Happy Hogmanay to you! For many of us, this is a time for nostalgia and thoughts of years past. Take a look at how Greenock looked before the 1970s "modernisation"! (Some of which ironically, is to be "redeveloped" next year!!!!) It shows that Greenock once had a great selection of shops and how busy West Blackhall Street used to be!
Please enjoy!
Crow Mount or “the Mount” as it was called was a wooded area of Greenock.
Photo - Greenock Burns Club
Described in “Views and Reminiscences of Old Greenock” (1891) as stretching - “westwards from Bank Street to Ann Street and running northwards from Dempster Street to Roxburgh Street”. When this photograph was taken “largely a plantation with a few gardens, and here and there a cottage or residence of some well-known citizen”.
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| Map 1861 |
It is described as “in its way, a miniature forest, with trees of luxuriant growth, which attracted crows, and made it a breeding place and a centre for this well known species of bird, the chorus of whose peculiar cawing became a familiar feature of the neighbourhood”.
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| Map 1915 |
While over the years the area became built up, it was still remembered in the names of buildings which once stood in the area – Mount Park Free Church (Trafalgar Street) which opened in 1874 and the Mount School.
Merry Christmas!
This beautiful stained glass nativity scene can be found in Westburn Parish Church, Nelson Street, Greenock.
The artist was Douglas Strachan. See more of the window in a previous post here.
Just like today, back in the 1890s many shops took advantage of advertising their wares over the Christmas and New Year period. Perhaps one of the biggest shops in Greenock was J G Rowan & Co who had premises at Hamilton Street.
Their Christmas advertising listed some of the many items that could be purchased as gifts.
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| Photo - Greenock Burns Club |
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Can you guess where in Greenock you would find this beautiful stained glass panel?
It is not easy to see now because it is situated in the upper portion of Greenock's shopping centre - the Oak Mall. This part of the Mall, at the upper eastern entrance is now closed off, but if you stand at the bottom of the stairs in the dilapidated lower east section of the Mall and look up you can just about see it.
Plans are underway (and have been for a considerable time) to completely redevelop this section of the Oak Mall and the surrounding area. I hope that when these plans finally come to pass this panel will be saved and found a suitable place in the refurbished shopping centre. You can read about the redevelopment plans on Inverclyde Council's website.
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| Oak Mall, Greenock from Clyde Square |
I could not find any information about the stained glass panel, but to me it looks like a shoal of herring which would give it a good Greenock connection.
The "Lovely Lass of Inverkip" is a poem by the "Radical Poet", Alexander Rodger (1784-1846).
Rodger worked at Barrowfield Printworks and then became a writer on the Glasgow Chronicle and later the Reformer's Gazette. In 1832 his work appeared in Whistle Binkie, a collection of poems by various authors. He was known as the "Radical Poet".
Read more about Inverkip here.
In 1770s the antiquarian, Francis Grose (1731-1791), visited Newark Castle. Here's a drawing he made of the castle at that time.
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| Newark Castle, Port Glasgow, Grose |
Grose describes Newark Castle - "This was the castle or principal mansion of the barony of Finlaystun Maxwell, which about the middle of the fifteenth century, with diverse other lands, came to Sir Robert Maxwell of Calderwood, a younger son of the family of Nether Pollock, in right of Elizabeth, his wife, second daughter and co-heiress of Sir Robert Denniestoun, of that ilk. It continued in the possession of the Maxwell family for several generations, till sold by George Maxwell alias Napier, of Kilmahew, Esq; to Mr Cockrane, of Kilmaronock, about the beginning of the eighteenth century. It is at present the property of – Hamilton, of Wishaw, Esq; in whose family it has been for a considerable length of time.
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| "The Blessings of God be Heirin" above doorway at Newark Castle. |
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| Francis Grose |
Francis Grose was a London born antiquarian and writer who travelled throughout Britain noting the historical buildings and ruins he visited. In 1772 he published "The Antiquities of England and Wales" containing his drawings with a short description of the buildings they showed. In 1788\1789 he travelled widely in Scotland and later produced "The Antiquities of Scotland" which included Newark Castle.
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| The ruins of Alloway Kirk, Grose |
While in Scotland in 1789, Grose met the poet Robert Burns who suggested that he included Alloway Kirk in his writings. Grose agreed to this on condition that Burns would write a story about a witch to go along with the drawing. This led, in 1790 to the famous Burns work - "Tam O'Shanter" being included in the second volume of Grose's "Antiquities of Scotland".
The pair became good friends and Burns wrote to Frances Dunlop:- "I have never seen a man of more original observation, anecdote and remark ... If you discover a cheerful-looking grig of an old, fat fellow, the precise figure of Dr Slop, wheeling about your avenue in his own carriage with a pencil and paper in his hand, you may conclude: "Thou art the man!". (Dr Slop is a character in "Tristam Shandy" (1759) by Laurence Sterne.)
