the house has had a few deaths in it and on the 22nd of October 1900 Miss Isabella Bonomy died there. She was the local schoolteacher and she died of Chronic rheumatism, 7 years; valvular disease of the heart, 2 years; Reynaud’s Disease, 2 months; Cardiac dropsy, 1 year and the poor girl really must have had a hard time of it.
Isabella was the occupier of the Lodge from 1886 to her death in 1900. I also have to note that she was not paying any rent during this time, so perhaps she was being looked after by the Watson family. Her parents were called John Bonomy, who was an estate labourer on the Earnock estate and Christina Lindsay. Both were deceased before 1900.
When I looked a little further into this family, I soon found that her parents also died at Earnock Lodge. Her father in 1886 and her mother on the 1895.
While researching the Bonomy family I got a bit sidetracked and found a relation to Isabella. John Bonomy who was Isabella’s Nephew was born in Strathaven. In his younger years he was a footballer for Hamilton Academical, who went on to work for the Lanarkshire steelworks in Motherwell, where he worked as a cashier there for fifty years.
He was well thought of by all that he worked with. He died on the 14th of May 1947 at 26 Adele Street in Motherwell. At the time of his death he actually lived a few streets away at 36 George Street.
So, before Isabella had occupied Earnock Lodge her father had previously been the resident. He lived at the house between c1876-1886 and he also was not paying rent but, in these circumstances, as he was the Gardner & labourer for the Earnock Estate, the house would most probably have come with his job. Before he lived permanently at the lodge, he was living down the road at Almada Street. So, John’s death was the second one that I found to have happened at Earnock Lodge. John died on the 14th of December 1886 and his cause of death was heart disease.
I found no early evidence of the Lodge being in existence before 1875, so it was possibly constructed after this time and if this is correct, then John Bonomy was the very first occupier of the house.
Unrelated to the occupants of the lodge, there was a death that occurred just outside the Lodge, near Wellhall Road, where a lady called Mrs McGrattan was found dead in the street on the 2nd of December 1882. It was documented in a newspaper that she had died of exposure to the cold.
The second death to take place at the house was John’s wife Christina and she died here on the 4th of April 1895.
From 1900 the next person that I found to be living at Earnock Lodge was a man named John Mair and this man’s occupation was a Carter on the estate and once more the house comes with the job and he does not pay any rent. John Mair lived at the lodge with his wife and they lived here from 1900 through to the demolition of Earnock house in 1926.
On Saturday the 6th of June 1907, an accident happened where Mrs Mair and her daughter Mrs Allardyce were walking down Wellhall Road towards Peacock Cross when they were knocked down by a horse and van. Mrs Mair was injured the worst with a cut face and internal bruising and her daughter was in shock. They were carried back to Earnock Lodge to recover.
Why the lodge was not demolished in 1926 is unknown to me, but most likely it was bought and took into private ownership. When the Earnock estate was demolished it left John Mair with no job and no home! When I looked to see what had happened to John, I found that he gained new employment just down the road at Hillhouse Farm, where he got a job working as a shepherd.
Jane Mair died on the 10th of December 1928 at Hillhouse Farm and John died of bowel cancer on the 7th of December 1935 also at Hillhouse Farm, their granddaughter Marjorie Allardyce was the person who registered both deaths.
Today, on the 21st of June 2020 I spoke to Mrs Walker and I was pleased to tell her that her uncle George did live at the lodge. He was the first person to buy it and George also lived here. He bought the house around 1927 and he lived here until at least 1940. He may have lived at Earnock Lodge for many years; however, this is the latest date that I could traced him. George Neilson died at Hamilton in 1975.
Earnock Lodge still stands on the same spot to this day and I am unsure who the current owners are. Perhaps if they are reading this then they can tell me who owned the house from 1940.
Do you know anyone connected to the house? If you do, then please get in touch.
Elaine McKay Millar sent us this picture of her granddad. Elaine told us:
“My granddad James (Jimmy) McKay was born in 1900 at 130 Glasgow Rd. Hamilton. At various times, his family also lived at No’s. 170 & 162. His parents both died at 68 Kenilworth Crescent.
I never knew him because he died in 1958 at age 57. He was the eldest of 5 boys and all his brothers also died young. As they were R.C. can anyone tell me which school they would have attended? Also, where could I find an image of Glasgow Rd in the early 1900’s? Thank you”.
Elaine, I am unsure how much of your family history that you know but your grandfather was born on the 28th of August 1900. Jimmy was the son of John McKay & Bridget McCay, who were both from Letterkenny, Donegal in Ireland.
Your great grandparents came to Scotland between November 1899 & August 1900. When your great grandfather John moved to Hamilton he was working as a Railway Platelayer.
I am unsure what school your grandfather would have attended; however, the closest schools were Glenlee primary & Greenfield secondary school. Even though he was a Roman Catholic, he may have attended these schools but i cant confirm this.
The chapel that the family would most likely have attended would have been St. Cuthbert’s as this was the closest one in the area.
I do not have an exact picture of 130 Glasgow Road but do have one that was taken in 1900 a wee bit further down the street. The picture below was taken at the tenements of 90-98 Glasgow Road, which would have been a familiar site to your grandfather. These tenements are still standing to this day.
I did also see that someone has researched your family and found a picture of your granddad in his younger years when he was in the army.
I hope that this sheds some light on to your question.
In this picture we have L-R, Andy Anderson, Morris Anderson and Billy Berekis.
The man in the Ice Cream van is called Pat and from what i have heard is very well liked. David Cairns wrote on the Meikle Earnock Facebook page ” That he’d sometimes get oot the van and play Fitba with us and throw out a big bag of sweeties as he took off in the van. Just a good man”.
