Merry’s Rows, Blantyre

We then had Elm Street which formerly was Merry’s Rows, pronounced locally as Murray’s Raws, which ran back to Auchinraith Road.

This is a shot of the Salvation Army doing their thing.

Owned by Merry & Cunninghame, coal masters, they consisted of 46 single and 50 double-apartment houses. They were built with brick, and were erected in the late 1870’s, and described as a very poor type of house with low-ceilings and mostly damp. The rent per week, including rates in 1914, was 2s. 4d. and 2s. 11d. for single and double houses respectively. The water supply was by means of stand-pipes at intervals along the front of the row. The houses had no sculleries or sinks, and all the dirty water was emptied into an open gutter at the front of the rows. There were washhouses to every six tenants, and a flush-closet to every three tenants. Bins were used for refuge, with a daily collection. The rows had no coal-cellars or drying-greens. A man was kept for tidying up the area..

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Duncan Slater wrote, “I was born in #79, that is the house with someone at the door, also I can give you the names of some of the people who lived here, in 1937 all the people were moved to new houses on Priory and Calder streets.
#1 Croft Family (Frank)
15 Croft family (Robert)
20 Kalinsky family
22 Woods
24 Duncan
39 Schlothaeur
43 Longmuir
64 Mc.Inally
86 Patterson
79 Slater
81 Carabine (with 8 children, one who played football for Scotland, Jimmy).”

Duncan Slater remembers, “On the other corner of the Murray’s Raws was an Iron Duke. This was a open air toilet made of cast iron. It was real handy for the men in the later years when the buses started to run, you could stand there and have a pee and still look through the perforated mesh at the top and see if your bus was coming down the road. This was right at the bus stop, it could not have been pleasant for the ladies queuing up for the bus.

The Blantyre Holiness Mission, who used to worship in the Caldwell Hall on the corner of Auchinraith Road, purchased a Nissan Hut in 1910 and erected it in Jackson Street.

When the flats were built in Elm Street in 1952, they asked the Council to lay a path to the rear of the Nissan Hut to gain access. This later became the main entrance and the layout of the interior of the Church completely reversed to reflect this.

A new Church was erected in 1982

David Thomson: Grandpa’s auld church Ina.

Ina Sanders: remember it brings back memory and Mr Mackie was the minister there, thats were I went when I was a wee girl with my mum and gran.

Jessie Mclachlan: David is that wer Liz ann our Andrew got married xx

Liz Campbell: Good memory Jessie.

Christine Brown: They were very happy days I loved Hawthorn Place. Beyond the swing park was the old man’s rest lol.

Annie Murdoch Anderson Black: I remember going into that park and swinging on the rails when I was a wee girl, then heading down further to Bunty Hairdressers for the haircut, aww I am home sick now …

Mary Borland: I used 2 go back way to the park then go and sit in the old man’s rest and make daisy chains when the sun was out xx memories xx.

Christine Brown: Smashed my leg on the frying pan it was sore lol.

Len Northfield: Loved that swing park, especially the frying pan. Or whatever that big cone thing was called!

Marie Cathcart: I lived at number 11d for years. And it was Oor very own Rosie Law that did the painting on the wall in the park, it’s still there to this day xx

David Hay: played a lot in that swing park.

Ian Mccaul: The Elm Street warriors lol.

Janette Brown: ma Granny stayed opposite it #11 Elm Street.

Thea Borland Mcnamee: I remember Mrs Dent well and next to park was the Train’s.. upstairs fae Mrs Dent was the Currie’s a ran aboot wi Chris Rock’s who a think was Mrs Dents grandson, and across the landing was the Paterson’s.. Billy Paterson split ma heed wi a brick after dropping it from shute in swing park.

Mae Donnelly: And Mrs Dent she lived across the road, Mrs Craigie lived next door to my gran !

Annemarie Aitken: Wee Auntie Agnes X

Angela Taylor: Nettie Brown my wee gran x

Mary Boyle: My nana Mrs Mogan or Minnie, the name she preferred was best friends and upstairs neighbour to Agnes Dent. I remember her and Nettie Brown fondly. I was born at 20 Elm Street. Xx

Moira Mulvaney Pacheco: Team Dent was my brothers pal.

Tracey Ann Campbell: Aw my mums wee auntie Agnes, brings back memories x

Henerson Janette: ma Grannie Brown that’s who am called after

Hannah Mcaleenan: my gran stayed round the corner in Hawthorn Place, wee Martha.

Danielle Scully: aww ma wee granny Theresa xx

Etta Morrison: remember Nettie Brown and her daughters.. think they lived in same close as Muirhead’s..we lived in Beech Place.

Thea Borland Mcnamee: Remember the Blythe’s well.. Betty and Mary.. Mrs Blithe used to keep her purse in her bra, a used to go get shopping for her along wi Mrs Callaghan. Wee Teenie Smith ‘n Jessie Nisbet an’ ma grannies.

Stephen Morrison: My gran stayed in 22 Alex & Jenny Blythe.

Mae Donnelly: I remember Mrs Mogen, Nettle Brown, KellY and Wilson, my granny lived in number 13C, me and my sister used to stay.

Carolyn Patterson: My Grandparents lived round the corner as well in Hawthorn Place Tam and Catherine Barrie x

Lynne Dunsmuir: I stayed in 18a next to the wee park…

Anna Konno – Cavanagh: Theresa O’neil she was my Aunty. My Granny Madge lived in No13. I remember Elm St and the park.

Mae Donnelly: We stayed upstairs from Teenie Smith, next door to Mrs McInally, what great days those were !

Thea Borland Mcnamee: Lynn wis she no in Hawthorn Place or wis that Betty Kelly’s mam? stayed last hoose in Elm Street doon stairs..

Lynn Kelly: May Young Breen your aunty Lizzie Kelly was my granny x

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