Burns and Grose kept up a correspondence. Burns wrote a poem for his friend, and also this epitaph -
While walking to Cathcart Street recently, I noticed these windows at the western end of Greenock's Municipal Buildings directly across from the library at Wallace Place. It occurred to me that they could be put to good use in promoting our town.
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They are in a busy location with people going to the Library, the Oak Mall or visiting the Fire and Rescue Museum on Dalrymple Street.
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I'm no graphic artist, but here are some of the ideas that I came up with - perhaps on large posters in the windows or some other method of display. I noticed that they have a flat shelf that displays could be set up on. Here's what I imagined!
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In 1790 the Clyde Society was set up in Port Glasgow. It was described as a "Friendly Society", set up by a group of people to provide help for those members going through difficult times". The Clyde Society was to consist "of persons above the labouring class ... merchants and masters of ship". Contributions were made for the relief of widows and orphans of members of the society. Widows “whether rich or poor” were to receive a certain sum per annum and an amount for every child under 14 years of age. Any member who “fell into reduced circumstances” was entitled to receive an amount at the discretion of the Directors of the society.
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| Source - Watt Institution |
Members paid £5 on admission and 5 shillings quarterly as a fee. Members had to have contributed for five years before they could receive any benefit. Failure to pay the quarterly account led to dismissal from the Society. An exception was given to those who were at sea or had moved to more that 20 miles from Port Glasgow. It all sound very worthy, however as is the case in all such societies, difficulties arose in defining the rules in individual cases.
Alexander Malcolm a merchant in Port Glasgow and later a vendue-master (auctioneer) in Glasgow became a member and continued to pay his quarterly contribution for about 10 years. He became bankrupt in May 1801 and was sent to prison in October and remained there until May 1802. While in gaol, he was excluded from being a member of the Society because, of course, he had been unable to pay his account. He obtained his freedom by a cessio bonorum, the definition of which is "the voluntary surrender of goods by a debtor to his creditors".
He died in October 1803 and since his bankruptcy he had been unable to make his contributions to the Clyde Society. On her husband’s death, Elizabeth Steel, who was left with four children, submitted a petition to the Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire in which she asked that she be paid the allowance stipulated by the Society to the widows and children of deceased members. She was told that because her husband’s expulsion from the Society, she was not entitled to any payments. At the time, Benjamin Moore was president of the Clyde Society. Other members supporting him in this action were William Scott, coppersmith and James Foster surgeon.
After a lot of discussion, the Sheriff made an statement on 28 June 1805 - “Finds it admitted that the pursuer’s deceased husband paid up his quarters accounts and conformed himself to the rules of the Society, for the space of five years, and that his dismissal proceeded from no negligence, but mere inability to continue his payments, his widow, the pursuer, ought not, for any thing contained in these articles founded on, to be excluded from the aliment craved; therefore, allows her a proof of her husband’s indigence for the year previous to his expulsion, and to the defender’s conjunct probation”. In other words, she was to be given the appropriate payments.
The Society presented a petition arguing against this judgement, but it was refused. The Sheriff stated “I have no difficulty in this case. The object of the institution is declared to be the support of reduced members, their widows and children. It is implied in these words, that inability to pay is not a ground of forfeiture during the lives of the members; and the same thing is implied in the event of their death.” The Society took the matter further, to the Court of Session. The basic question being – “Whether Mr Malcolm, at the time he failed in paying his quarterly accounts, was within 20 miles of Port Glasgow or not?" After much discussion the Clyde Society were found liable for the widow’s expenses. Again, the Society argued the decision, but this time it was refused. The Sheriff's judgement that an amount should be paid to Mrs Malcolm and her children was confirmed. It was not until 1814 that matters were finally resolved. The legal teams involved were - For pursuers (the widow) – Thomas W Baird Esq (Advocate), agent J Greig WS, and for the Society – Francis Jeffrey (Advocate) and John Greenshields agent – Francis Snodgrass WS.
A protracted legal case must have cost the Society dearly.
Historical markers or plaques are a great way of finding out about local people and places - if they are easy to find and read. This plaque in Greenock explains the fact that the area was once the site of the home of Highland Mary, or Mary Campbell, one of the loves of Scottish poet Robert Burns. Along with a verse by the poet, it reads - "On this spot stood the house, 31 Charles Street in which Burns' "Highland Mary" died on October 20th 1786." There is also a drawing of the house in Charles Street.
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Many locals pass by it every day and probably are not aware of its existence. It is set back on a grassy verge, but to get near it is not easy because it is necessary to follow a narrow path, overgrown in places, which borders a very busy main road, the A78, near Greenock's bus station. It is at the delivery area for the Oak Mall.
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| Spot the plaque? |
This area was once Greenock's High Street or before that, the Long Vennel and Highland Mary lived in a house in Upper Charles Street, just off the High Street.
In the 200 years since her death, Highland Mary has done a lot for tourism in Greenock. Many visitors flocked to the site of her grave when it was situated in the Old West Kirk burying ground. Even Abraham Lincoln's widow, Mary Todd Lincoln visited the grave when she was touring Scotland in 1869.