Billy Berekis kindly shared these pictures of the Eddlewood boating pond and yes, that’s correct folks, Eddlewood did have one.
In the picture we have Billy Berekis himself along with his friend Steven Forrest. The pictures were taken in 1970 and the boating pond closed around 1973/4.
Do you have any pictures of the Eddlewood boating pond that you would like to share with us? If not, why not share your memories of it.
Julie McManus contacted the page as she was looking for some information on her great uncle who tragically drowned as a young man. Julie asked:
“Hi, my great uncle James Wilson sadly died in the River Clyde aged 24(see copy of his death certificate below). He resided at 59 Hall Street at this time. Would anyone remember the circumstances and be able to provide me and my Mum with further information please? Thank you”.
Hi Julie, here is what I found.
On Sunday the 11th of June 1950 it was a hot summers day and James along with his younger brother and like many people at the time took to the river to have a quick dip to cool down.
They chose to swim at the old ruined bridge that had been out of service for many years and they were diving into the water from one of the old piers. James was last seen alive by his younger brother as he watched him dive in and never surfaced.
It is thought that James either took cramp in the water or hit some submerged rocks. When James never surfaced, his younger brother went to raise the alarm. People tried in vain to find James that day, however, he was not found.
The next day on the Monday, dragging efforts were carried out as they tried again to find James and all efforts were made by searching the river to find his body and it was found.
James was laid to rest on the 14th of June 1950 and buried at the Hamilton West Cemetery. He is buried in this lair along with his mother Sarah, his sister Veronica, John & Mary Hannah, Francis Murphy and his step mum Elizabeth. There is no headstone for the family but only a stone to hold flowers.
This was not the first time that tragedy struck this family as James mother Sarah McAlinden prematurely gave birth to a daughter on the 26th of February 1931 and they called her Veronica. Sadly, little veronica only managed to stay alive for 1 hour. She was born and died at 38 Postgate in the auld town.
James’s mum then died two days later at the house on the 28th of February 1931, the cause of death was pneumonia.
These times were very difficult indeed for this family and I feel sorry for the family and especially James’s father. James’s father did of course find happiness again and he remarried on the 31st of December 1932 to a lady named Elizabeth Callison.
To add to the tragedy of this family, James second wife Elizabeth Callison died in 1949. You also told me that James’s half-brother Isaac, who witnessed the drowning also died young when he was only 16.
I looked up his death and found that he was cleaning windows in Killearn where he fell from a ladder and fractured his spine. He later died on the 24th of March 1952 in Killearn hospital; the actual cause of death was pneumonia. I could not find the death for James Snr.
Julie, I do wish that I could have found more info on your great uncle, but this is all that I could find. Perhaps someone will have a picture of him so that we can put a name to a face. Please let me know if you do find any other information.
TUPHALL FARM & SURROUNDING AREA.
Researched and written by Garry McCallum.
Today, we know Tuphill Road as a street in the Glebe area! But going back to earlier times there was a farm steading called Tuphall. This is where Tuphall Road takes its name.
The farm steading is long gone, and we only have old maps to show us where it used to sit. Today the exact location of Tuphall Farm is on number 60 Tuphall Road, so this one house has more connections to the whole street than any other.I looked at early records of the area and going back as far as 1752, The surrounding areas of Bent, Neilsland & Burnblea do appear on Roy’s map, however, Tuphall farm was either not yet built, or it was not important enough to have been included on Roy’s Military Map (1752-1755).
So, to begin, the name can be split in two, Tuphall or ‘Tup’ is a male sheep, or ram and ‘Hall’ would be the farm steading and taking a guess I would think that as it was called Hall, it could have been a large country house, or a house larger than other steadings in the vicinity. So, a ‘well off’ farmer or laird could have been the first to have built this house.
The farming ground like all other areas of Hamilton was owned by his Grace, the Duke of Hamilton and the first document I find which tells us about Tuphall was on the 16th of January 1791, where a man named Robert Lamb of Tuphall married a lady named Miss Jean Brown of Hamilton, so this is where I began my research.
Tuphall Farm was in good working order and was a dry & comfortable house and it had a Kitchen, Larder & Cellar. On the ground level above the cellar it had a fine dining room, drawing room, two bedrooms and a bed closet. In the attic it had a further two bedrooms and a lumber room, the lumber room was probably used as a third bedroom at one point.
Detached from the main house, the estate had a cottage, four other apartments, offices which adjoined the servant’s houses. It had a Gig-House, washing house, stables and a cow house, a barn and other farm buildings.
The house was surrounded by a large garden which had its very own orchard and the trees were documented as being ‘The choicest of kinds in full bearing’. Out of the steading it also had large grass parks where the cattle would have grazed. It was a whitewashed building and was protected by the road by a row of Beech trees.
The land that belonged to Tuphall was just under 36 acres and it had its very own water supply in the form of a freshwater stream, the stream today has been dried up for over a century and the location of this spring was roughly at the bottom of the gardens of 13 & 15 South Park Road. The house also had its very own well on its grounds. The location of the well, if it still exists, is roughly under the driveway of number 66 Tuphall Road.
The house had just under 12 acres that was kept private and the remaining 24 acres were rented to various people for farming and grazing cattle and in its early years the land surrounding Tuphall farm was used as a stone quarry, this is where the name Quarry Street originates and in the early years it was called Quarry Road.
I found no further evidence of what became of Robert Lamb however, the Robert’s brother William McGavin was the book keeper of a man named David Lamb, who was an American, so perhaps Robert was also an American, who moved back home. On John Wood’s map of 1819 Tuphall is listed on the map and is shown as a house on the outskirts of Hamilton deep in the county and the owner recorded in this year is called Mr McGavin. On the next record which I found was printed on Friday the 13th of October 1826 where the house is being let by a man named Archibald Neilson Esq and in 1829 the said Mr McGavin, or Robert McGavin is still Tuphall’s owner and when I looked to see who this man was I found that he was a Glasgow Merchant & Trader; he married a lady named Barbara Roxburgh in 1801 in Hamilton. In 1829 Robert’s Daughter Margaret married an Edinburgh merchant that went by the name of Robert Clark born 13th January 1905 at Hamilton.
