Anderston then & now - part4 pages51-54

THE BURGH
Within a space of thirty years the population of Anderston had increased three-fold, rising from four thousand in 1790, to over twelve thousand by 1820. The sharp increase in population was due, in part, to the practical adaptation of James Watt's steam-power in the factories. To the original textile and pottery industries was added that of ropeworks, iron foundries, shipbuilding and associated marine engineering. Increased manufacture led to the need for more workers. Before long, the rural village had been transformed into a thriving industrial town, however progress came at an extremely high cost.

The need to control environmental and social problems affecting the burgeoning district soon became obvious. Dilapidated and overcrowded houses, raw sewage, mounting refuse and deteriorating paths forced the inhabitants to seriously consider the need for proper building control, maintenance of footpaths and cleansing of streets. Socially, poor health and drunkenness was a very serious problem within the community. Recognising the pressing need to address the issues, the feuars of Anderston, in 1819, expressed their desire to raise the town to Burgh status.

A Charter conferring Anderston as a Burgh of Barony was granted on 25th November 1824, five long years after the initial application. Out of a population now approaching fifteen thousand, less than one hundred and fifty were entitled to vote in the first election. The first Burgh Council were elected on 28th December 1824 and comprised of a Provost, three Bailies, eleven Councillors and a Treasurer. The first Council were:

Provost:
Bailies:
Councillors:

Treasurer:

Henry Houldsworth.
Robert Miller, James Miller and Angus MacAlpine.
Thomas Wright, Andrew Scott, John Gemmell, Alex Anderon,
R. Fotheringham, Joseph Taylor, William Scott, James Rutherford,
John Cowan, William Kidston and John Horn.
William Aitcheson, who held the post of Clerk during the lifetime of the Burgh.

As well as the encouragement of commerce and industry, central to the Burgh Charter was the requirement ‘for the general preservation of peace and good order’.

With the demise of the Burgh, the Burgh Buildings, which stood on the west side of Warroch Street were, in later years, pressed into service as business premises.

Arms of the Burgh of Anderston

The Burgh Coat of Arms was based on that of the
Anderston Weavers’ Society, being described as
a 'Saltire engrailed between a crescent in chief and
two mullets in the flank. In the base was a
leopard’s head, with a spool in its mouth, representative
of weaving. Supporters were added to either side of the Arms.
On one side stood a craftsman and on the other stood a
merchant, symbolic of home manufacture and commerce.
On the crest was a ship in full sail representing foreign trade.
On a scroll along the base were the words
'ALTER ALTERIUS AUXILIO VEGET' which translated is,
The one flourishes by the help of the other'.

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During the 1830's Anderston manufacturing was growing at a greater rate than that of Glasgow, but danger for the Burgh was in the air. Following Glasgow’s acquisition of the lands of Blythswood in 1830, further expansion by the city was inhibited by the surrounding towns of Calton, Gorbals and of course, Anderston. Gone were the fields and pastures that once separated the burgh from the city. Housing and commercial property stretched on either side of the main road joining the two communities. Mounting health and social problems coupled to the cost of governing law and order in the Glasgow area, must have given clear indication that sooner or later, the situation had to change. The typhus outbreak of 1837 added to the Burgh Council’s political pressures. In response to the epidemic, Andrew Jackson, a local surgeon opened a dispensary at 67 Main Street, the following year, in 1838, the Burgh Council responded to the emergency by forming the Anderston Health Board.

Ominous Signs
In 1841 the Clerk of the Glasgow Constabulary proposed that in an effort to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, the City of Glasgow and the Burgh of Anderston, should amalgamate their resources. Fearing that this might be the long anticipated 'thin-end of the wedge' the Anderston Councillors summarily rejected the proposal. However, the people of the Burgh didn't have to wait very long for the inevitable. The next ominous sign was when Archie Wilson resigned his post as Superintendent of the Anderston Police, in 1844, in favour of a similar position in Glasgow.

Intent on strengthening their position, the Anderston Councillors drafted a Bill, seeking permission to annexe the lands of Woodside, but the outcome was not in Anderston's favour. The towns and communities surrounding Glasgow were also inundating Parliament with Bills proposing annexing the suburbs adjacent to their own neighbourhood. The House of Commons responded in 1845 with a warning to sort their issues out amicably, otherwise, the Government would impose a new system of administration. With Government threats ringing in their ears, representatives of Anderston met with their respective counterparts from Calton, Gorbals and Glasgow to discuss options. After much debate it was proposed to divide the city and its environs into sixteen wards, each ward being represented by three elected councillors. Anderston was designated as the fourteenth ward. When the proposals were finally reported to the Burgh Council an immediate objection to the plan was lodged. However, despite objections, the Bill passed through Parliament in February 1846 and became law with effect from 27th July 1846, and so, Anderston lost its independence and was absorbed into Glasgow. Thus, the pessimistic prophecy regarding the Burgh was fulfilled, "It cam' wi' a Houldsworth and it'll gang wi' a Houldsworth".