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| Highland Mary's grave in Greenock Cemetery |
Mary is now buried in Greenock Cemetery, her remains were moved when the Old West Kirk was taken apart and rebuilt on its present site on the Esplanade in the 1920s.
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| Old West Kirk on its original site - source |
The only other mention of Highland Mary is on this sign which marks where the original Old West Kirk once stood. You can find this sign across the road from Tesco's car park on Container Way.
It seems a great pity that, apart from a beautiful memorial in Greenock Cemetery, there is not a more visible local reminder of the woman who became famous as the love of that great Scottish poet, Robert Burns.
Fittingly, the verse on the hard to spot plaque from Burns' poem Highland Mary reads -
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This programme dated 1969 is from a show called "Bon Bon" by Greenock Battalion of the Boys' Brigade. It was held in Greenock's Arts Guild Theatre in March 1969. (The Arts Guild in Campbell Street was demolished in 2020.)
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Inside are some wonderful advertisements for local businesses. Some are no longer trading, but some are still doing business in the town. Aulds the bakers has several shops locally and their pies are favourites with many people. Their cakes, especially fudge doughnuts and strawberry tarts are superb!
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Smiths sports shop is still doing well in West Blackhall Street, Greenock. At the moment they have a wonderful selection of vintage Greenock Morton Football Club tops.
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Some of the shops are no longer with us, but are remembered by many older Greenockians like Sheila Simpsons and Hodges..png)
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| Arts Guild, Campbell Street, Greenock - Demolished 2020 |
Lady Octavia Grosvenor (1829-1921) was, as her name suggests, the eighth child of Richard Grosvenor (1795-1869), 2nd Marquess of Westminster and his wife Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, younger daughter of George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford who would later become the 1st Duke of Sutherland.
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| Source - Greenock Burns Club |
Born in 1829, Lady Octavia was one of 13 children all of whom married into the British aristocracy. On 28 December 1852 she married Sir Michael Robert Shaw Stewart (1826-1903), 7th Bart of Ardgowan at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London. Of her seven bridesmaids, three were her sisters - Agnes, Jane and Theodora. The bridegroom’s best man was his brother Stewart Nicholson. Later that evening, Sir Michael’s aunt, the Duchess of Somerset held a reception for some of the guests at Somerset House (Park Lane, not the main Somerset House) in London.
In early January 1853, Sir Michael and Lady Octavia travelled from London to Glasgow and from there by a coach drawn by four horses to Port Glasgow where they were received at the town buildings by the magistrates and councillors of the town. They then proceeded towards Greenock where they were met by members of the Caledonian Railway Lodge of Freemasons in their insignia accompanied by a band, flags and banners. Sir Michael was the Provincial Grand Master. The procession marched in front of the carriage through Cartsdyke where there were various gun salutes from batteries at the works along the route. All the way into the town crowds had gathered, cheering as the procession passed. At various places in Greenock, flags were flown and the harbours decked with bunting. The banners of the crafts and trades were also on display in the town.
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| Source - Greenock Burns Club |
The procession proceeded to Brachelston Toll (where the Cemetery Gates are now). An elaborate evergreen arch had been constructed by townsman Robert Thorne of Greenbank. After this, the bridal carriage continued to Ardgowan. People gathered at various points along the way to welcome the happy couple.
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| Ardgowan House, Inverkip |
At Ardgowan the tenants had gathered and the church bells at
Inverkip rang out in welcome. The couple
appeared on the roof of the portico of Ardgowan House, and it was noted that
the bride was wearing a large shawl in the Stewart tartan. It was reported that Lady Octavia:
“notwithstanding the fatigue of travel looked remarkably well and
beautiful". Refreshments were served to
the crowd and the young couple again appeared and were addressed by several of
the local dignitaries, congratulating them on their marriage and welcoming Lady
Octavia to Ardgowan. The official
ceremonies over, the couple retired indoors.
One of the new bride’s first “official duties” locally was the naming of the ship Atrato which was launched from Caird & Co’s yard in April 1853. Atrato, a paddle wheel steamer was built for the Royal West India Mail Steam Navigation Company.
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| Launch of the "Atrato" |
Throughout their lives, Sir Michael and Lady Octavia spent time at Ardgowan and took an active part in local affairs. They also had homes in London and at Fonthill in Wiltshire. They had several children. Sir Michael died in 1903 and was succeeded by his eldest son Michael Hugh Shaw Stewart (1854-1942). He was known as Sir Hugh Shaw Stewart.
After the death of Sir Michael, Lady Octavia’s preferred
home was Fonthill which had been bought by her father, the Duke of
Westminster in 1825 and bequeathed to Sir Michael. Fonthill’s previous owner had been William Beckford. On Lady Octavia's death in 1921, her son
Walter Richard Shaw Stewart had to sell some of the Fonthill estate to pay death
duties. He died in 1934 and left
Fonthill to his widow Mary Beatrice Sydney Lane. Their son, Walter Guy Shaw Stewart became the
9th baronet of Ardgowan.
Children of Sir Michael and Lady Octavia -
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