Bla'an'tir's Ain Website

Search Bla'an'tir's Ain Website

Merry's Rows

Merry's Rows, Blantyre

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

We visited these two rows of miners' houses on 24th March 1913. They are situated near to the Glasgow Road, in the Parish of Blantyre, and are owned by Merry & Cunninghame, coalmasters.

They consist of 46 single- and 50 double-apartment houses. They are built with brick, and were erected between thirty and forty years ago, and are a very poor type of house, low-ceilinged and mostly damp. The rent per week, including rates, is 2s. 4d. and 2s. 11d. for single and double houses respectively.

Within the last five years this property has been included in a special scavenging district, and consequently the sanitation of the place has been very much improved. The water is supplied by means of stand-pipes at intervals along the front of the row.

There are no sculleries or sinks about the place, and all the dirty water is emptied into an open gutter. There is a washhouse to every six tenants, and a flush-closet to every three tenants. Bins are in vogue, with a daily collection of refuse. No coal-cellars or drying-greens. A man is kept for tidying up the place. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

24/05/2010
On Auld Blantyre pictures Page 9 you have a picture of a Salvation Army band playing at the top of Merry's Raws 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 house 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

Back to Auld Blantyre Mining History..........Next

l Home l Advertise l Disclaimer l Privacy l Email l