Robert lived at Tuphall House right up until his death where he died on the 23rd of September 1844. Many newspaper reports of the time printed the following:
“At his residence at Tuphall near Hamilton on the 23rd of September 1844, Robert McGavin Esq, Merchant, Glasgow. Mr McGavin who was the last surviving brother of the well-known author of “THE PRODESTANT,” was generally respected as an enterprising merchant and useful citizen.
On the first election following the new municipal act he was chosen for the first district, which he represented in the Town Council with great zeal for several years. At the period of his resignation he received a valuable service of plate from his constituents in token of his services. Mr McGavin was also mainly instrumental in procuring the erection of certain public wells, which have proved a great boon to the inhabitants of the district, the inscriptions thereon bearing testimony to his corresponding philanthropic exertions.”
I also have to say that during the research on Tuphall, I have uncovered an old Hamilton Worthy, whom I have never come across during my previous years of researching Hamilton, so in this story I want to pay my respects to Robert McGavin, who probably saved many lives by overseeing the installation of new public wells for drinking water. Perhaps I will go on the search for these wells in the future.
So, before I move on with the occupants of Tuphall house, I would like to mention the others living on the farm steading. In 1841 there was another family living at the neighbouring Tuphall Cottage. James Henderson who was a Cotton Yarn Merchant was living with his wife and family. Also living here was a retired soldier who was called John Stobie, a man named William Glass who was a bookmaker and a farm servant called Mary Kennedy. These families would most of likely have lived at the cottage, or possibly a room above the stables.
The main house at Tuphall once again is up for let and on the 30th of January 1846 and advert goes out in a national newspaper asking for applicants to apply to Robert McGavin & co based at 9 Cochran Street.
The cottage is now owned by Robert McGavin ‘Jr’ and in September 1847 the steading is advertised in the Glasgow Herald as one of the many orchards in Lanarkshire who are opening the garden to the public for fruit picking.
I found one reference in a newspaper article that mentioned that at one time Tuphall was the home of a man named Alexander Lindsay who was a surveyor of taxes, however, I have not found any other reference to this man.
In 1851 the next document on Tuphall tells us that the estate is now in the hands of the British linen Bank, so the house could have been repossessed.
It was overseen by a man called Samuel Simpson and this man was extremely well known and did deals for many companies, including St. John’s school. He was a land proprietor and he worked for the British Linen Bank for many years, he even had a house on 1 Auchingramont Road which was attached to his job. Samuel Simpson may have been as well known as the powerful Dykes family of Hamilton, and his son had connections to Neilsland House, but for now, this is all I will tell you of this man.
In 1851 the house has a new person living here and was a wealthy man called Peter William Dickson who was an accountant & share broker. This man owned Tuphall farm from 1850 until his death in 1893 and this family were originally from Glasgow but when they moved to Hamilton, they became very much involved in the community and Mrs. Dickson helped at the Hamilton Orphan Charity School. One of Peter Dixon’s sons was a boy named William Dickson won 1st prize in English at St. John’s school in this year. William went on to immigrate to Australia where he saw out the rest of his days.
On the 30th of July 1852 and advert appears in the Glasgow Herald advertising the sales of Tuphall Villa. The full estate including its lands & private spring is being sold off. This was a bargain to the person who bought the house, as it had its own means of generating an income from the rent of the attached houses and not to forget the lands which were being rented out with an annual income of £20.00.
It seems that the sale of estate was for whatever reason was not going to plan and in 1856 Samuel Simpson of the British Linen bank puts out another advert in the Glasgow Herald. The full estate is being told for £1,119 (£119,511.55 in today’s money). Later in the same year the price is reduced as a buyer is still not found. It may have been the case that this was an old-style house which was going out of fashion and may have required maintenance work. This continues to be the pattern for the next few years and yet, there is still no buyer.
In March 1863, an accident happened at the orchard in Tuphall where a young boy named John Mackie, aged 12 was burned on the face & hand. He was the son of treasurer Mackie. The boy was playing in the orchard with some of Mr Dickson’s boys and other kids and they found a keg of gun powder which was probably taken from the Quarry and it caught alight and exploded. The boys had made a trail of gunpowder and tried to light it and when it never caught fire John went to investigate and as he approached the small keg went off and exploded, causing the boys clothes to catch fire. The local doctor who was called Dr Lennox attended straight away.
Around the Mid-1860’s the road leading from Hamilton to the villa was starting to be known as Tuphall Road. Hamilton was expanding and people would have been walking past here to areas such as Bent and other areas such as Meikle Earnock.
When we reach February 1864 Peter Dickson is again still trying to sell off Tuphall and he now has a different approach, he is now advertising for the whole estate to be sold off as one lot, or to individually sell off the adjoining cottage and other houses. If the estate was broken up this would change Tuphall and the estate forever.
In May on the same year, Tuphall’s dilapidated fence which surrounded its land was reported to the police by the committee on nuisances and dangerous buildings, where it was registered as being in an unsatisfactory condition which would require immediate attention to prevent accidents to children and others. Tuphall was indeed becoming rundown and Peter Dickson was finding it hard to find a buyer, so he changes tactics and puts out another advertisement in the Glasgow Herald asking for someone to either rent the estate, or to rent one of the detached houses separate.
