Mince Collop Close

It is an odd name isn't it - Mince Collop Close?

In "Views & Reminiscences of Old Greenock", Mince Collop Close is described as:-

     "a lane or cul-de-sac now removed.  It was situated immediately to the east of William Street,

      and ran southwards from Shaw Street.  It was a disreputable locality …".  

Certainly a look through some editions of the local paper of the time reports many arrests for assault, theft and drunkenness in the lane - a bit like Longwell Close to the east of it.  These narrow lanes and closes ran off the main street and were overcrowded and dirty .  At one time it was thought that the house in which Highland Mary died was located in this close, but later that was proved to be untrue - 31 Upper Charles Street, Greenock is the accepted place of her death.

William Auld, in his book "Greenock and its Early Social Environment" writes that Mince Collop Close was undoubtedly "the vilest" of all the "numerous pen closes running from the low streets"  He locates Mince Collop Close as opening from Dalrymple Street between William Street and Longwell Close.  If you look at one of the old Greenock maps on the National Library of Scotland website and locate Cathcart Square, you will be able to see all the little lanes and closes in the area.

So, what on earth was a mince collop?  A collop seems to have been some sort of meat chop which is beaten to make it tender for cooking, so a mince collop might be some sort of patty of chopped or minced meat, perhaps the precursor of the burger. Yes, Mince Collop King has a bit of a ring to it! Please let me know if there is another meaning.

The Greenock-born author, George Blake (1893 - 1961) wrote a book "Mince Collop Close" (1923) set in Glasgow - no guesses where he got the idea from.