Provosts of Anderston
Henry Houldsworth
Angus McAlpine
Patrick McNaught
James Turnbull
Henry Houldsworth
James Jarvie
John Miller
John Houldsworth

Term of Office
1824 - 1832
1832 - 1833
1833 - 1835
1835 - 1837
1837 - 1839
1839 - 1842
1842 - 1843
1843 - 1846

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The Houldsworth family clearly had a position of influence in Anderston, as well as operating an iron foundry and one of largest cotton mills in the country; they appear to have dominated the Burgh Council, holding the office of Provost for thirteen of the Burgh's twenty-two year existence.

The Anderston Weavers’ Society presented a Provost's Chain of Office to the Burgh, but the Chain, like most of the Burgh records have been lost.

ANDERSTON FAIR
An interesting extract from the minutes of the Weavers’ Society, dated 4th February 1825, refers to the establishment of the Anderston Fair:

‘In the course of the meeting it was proposed that the Members of this and other Friendly Societies within the Burgh should upon the day established by the Charter for the celebration of the Fair (10th May) accompany the Provost Magistrates and Council at the proclaiming of the Fair. The meeting having maturely deliberated upon this proposition they were unanimously of the opinion that it ought to be adopted and thereby promote their real interest by an increase of members – the Fair being a season at which the Inhabitants will be in possession of money which they ‘cannot dispose of more usefully than by furthering the real ends of mutual assistance and benevolence.

A typical 18th Century Weaving Mill,
Cheapside Street, 1969.

POLICE
Prior to 1800 there was no properly managed police force operating in Glasgow. The fledgling Burgh of Anderston passed her first Police Act on 26th May 1826, the proposals included:

“An Act for regulating the police of the Burgh, and the adjoining lands of Lancefield and others, for paving, cleansing and lighting the streets and passageways of the district, and erecting a Court House and Jail". The Act also laid down the requirement for "proper regulations for the apprehension and punishment of disorderly persons, suppression of common beggars, removal of nuisances and in general the preservation of peace and good order"

The Anderston Police Force commenced proceedings from premises at 25 McAlpine Street, erected in 1826, which they retained until the 1880’s. The police office comprised of eight rooms complete with prison cells. Unfortunately I am unable to find the number of constables at this time, however records indicate that by 1846, the police force was composed of twenty-six personnel. Unbelievably, a report published in 1853, suggests that the greatest number of prisoners confined at any one time was three! The old police building in McAlpine Street, which became known as the Marine Police Office, was occupied by D.S. Baddeley Engineering Co. prior to demolition in 1969.

The Police Act of 1843 'for regulating police and Burgh laws' extended the Burgh policing boundaries to include part of Blythswood, Newtonhill (Charing Cross) Finnieston and adjacent lands.

In order to help reduce outbreaks of typhus fever, caused by a combination of overcrowding, poor sanitation and contaminated water, among the many duties entrusted to the police was the responsibility for carrying out random checks on ‘ticketed houses’ to ensure there was no overcrowding and that all was in order.

Cranstonhill Police Station was opened at the west corner of Cranston Street and Lancefield Street in 1870. Adjoining the Police Office were Court Rooms situated on Cranston Street and adjacent to the Courthouse was a Fire Station. When Cranstonhill Police Station closed in 1970, temporary accommodation was found in the former Finnieston School until the new Police Offices, built on the corner of Argyle Street and Finnieston Street, were completed and formally opened on 25th April 1974.

TROUBLE at MILL
Without doubt the most infamous crime perpetrated in Anderston during the 1830's was the shooting of a cottonspinner in Clyde Street. The incident took place on 22nd June 1837, as John Smith, an Irishman employed in the Cheapside Mill of Henry Houldsworth, was walking along Clyde Street when, without warning, a shot rang out and Smith fell to the ground mortally wounded.

Trouble had been brewing among the cotton-spinners for some time. They had been subjected to falling wages caused by a downturn in business. In an effort to protect the mill-workers 'The Glasgow Association of Operative Cotton-spinners' was formed. They saw their role as being similar to that of a modern Trades Union. Unfortunately, the Association’s funds had been depleted as a result of a lengthy strike the previous year (1836).

During the dispute of 1837, the mill-owners, eager to protect their interests and profits, began employing Irish labourers who were not too concerned about breaking the strike and were willing to accept low wages. When added to the cotton-spinners feelings of resentment, frustration and frayed tempers, this was a sure-fire recipe for trouble. On the day of the shooting, Smith, an Irish 'black leg', who had broken the piquet-line at Houldsworth's Mill in Cheapside Street, had been walking along Clyde Street when he was shot in the back. Apparently Smith was a rather unsavoury character and a known troublemaker. He had recently been accused of assaulting a female. Whether the incident with the woman was connected to the shooting or not is unclear, however, five leaders of the ‘Cottonspinners Association’ were apprehended and charged with a variety of offences ranging from subversive activities to murder.