Peter Dixon needed to be living closer to his company Dixon Bros Stockbrokers and had to move to Glasgow. He was now working closer to his firm so, he left Hamilton and moved to a house at Elmbank Crescent. He is still trying to find someone to rent the house and it is now sitting empty and again more adverts go out in the local newspapers advertising the house for rent and unfurnished.
On Tuesday the 28th May 1867 a death occurred at Tuphall. A cow feeder named Alexander Frame was passing along the Tuphall Road and discovered the body of a man lying face down in the water at the side of a field called “Burnbell Park”, The dead man was identified as Daniel Walker who was a Baker and had just moved to Hamilton for employment the water where he was found was used as a drinking place for cattle. It seemed that the man had been stooping down and lost his balance and being unable to get himself from the ground, he suffocated. When the poor man was found, there was a whisky bottle lying beside his corps.
The years start to pass and it was the usual thing to see the old house up for let and in 1870 a man named Robert Morton, who was a manufacturer rented the house and a man named Joseph Hamilton was renting the grass parks for his horses and William Scott was renting the cottage. On the 30th of July 1870, a valuable horse belonging to Joseph Hamilton was killed when it was grazing in one of the fields at the Quarry and it fell over a rock and was killed instantly.
The next year on Monday the 31st of July 1871 the old quarry was causing trouble for people and a man named Samuel Muir aged 50 was found lying at the bottom of its steep slope. The only protection that Tuphall Quarry had was a thin hedge at the top and it appears that Samuel had fallen through it and fell about 30 feet. He was found unconscious with blood coming from his mouth. He was taken to the house of his brother in law who lived at Broken Cross and had internal injuries but lived.
The road now known as Tuphall Road was also very unkept and even though the quarry had not been a fully functioning one for many years, the railway contractors still used stone from the quarry to build the many surrounding railway lines and when it rained the road was a total mud bath and sometimes very unpassable by horse & cart.
In December 1872 one of the largest meetings of coal miners ever held in Hamilton took place at the Masons Hall, where an estimated 30,000 miners gathered. The miner’s wages were plummeting, and a second meeting took place at the Tuphall Road Quarry where a further estimated 6,000 coal miners gathered to protest about their pay, never again would the quarry or surrounding land see so many people gather in its space.
The quarry at Tuphall was once again being used and was now leased and overseen by a man named Alexander Hamilton and on Saturday the 27th of September 1873 a serious gun powder explosion took place. A quarryman who was called Andrew Bannatyne was absent from his work, and a labourer had been employed to assist Mr Hamilton in getting out the stone and they had been conducting blasting operations and they accidentally put in an overcharge of powder.
They had prepared a shot, and the word “Fire” had passed round to the other men employed in the quarry, who immediately got to a place of safety till the blast went off, which was hardly reached when a tremendous explosion occurred. This resulted in the fragments of stones flying about in all directions and rock struck the roofs of the houses in Tuphall Road at a distance of 100 yards, shattering windows, destroyed crockery inside the houses and did much other damage. Large quantities fell on the hilly ground to the west of the quarry, usually occupied as a place of recreation for the children in the neighbourhood, but who, fortunately were playing in another direction at the time.
Flying fragments entered through open doors to the imminent danger of the inmates, and one large stone weighing 7lbs, smashed the framework in the window of the house occupied by Sergeant MaCaulay, breaking crockery inside and passing within half a yard from the spot where Mrs MaCaulay happened to be standing. Fortunately, there was no reports of any serious injuries. I do believe that people back then were all quite tough and they would probably have just accepted that this was an accident and I do not think that in today’s world that this would have gone without police intervention and a lawsuit. I did a bit more digging on this incident in local newspaper reports and I did not find any further complaints regarding this matter.
In 1884, the bent coal company started to show interest in the minerals at Tuphall Quarry and it soon became a fully functioning one. In January of the same year the quarry had another man fall into it while worse for wear with drink. The man was called Peter Clyde and he fell over the side of the quarry, fell 40 feet down its embankment and bruised his legs. A workman on the way home from his work heard the groans coming from Peter Clyde then rescued him. and notified Mr William Gowan’s, who then rescued the drunken man.
The years passed a Tuphall House and I found that things were quiet until in June 1891 two exceptionally large bundles of hay were set on fire on the estate. The hay bales belonged to Messrs. Cooper & Co of Glasgow and it was unknown who started the fire; however, children were seen playing on the hay bales before the fire broke out. The hay bales were insured, and a payout was given for the loss & damage of the crop.
In August 1891 new cottages were starting to be built on Burnblea Street (This part of the street was then known as Burnblea Place) and the road that was being constructed ended at the Quarry. This road was deemed unsafe and still very muddy and when you walked down the Burnblea Road and met the edge of the Quarry it was a very steep drop down the embankment. The Bent coal company had dug deep into the Quarry and people were starting to notice how dangerous the open rocky ditch was. It was recorded in a local newspaper that at dusk if one were to be walking down Burnblea Place and walked close to the edge of the Quarry, then one would not have noticed the edge of the Quarry until relatively close to its edge.
On the 5th of December 1893, Peter Dixon died at Tuphall House, he was 81 years old. His death brought the end to an era to the steading and after his death changes were about to happen at Tuphall farm.
Peter Watson Dixon was buried on the 8th of December 1893 at the Bent Cemetery and there was an exceptionally large attendance at his funeral. He was one of the original members of the Glasgow stock exchange and the founder of the firm Dixon Bros (Stockbrokers). He was for five years secretary of the Glasgow Conservative Association and a staunch Churchman.
His kindness to the less fortunate was always greatly received. When on attending his golden wedding, he received from his family a present of £100 and he donated the full amount to the poor of the Cadzow Church, of which he was one of the founders. Peter on his death also left a bequest of £400 for the behalf of the poor in connection to the church. He was so well thought of; that In November 1894, the parishioners of his church erected a memorial cenotaph dedicated to him.
