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Blantyre Folk

Golden Wedding

of

Mr and Mrs John Berry

Congratulations have been profusely extended to two well-known citizens - Mr and Mrs John Berry - who on the evening of 18th inst., at a family gathering celebrated their golden wedding at their home, 123 Auchinraith Road, High Blantyre.

Mr Berry, who is a well-known figure in local Labour circles, was born at Braehead, Old Monkland, and is 71 years of age. At the age of four his parents removed to Blantyre, where he received his schooling at St. Joseph’s R.C. School. At twelve years of age he started work at No. 3 Pit at Blantyre Collieries (William Dixon, Ltd,) but was dismissed three hours after he had started because he was unable to draw the loaded hutches up the heavy road. He started however next day in the same pit, but with a lighter job, and worked continuously as a miner until nine years ago, when Auchinraith Colliery, where he was employed, closed down.

His wife Miss Elizabeth Quinn, was born at Carfin and is seventy-three years of age. In his early pit life there was no union for the miners, and as he grew in years he quickly saw the necessity for such, and as a young man he was associated with such stalwarts as Bob Smellie of Larkhall and William Small and Andrew McAnulty of Blantyre, the pioneers of the Lanarkshire Miners’ Union.

Mr Berry first met the late Keir Hardie in 1887, when he contested the then mid Lanark Division (now Rutherglen Division) in the Labour interests. On that occasion the seat was won by Mr J. Wynford Phillips.

Mr Berry recalled many exciting incidents during that election and, as Labour was just beginning to make itself felt at the time, he recalled that on different occasions when he toured the constituency with him that Mr Hardie was not given a hearing. Some years later, when secretary of the Blantyre Miners’ district, Mr Berry again gave valuable assistance to Mr Robert Smellie, when at three elections he also unsuccessfully contested the Mid Lanark Division. His bogey was the strong Liberal candidate, Mr James Caldwell.

In early life Mr Berry was a well known footballer and was centre-forward with the then famous Blantyre Erin Rangers, who were a tough lot and a terror to all comers. He was afterwards instrumental in forming the St. Joseph’s Football Club which played behind the present R.C. Church . Later he received a letter from the manager of the Edinburgh Hibernians to join that club, which he did, and played with them for one season.

Since he commenced work Mr Berry has been actively engaged in many colliery strikes in Lanarkshire particularly in Blantyre. He can recall many stirring scenes and incidents which led up to the notorious Blantyre riots, which broke out on 2nd February, 1885. The previous day, along with Mr Small, accompanied by a large number of Blantyre miners, they travelled to Bellshill to persuade the Bellshill miners to come out on strike. They were confronted by a large force of policemen, who charged them with their batons, and the Blantyre men had to scatter in all directions.

Mr Berry has had a long association with Lord Provost P.J. Dollan of Glasgow in the Labour movement and Mr Dollan remembered the happy event in the lives of his old colleagues and sent them a handsome monetary gift to purchase a suitable present.

The jubilee celebrations were somewhat curtailed in view of the fact that Mrs Berry a year ago fell and broke her leg; and while able to move about the house, she cannot go about too freely. Mr Berry is secretary of the Blantyre branch of the Old Age Pensioners Committee, and one of his sons, Mr John Berry, is a hotel proprietor at Larkhall.

Ref. Hamilton Advertiser. 27/7/1940. Page 6.   

Wilma Bolton. 2005.

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