The trial was of enormous interest within the community and beyond. At the end of the eight-day trial the following sentence was passed on the five accused:

“The Lord Justice-Clerk, and Lord Commissioners of Justiciary, in respect of the aforementioned verdict, discern and adjudge the said Thomas Hunter, Peter Hacket, Richard McNeil, James Gibb and William McLean, panels, to be transported beyond seas for the period of seven years from this date, and that under the provisions and certifications contained in the Acts of Parliament made thereanent, and ordain them to be detained in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, till removed for transportation”

Despite the verdict of ‘Not Proven’ of murder, the five men were sentenced to seven years transportation, however they were released after spending three years aboard a prison-ship on the Thames. Interestingly, the seven witnesses for the prosecution received a share of the £500 reward offered for information that led to the arrest of the accused. The fact the witnesses were also offered the choice of free passage to either Australia or Canada suggests that it was advisable they not only make themselves scarce, but that they should also leave the country.
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FIRE SERVICE
Cranstonhill Fire Station was erected on the eastern corner of Port Street and Cranston Street in 1859. The station was originally equipped with two Fire-fighting appliances, each pulled by two horses. The station comprised of a two bay engine room on the level with Cranston Street. On the lower level, accessed via a courtyard in Port Street, were stables for the four horses and living accommodation for twelve fire fighters. In later years accommodation for the firemen was moved to rooms above the appliance bays.

With the number of weaving mills converted into warehouses in such a tightly packed community it was inevitable that a disaster would strike, and that is exactly what happened when, on 28th March 1960, a former weaving mill, in Cheapside Street, converted into a bonded warehouse, caught fire. The fire was first noticed at around 7.00pm and within a short period of time the building was ablaze and rapidly getting out of control. Fire appliances from all over Glasgow rushed to the scene, and before that night was over, many of the fire fighters lost their lives. About 9pm the building was rocked by an unexpected explosion, causing a section of the wall to collapse on top of three fire appliances, trapping firemen beneath the rubble. Firemen risked their lives in vain attempts to rescue their trapped colleagues. The battle to control the inferno continued throughout the long cold night and into the early hours of the following morning. It took until the 31st March before the bodies of all the fire fighters were recovered. The final cost in human life was nineteen dead, fourteen Firemen and five members of the Salvage Corps.

The people of Anderston owed their lives and homes to the bravery of all those involved in tackling the blaze. I recall the owner of a newsagent’s shop, near the corner of Piccadilly Street, putting out large empty sweet-jars with a simple notice stating, ‘For the relatives of the dead firemen’. Within a short space of time numerous jars were filled to overflowing with contributions ranging from the school children’s penny to the workman’s ten-shilling note.

Cranstonhill Fire Station was closed in 1970 and a new Fire Station to serve the area was opened at Kelvinhaugh.

Perhaps mindful of the tragic fires that had bedevilled Anderston during the 1960’s, when the Anderston Commercial Centre, situated between Pitt Street and Blythswood Street, was opened in 1970 a fully operational Sub-Fire Station was sited within the complex. The Sub-Station was closed within a decade and responsibility for the area was transferred to the new Fire Station at Kelvinhaugh.

MODEL LODGING HOUSES
To an outsider visiting Anderston during the 1950’s one of the impressions they would have been left with was that of the number of beggars and vagrants wandering the streets. It was more than likely that the vagrants, known locally as ‘Modellers’ were residents from one of the Model Lodging House’s situated within the locality.

Rapid industrial development during the nineteenth century made it necessary to draw up regulations aimed at addressing the dreadful hygiene, sanitary and building problems that existed within the district. The regulations also required that accommodation be provided for those persons who were described as ‘the dregs of the city’.

The first Lodging Houses appeared in Anderston during the 1850’s when a ‘common boarding house’ capable of accommodating up to three hundred persons was opened at 28 McAlpine Street. Before long a number of other such facilities were established within the district. The Carrick Street Lodging House, opened in 1853, was capable of accommodating up to ninety-three women. Another ‘Model’ was opened in Hydepark Street in 1879, followed by Pitt Street in 1906 and the Argyle Boarding House (Brown Street) in 1931. Most of the Lodging Houses were for occupancy by men, with the exception of the premises in Carrick Street, which was reserved for females.

Property erected on the corner of Pitt Street and Argyle Street designed by the eminent architect, Dr. Peter McGregor Chalmers, was known as the ‘Neptune Buildings’, so called because the exterior of the building was adorned with low-relief sculptures of sea creatures. Originally opened as a bank, with warehouse accommodation on the upper levels, the building was later converted into the Pitt Street Model Lodging House.

Two Working Men’s Hotels were established within the district, both opened in 1901. The Exhibition Hotel was located in Clydeferry Street, and the New Century Hotel, which later changed its name to the Popular Hotel, was situated in Holm Street. Both of those establishments provided a better level of accommodation than that offered by the Model Lodging Houses.

A combination of misfortune, illness and alcohol misuse often resulted in people ending their days in the Model Lodging Houses. One case in point is James Higgins, Bantam-weight Champion and three times winner of the Lonsdale Belt who was reduced to ending his days in the Popular Hotel. He was found dead one morning in a Pend at 327 Argyle Street.

Of the nineteen Lodging Houses at one time operating in Glasgow, seven were situated in Anderston, all within a stones-throw of each other. Model Lodging Houses are much less prominent in the area today, with only Laidlaw House now operating at the foot of Cheapside Street.

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© John N Cooper 2006 All rights reserved.
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