A beautiful brass cenotaph was erected in the vestibule of Cadzow Parish Church, The cenotaph bears the inscription “In memory of Peter Watson Dixon, for fifty years a beloved elder of the Church of Scotland, a liberal benefactor to this Church and a warm friend of the poor and afflicted” The brass was supplied by Mr Cunningham who was an engraver based in Buchanan Street in Glasgow. The Cenotaph which today can still be seen at the vestibule of the Church still sits in place of pride on the wall.
I wanted to find out if the cenotaph was still at Cadzow Church and on Sunday the 15th of December 2019, I paid a visit to Cadzow Church to see if Peter’s cenotaph was still at there, and to my pleasure I found the cenotaph not in the vestibule but proudly positioned on the wall inside the church and for me as a historian, this was a really special moment, for when I read through old newspaper reports and read about an article which was printed 126 years ago and then find the said cenotaph still looking as new as it did all that time ago, then it was a real moment.
I was shown around by one of the Church Elders who was called Heather and Heather took time to have a chat with me about the church. She told me of all the great things that the church does for the community and informed me that things such as the large church hall which can be hired for various events and one thing that really grabs your attention while inside the church is when you enter and look up and then you see the massive brass pipe organ which has now been listed. Built by Foster & Andrew of Hull, the organ was installed in 1889.
I also have to say that I have visited many churches in my time and Cadzow Church is the warmest one which I have attended in wintertime. During my tour of the church, Heather also told me that the church was designed for its acoustics and when you shout loud, or sing, there is a fantastic echo, so if you are a musician and want to record something, then please get in touch with the church. This has been my first time visiting Cadzow parish church which sits on Woodside Walk and if you would like to go for a look around, then please get in touch with them.
Before I move on with the story of Tuphall House, I have to tell you more about the Dixon family and as I told you about Peter Dixon & his wife Jane, who were very much involved in the Hamilton community, then it would be wrong of me to leave out the impact that this family left to Hamilton.
So today, we have the Cadzow Church which is still used for worship and Peter was one of its founders. Peter & his wife Jane had eight children who all went on to do well in life William Adam Dixon immigrated to Australia and joined the Australian Army and Peter Hamilton Dixon, named ‘Hamilton’, as he was the first born in the town became a wealthy ship owner & broker but was sadly later in life admitted to an asylum in Fulham. It was mentioned in his fathers will that Peter Jr was delusional and was frequently violent, he died in 1895.
One of the most important kids who left his mark on Hamilton that I do have to mention is James Steadman Dixon who is remembered today because we have a street named after him. Dixon Street got its name because on this stretch of road and before it was even a through road, there were little miner’s rows which were attached to the Bent Colliery Co. The miner’s rows are long ago demolished and the houses which stand today were built after the demolition of the miner’s houses.
James Stedman Dixon was born at Glasgow on 8 January 1845 and the family moved to Hamilton in 1850, James Dixon attended the prestigious Hamilton Academy school, later attending classes in engineering at the University of Glasgow under Professor MacQuorn Rankine.
He was apprenticed in 1863 to George Simpson, mining engineer of Glasgow, where he was to be made a partner in the Simpson firm in 1869, and on George Simpson’s death in 1871, took over the whole business. In the following year, James Dixon started the Bent Colliery Company which was to become the largest mining operation in the Hamilton area.
In 1890 Dixon expanded his interests by acquiring the mining division of James Dunlop and Co., of Clyde Iron Works, subsequently giving up his engineering business to concentrate on his mining interests which between them were producing some 1,250,000 tons of mined coal per annum.
By 1898 his Bent Colliery business having greatly increased, James was able to give up his interest in the Dunlop concern to concentrate on other interests, becoming Chairman of the Broxburn Oil Company and a director of both the Edinburgh Colliery Company and the Plean Colliery, among other business concerns.
So, back to Tuphall James inherited the Tuphall estate of his father and when I looked at Peter Watson Dixon’s Will, I found that it was written over 22 pages and was one of the largest Wills that I have ever read & transcribed. So I mentioned that James donated £400 to the poor at Cadzow Parish Church and the rest of the estate was divided up between the full family and given away were the family china, shares in the many companies that James invested in, in fact he had money invested in many companies all over Scotland.
The family china was handed down to James’s kids just as it was to him and the Will gives detail of who the china was handed down from, such as a tea set that has been in the family for fifty years and this was given to his sister Sara. Also mentioned was an Indian tea set which belonged to his grandmother and there were portraits and even chests of drawers all given away in his will. (I wonder if any of these family heirlooms are still with the descendants of James? If there is a family member who happens to read this story, then please get in touch!)
On the 8th of January 1895, at the council property committee meeting, the Town clerk submitted draft disposition of the ground at Tuphall which was agreed to acquire from the Duke of Hamilton at a cost of £839.14s.9d.
In the same year (1895) a meeting in the lesser Victoria Hall, a new group of members called the “Burnblea Trust” was formed, and two more acres of ground was purchased on the south side of Tuphall Road and 26 houses were to be built. The Trust was formed by a group of working men who were interested in owning their own homes. Each drew lots for his house, these being built as funds became available. A deposit of £15 was required and payments of at least 6s weekly thereafter. When the houses were built, it would shape how the street would look today.
Hamilton was becoming a much larger town, people wanted to travel about, and the Streets Committee had a meeting In August 1895 to discuss the large mound at Tuphall Quarry. They had the land surveyed and there was an estimate of £83.6s to have the mound leveled out in order to make a path that ran alongside Burnblea Street. Mr Brown who was on the committee objected to the mound being removed. He said that they might widen the Tuphall road as they pleased, but if they took anything off the mound, it would be a serious blunder as it was one of the “playgrounds” in the town.
