Dunghills and privies

In 1841 Dr William L Laurie wrote report on the sanitary conditions in Greenock for the Poor Law Commissioners of Scotland.  It is a remarkable description of the living conditions of the ordinary people of Greenock at that time.  Several of the descriptions are particularly dreadful.

Dr Laurie, whose consulting rooms were on Hamilton Street, writes -

“Behind my consulting rooms, where I am now sitting, there is a large dunghill with a privy attached; to my knowledge that dunghill has not been emptied for six months; it serves a whole neighbourhood, and the effluvium is so offensive that I cannot open the window.  The land is three stories high, and the people, to save themselves trouble, throw all their filth out of the stair window, consequently a great part of it goes on the close, and the close is not cleaned out till the dunghill is full: the filth in the close reaches nearly to the sill of the back window of a shop in front, and the malarious moisture oozes through the wall on the floor.”

The map above shows some of the places Dr Laurie was describing in his report.  Market Street came to his attention when he noted that more people from there than other parts of the town were being admitted to his care with fever and typhoid -

“This [Market Street] is a narrow back street; it is almost overhung by a steep hill rising immediately behind it; it contains the lowest description of houses built closely together, the access to the buildings being through filthy closes; the front entrance is generally the only outlet; numerous foci for the production of miasma lie concealed in this street, I think I could point out one in each close.”

Market Street, Greenock - Source @Watt Institution

Dr Laurie goes on to describe some of the houses in the poorer areas of the town -

"The great proportion of the dwellings of the poor are situated in very narrow and confined closes or alleys leading from the main streets; these closes end generally in a cul-de-sac, and have little ventilation, the space between the houses being so narrow as to exclude the action of the sun on the ground.  I might almost say there are no drains in any of these closes, for where I have noticed sewers, they are in such a filthy and obstructed state, that they create more nuisance than if they never existed.  In those cases where there is no dunghill, the excrementitious and other offensive matter is into the gutter before the door, or carried out and put in the street.”

Dr Laurie (1814-1899) was born in Dumfries.  In 1838 he married Mary Andrew Macfie (1813-1883) in Greenock.  The couple moved to Druimneil House, Appin near Oban.  Mary Andrew was the daughter of William Macfie, sugar refiner of Langhouse and was the sister of Robert Macfie who owned the Airds Estate in Port Appin.

Scott, Sinclair & Co and Lady Byron

In its early days, the Greenock firm of Scott, Sinclair & Co were best known in Greenock for producing engines and other items for ships at their foundry at Cartsburn Street.  However, in 1844 a much more unusual item was made there.  It was an iron schoolhouse.

Lady Byron - source

It was made for Lady Byron, widow of the poet Lord Byron and was described in a newspaper article - 

“It is one storey high, has a pavilion roof, is round in shape, and has four windows and a door.  It weighs about 8 or 9 tons, and being in compartments, an be easily taken down in convenient pieces to carry to any distance, and quickly put together again.” 

The building was to be used as a school for the education of 50 poor children paid for by Lady Byron.  It was set up in Fleckney in Leicestershire where it was known as the “iron school”. 

Lady Byron was born Anne Isabella Noel Milbanke in 1792.  In 1815 she married George Gordon Byron (1788-1824) the poet.  It seems to have been an unhappy marriage and the couple separated after just one year, Annabella (as she was known) having given birth to the couple’s only child, Ada Lovelace (1815-1852).  A great philanthropist, Lady Byron took a special interest in education and established several schools.  She died of breast cancer in 1860.

Greenock has another link with Lord Byron.  Author John Galt wrote a biography of Byron which was published in 1830.

Union Church, Greenock

This photograph shows the former Union Church of Scotland in Greenock.  It was situated at the east end of Union Street near George Square.  It was demolished in the 1990s and a block of flats was built in its place. 

Union Church, Union Street, Greenock

Union Church was built in 1834 by members of the United Secession Church in Nicolson Street who had disagreed with that church’s choice of minister and left to start their own congregation.  It was known as the Union Street United Secession Church at that time.  The first minister was Rev Thomas Finlayson (1809-1872) who was ordained in 1835.  He moved to Rose Street Church in Edinburgh in 1847.  One of Rev Finlayson's important undertakings was to try to reduce the debt which had accumulated through the building of the church.  It was not finally paid off until 1853.

An interesting advertisement for a precentor from 1846 appeared in the local paper.  Note that "None need apply but those whose Moral Character and Musical Education will bear the strictest scrutiny"!

That same year, the United Secession Church and Relief Church joined together to form the United Presbyterian Church.  The church became known as the Union Street UP Church.  From 1847 the  minister was the Rev John Burns Smith (1819-1899).  Rev Smith was a popular minister and remained in Greenock until his death in 1899.  He is buried in Greenock Cemetery.

Union Street UP Church 1862

In 1884 the Church celebrated its Jubilee and a portrait was presented to former Provost James Morton (1822-1890) who had been a member of the church since 1848.  (See the portrait here.)

Photo source - Greenock Burns Club

In 1895 Rev Dr John Cullen became minister.  Originally from the West UP Church in Leslie, Fife he had been preaching at St George’s Church, Northgate, Darlington.  In In 1900 the United Presbyterian Church joined with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland.  The church’s name changed again to the Union Street UF Church.

In 1909 Rev Dr Cullen moved to back to Fife.  His position was filled by Rev John Young who remained in Greenock until 1929 when he moved to Oban.  A keen chess player, he was part of the Greenock team that won the Spens Cup in 1911 (see photo here). 

In 1929 the United Free Church joined with the Church of Scotland – another name change!  In 1992 Union Street Church joined with St Andrew’s Church further along Union Street.  This church was renamed Ardgowan ParishChurch, now known as Lyle Kirk, Union Street.

The former Union Church building was demolished and replaced with housing.