Baillie Hamilton said that he did not think it was a question of the mound they were dealing with at all. At their last meeting it was quite evident from the discussion that took place that it was the putting of Tuphall Road into proper repair was the question at issue. When the heavy rain came down, the water ran down the road and flooded the houses at the foot of the road. He did not think that more than £30 would be required to repair the road.
In October 1895 at another public meeting about the state to Tuphall road there was a debate as to who owned this road, they were not sure if it was a private road or if it belonged to the town council, but one thing that was agreed was that Tuphall road was the worst road in Hamilton.
Moving on to March 1896, another advert appears in a national newspaper and Tuphall house is back up for sale. This time the newspaper report read, “The valuable property of Tuphall in Hamilton, consisting of 10 acres or thereby, admirably situated for building purposes”.
Things are quiet at Tuphall and the town council are looking to build new streets in the area, so in December 1896 several plans had been passed by the Dean of Guild Court for building in the Vicinity of Tuphall, on streets which were yet to be formed. It was proposed to make one street a continuation of Selkirk Street. The proposal was to form a curve round in a crescent shape and come up again near South Park Road.
A terrace was to be built here which would face the ‘new’ cottages of the Burnblea Trust in the direction of Tuphall Farm. From the crescent, it was proposed to run a street through the grounds towards the quarryhall (Quarryhall was a country house and close neighbour to Tuphall) and a street that would run at the quarryhall boundary at right angles to the present Tuphall Road. There was also plans to build a new road from Bent Road through the vacant field straight through to Tuphall Road and this road was to be named Edward Street, so this was going to be major changes for this part of Hamilton and also changes to the streets in the area, which is familiar to all of us today.
Between 1896 & 1897 Tuphall is sold to a solicitor who went by the name of James c Pollock. In June 1897 an interdict case, at the instance of James C Pollock was served against Thomas Prentice, who was a contractor in Hamilton. James Pollock was trying to prevent Thomas Prentice from using the road leading from the gate of Tuphall House, the property of the pursuer, past the old quarry to the to the private road into the quarry in the Glebe lands, or into South Park Road. The sheriff granted interim interdict and when the case was called at court the defender made no appearance, and the interdict was accordingly continued till further orders of the court. I can only imagine that the man Thomas Prentice was quite a brazen man, as he would have previously had ignored warnings not to enter Mr Pollock’s land and continued to do so.
More court cases followed James Pollock as people were using the old Quarry as a dumping ground and more interdicts were being served on people using the land as a coup and as this happened the town council were also starting to pay attention to Tuphall because the roads were still so bad with mud, it was decided that drainage had to be built around Tuphall Road & Burnblea Street.
As the new drainage was being placed in 1898, the streets committee applied for the erection of double cottages (In the new street of Tuphall Road) which was later approved, and it was in this year that we see the very first houses being built.
The quarry at Tuphall was indeed becoming quite a nuisance where in October 1898 the Bing at the quarry had been burning for some weeks and the stench was starting to annoy residents in the vicinity. The sanitary inspector gave statuary notice to the owner of the quarry to get the fire under control.
There was a lot of interest in the lands of Tuphall and especially the newly formed street of Tuphall Road. In November 1898, Mr John Stewart, a dairyman of Low Bent had plans submitted to the Dean of Guild Court to build a double cottage and dairy.
I do not want to distract from Tuphall, however, on Tuesday the 7th of August 1900 James Pollock was involved in helping the Miners of Cadzow Rows, who were being evicted from their homes, so this is worthwhile mentioning what happened.
THE CADZOW EVICTIONS. SHERIFF OFFICER’S ASSISTANT TIED TO LAMP POST.
Printed in the Dundee Evening Post on Wednesday the 8th of August 1900.
“No visit was paid yesterday morning by the sheriff officers to serve the ejection notices at Cadzow, and it seems that they are determined not to do without active police assistance. Early the morning a comical incident took place, of which the victim was one of the sheriff officer’s assistants hailing from Glasgow. He proceeded towards Cadzow, and, notwithstanding repeated warnings that he would come to grief, he persisted, saying he was going to “make settlement with Mr Gilmour.” When he got the length of Square he was at once recognised.
A crowd quickly gathered, and some women, catching hold of him, tied him to a lamppost, and tore his coat and destroying his hat. After a while they released him, and hustled him down the street, amid hooting and cheering.
The officer made his way the Police Office and was then afterwards escorted to the Glasgow train by a policeman. The time limit for serving summonses expired at half-past ten yesterday morning, and in the ordinary course events the 68 which have been served will be called in the Sheriff Court tomorrow. It is understood also that the Miners’ union have received a piece Land in Tuphall from Mr J.C. Pollok, solicitor, for erection of further huts for the strikers, in addition the ground at Eddlewood offered Mr Caldwell. M.P.”
As you can imagine there was a lot of sympathy for the miners and many people across different working classes wanted to help them.
The town council was pushing ahead with the drainage issues in the area and by August 1900 James Pollock was selling off more of his land and in this year a first new block of 30 houses were under construction at Tuphall Road. The looming eviction of the miners from Cadzow Square was about to take place and James Pollock commenced with building temporary wooden houses withing his boundary of Tuphall.
The Quarry at Tuphall was also used as the first ever place in Hamilton to have its own waste incinerator! In the months of January to August 1902, the town council debated on the need for one of these new machines and this one could have been the very first to come to Hamilton, when I say the first, I must state on an industrial size. Back in 1902 the name given to these large machines was a ‘Destructor’ and its use was for the disposal of dry ash pit refuse and other waste that couldn’t be recycled and when they went through the destructor the waste material then back filled the old abandoned Tuphall Quarry.
On the 21st of August 1902 in the field at Tuphall a union meeting for the Miners demands was being held. It was an extremely hot sunny day and one of the guest speakers was none other than Keir Hardy (A founder of the Labour Party), the others were J Robertson, Hamilton & R Brown, Lothians. When the Hamilton gathering took place, those attending from outside the districts were headed by brass bands and displayed banners. Great enthusiasm prevailed and it was estimated that nearly 10,000 attended.
THE DEMISE OF TUPHALL.
On Monday the 15th of December 1902, strong gale-force winds swept across Scotland and Hamilton had many properties that felt its force. There was flooding reported all over the town and at Tuphall House the flood was severe. The water from the higher grounds came down and submerged Tuphall and its grounds to a depth of several feet. A large quantity of soil was brought by the flood and lodged in its rooms & gardens. The people who were asleep in the house were woken five o’clock in the morning and had to evacuate.
In January 1902, the town council passed a motion to have the disused quarry back filled and the land was to be used as a playground for children. It took only ten months for the work to be carried out and the children’s play park was ready in October that year. The swings etc were supplied by Mr Robert Robin of Castlehill.
The backfilling of the quarry still to this day is as much levelled off as it can be and when driving down Burnblea Street, you would never even have known that a quarry existed and of course, a children’s swing park still exists on the same spot.
One thing that I must mention without getting sidetracked, from the story is that on the month of September 1904, Mr Archibald Turner who lived in Braemar, 7 Tuphall Road received a gold watch and chain, awarded by the president of the USA, who was none other than Theodore Roosevelt.
The watch was awarded for his son Alexander, first officer of the steamer York Castle, for gallantry at sea. The young Hamilton man lost his life on the 21st of February of that year whilst trying to save the crew of the American schooner Willie l Newton, 200 miles from New York. If any of Archibald Turner’s family are reading this, then please get in touch and let us know what happened to the Gold Watch & Chain, is it still in your
family, or does a museum have this? This ‘gift’ is an amazing thing to have and it links Roosevelt to Hamilton & of course, Tuphall Road.
New streetlights were being installed in Hamilton and between 1904 & 1905, the Tuphall area was next to be allocated the Street lamps. Tuphall Road, Selkirk Street, Burnblea Street & South Park Road were allocated a few of the new lamps, but unlike today, there were not as many. The streetlamps were usually located at each end of the street with possibly a couple in between, but the new lamps would have been really welcomed by the residents of the area. Along with the new safety at night that the streetlamps brought, the Tuphall area was getting bigger and as a result, two new police officers were also employed to patrol the Tuphall & Low Waters areas.
A CASKET DEDICATED TO TUPHALL HOUSE.
In September 1907 with the passing of a brilliant fete at Hamilton Palace, the next important social event in the ducal town will be the opening of the new library’ by Dr Andrew Carnegie, through whose generosity the handsome building has been erected in Cadzow Street, the main artery of the town. The occasion will be unique in this respect that two philanthropists, Dr Carnegie and Dr James S. Dixon, will be presented with the freedom of the burgh.
Dr Dixon, who was born at Tuphall House, has given lavishly of his wealth to his native town. In particular he has interested himself largely in beautifying and extending the Public Park of the burgh, which is charmingly situated in close proximity to the picturesque Bothwell Road.
Appreciating the Doctor’s munificence to the of Bothwell, where he resides, to the University of Glasgow, in which at the cost of fully £10,000 he endowed a mining chair, and to his own birthplace, the civic administration of Hamilton have decided to combine with the freedom of the burgh the presentation of a chastely-designed casket.
The casket bars replicas not only of Tuphall House and the Town Hall, Hamilton, but of the historic Bothwell Brig, to the fund for the erection of a memorial on which Dr Dixon as such a generous and ready contributor.
The casket was presented on Tuesday the 17th of September 1907 and was the work of Messrs. Muirhead & Arthur of Glasgow, and it was Celtic in design and ornamentation. It was similar to one which was recently presented in Glasgow to his Majesty the King. On the lid the burgh arms were beautifully chased and on the front panel the motto “Let there be light” with the monogram of the recipient. The casket to Dr Dixon was supplied by a local jeweler, Mr A. S. Wiseman of Cadzow Street, and was a fine model of the silversmith’s art.
The following representations appear on the panels: Tuphall House, the old parish church, Bothwell Bridge & Monument, the Town Hall, and on the lid, there was emblem of industry and commerce, the burgh Arms and inscription.
My next investigation is to find of the said casket is still in existence and if I manage to track it down before I complete the story of Tuphall. Then I will include it.
By September 1907, there was quite a few injuries happening at the Tuphall play park and one was so bad, that a little girl had her teeth smashed and jaw broken & the worst accident was when a boy who had his leg injured at the park later died from the effects of blood poisoning.
A meeting was held by the Town council and Mr John Traill, who was in attendance raised the question of the danger’s attendant on the lack of proper supervision at the park. He even went as far as calling the playpark a slaughterhouse, which was met by much laughter at the table. The meeting ended with the committee promising to make enquiries to see if a park attendant would be needed. In December the same year, the committee agreed that a park attendant was not required to be on site at the playpark. I suppose even as recent as 1907 health & safety was not at the heart of the community. In fact, when I was a young boy, I had safer rope swings crossing the burn at Udston woods.
On the 11th of December 1907, a letter was submitted to the General Purposes Committee and Tuphall House and its lands were up for sale one more time. James Pollock was proposing to sell off Tuphall for the reduced price of £650.00 plus a feu duty of 1s, 2d per pole. The reason for the sale was to accommodate the construction of a new bowling green, which if approved would be a much-welcomed piece of recreation for the residents in the local areas.
James C Pollock continued to be the owner of Tuphall House and yes, the house had seen better days. On the 9th of October 1908 Mrs Pollock gave birth to a daughter at the house. They called her Helen. Helen was the last person to be born at Tuphall. Between 1908 & 1910 more planning applications were being submitted to build houses and tenements on Tuphall and in 1909 a Mr J.D. Lightbody applied to open a grocer’s shop on the corner of Selkirk Street & Tuphall Road, however his application to open the store was refused in April 1910.
After 1908 I find no further evidence of anybody living at Tuphall House. I find evidence of its lands still being in use, which I will tell you about soon. The trail goes cold and I ask if the reader knows of an exact date for the demolition of Tuphall House, then can you please get in touch so that I can document it.
HAMILTON AND THE WAR.
World War 1 broke out on the 28th of July 1914 and there was no family or a friend of a family who wasn’t affected by the breakout. Newspaper articles of the time are taken up with men from the Tuphall area who were either lost or killed in action. Private William Wallace (18) Killed in Action, youngest son of James & Annie – 7 Tuphall Road. Mrs Reilly of Wyllie Street was notified that her husband James was posted missing. John Napier of 12 Tuphall Road died of wounds. This full street would have been grieving during 1915.
There were old stables on Tuphall and at the moment I can’t confirm if they were part of the farm but taking an educated guess, I would say that they were. In December 1916, part of the stables was bought by the gas company and another section was purchased a company who were to erect a small factory for the manufacture of potted meat.
The Town Council in January 1917 started preparing in the old burgh stable-yard at Tuphall, which was just taken over by the gas works. The experiment was on a very modest scale, but even in this small way was very complete. One of the old stables was fitted up in the most approved sanitary style.
The floor was made of cement. The walls were faced with White tiles halfway up and finished with hard wall plaster painted and enamelled. The chamber was well ventilated from the roof, and where the floor and walls meet the sharp corner was neatly turned with cement, so that dirt could find lodgment there.
Artificial light was provided by two 360-candle power lamps. Two copper boilers, each 50-gallon capacity, installed for making potted meat, the heat for this purpose being supplied presently gas jets. Sterilising ovens for the preparation of the meat were placed along one side of the apartment.
In these germ killers the meat was raised to a temperature in which every species enemy micro-organism will be done to death, and the meat will be rendered perfectly wholesome.
The heat raising element here was steam supplied from a boiler. There were various methods for the preparation of diseased meat for edible purposes, but the steam sterilising apparatus seems to give the most satisfactory results. By the application of the steam under pressure, the meat is made quite safe for human food without reducing its nutritive value to any appreciable extent.
Provision were made within the apartment for plentiful supply of cold water, and from a geyser heated by gas there was never a wanting of hot water. At the slaughterhouse all the undesirable portions of the meat were taken away and the remainder was brought to the factory at Tuphall for treatment and preparation into cooked and potted meat. In this, the freibank will provide increased quantity of necessary food and large quantities of meat that is rendered absolutely safe for public consumption.
As the years passed the mention of Tuphall House slips away and the newspapers of the time mainly talk about the residents of Tuphall Road. In June 1926 various newspapers mention a sale at 46 Tuphall Road, where antiques and modern furniture is being sold off. The sale is being carried out by Shirlaw, Allen auctioneers and was instructed by a Mr James Chalmers. Included in this sale are furnishings and household furniture along with grandfather clocks with brass and Enameled dials. This could be reference to Tuphall House but for now, I can’t confirm this.
When I looked over the valuation roll, I found that in 1915, James Chalmers was renting the property at number 46 from a man named Archibald Taylor, who lived around the corner at 3 Scott Street.
Moving through the 1920’s, to the 1930’s, there are many reports in newspapers of thefts, fights and bad activities all performed by men living at Tuphall Road. In most cases the people who are being reported on are living with other families, so possibly renting rooms. There was even one woman, who was charging people to come to her downstairs three apartment house at night and she was charging sixpence per head at the door, the reason for this was for the purpose of dancing!
On the 11th of May 1937 there was a Municipal Building Scheme and tenders were being sent out for the Town Council to erect buildings on a new yard and store for the streets department. The scheme was estimated to be to cost £11,500 and the site of the new yard was to be at Tuphall. On the 10th of December in the same year the plans for the new headquarters for the works department of the Hamilton town council were approved by the dean of guild court. The plans provide for the erection of a number of one-story buildings on a site at Quarryhall Terrace and Tuphall Road extending to two and a half acres. There was to be accommodation for the water, roads and bridges, lighting departments. The cost was still set at £11,500 and the buildings alone were to be built at a cost of £8,000.
In June 1939, houses in Tuphall Road were infested with snails. It had got so bad that the town council sanitary committee had to send in pest control people to eradicate the snails.
Moving on ten years later in January 1949, an appeal went out to tenants form the Hamilton town council asking tenants in the Tuphall & Old Town housing schemes to stop damaging the Chespale fences in their gardens. I wonder what they were using the wood for, firewood perhaps?
On Tuesday the 15th of February 1949, a sad accident happened on Tuphall Road at 8:30pm, where an 81-year-old man who went by the name of John G. Jenkins residing at 7 Burnblea Street was knocked down in the street. He was knocked down by a bus while crossing the street and he died.
I have researched the past 229 years of Tuphall, and you now know that the lands at Tuphall are steeped in a forgotten History. Once owned by the Duke of Hamilton and as we move on through time, thousands of people have used this part of Hamilton from quarrying to miners’ protests and the whole area at one point was only known as Tuphall, named after the farm steading. People such as Keir Hardy have chosen to use this land to host their talks and a president of the USA has sent a gold watch to one of its residents. This part of Hamilton will continue to thrive as a housing scheme for many years to come and I do not see any big changes happen as dramatically as it has done in the past.
