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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: Cheryl. on Tuesday 15 December 09 17:00 GMT (UK)

Title: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Cheryl. on Tuesday 15 December 09 17:00 GMT (UK)
Does anyone know where I can find any images of old Motherwell and surrounding areas. I came across a great website for photos a few years ago but I can't find it now, must have been removed.

Thank you  :)
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: mags c on Tuesday 15 December 09 17:23 GMT (UK)
Hi dont know if this is of any help but Motherwell Library have a book for sale of Motherwell and surrounding areas.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Cheryl. on Tuesday 15 December 09 17:38 GMT (UK)
Thank you, do you know how much it is? I'll have a look at it next time I'm in, I have some books due back.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Lodger on Tuesday 15 December 09 18:14 GMT (UK)
This link should take you direct to Stenlake Publishing, they have an excellent book about Motherwell.

http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=130

Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: lanarkshire lassie on Wednesday 16 December 09 19:04 GMT (UK)
Hello Cheryl.

                   I have such a book that I picked up in a charity shop a wee while ago, called Motherwell Revisited. Price on back is £5.40.

                    Are you looking for any particular area/ time, and I can have a look for you?

Cheers

Gail :)
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Cheryl. on Wednesday 16 December 09 19:21 GMT (UK)
I was looking for Hamilton Road in particular to see what kind of houses were standing in the past. My ggg grandfather lived in Hamilton Road in 1861 but I've been informed by the Heritage Centre that there aren't many photos of M/Well from then mostly from 1880 onwards and they also said that on their maps for Hamilton Road in 1861 there are no houses which seems a bit odd, anyway could you have a look and see if there is anything on Hamilton Road in your book please, I'd really appreciated it!  :)
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: sancti on Wednesday 16 December 09 19:28 GMT (UK)
Hamilton Road didn't exist then I think it was Clyde Street.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Cheryl. on Wednesday 16 December 09 19:40 GMT (UK)
Yeah, Margaret from the Heritage Centre mentioned Clyde Street but it's written as Hamilton Road in all the 1861 Census'
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: sancti on Thursday 17 December 09 00:38 GMT (UK)
On the 1913 map of Motherwell it shows as Clyde Street
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Lodger on Thursday 17 December 09 01:34 GMT (UK)
Hi Cheryl,

Margaret McGarry is right, Hamilton Road as exists today is a fairly new street.  Old Motherwell folk still call the part between Avon Street and Malcolm Street "Jack's Brae".
Here is a description of the area in the 1840s by J A King from his book Motherwell 70 Years ago and Now, published in 1910.
"Turning down Clyde Street, one came to Paterson's pond, which lay where the Town Hall is Built. This pond was at the entrance to High Motherwell Farm.............continuing down the road one came upon the entrance to Low Motherwell Farm.......on leaving the road to Low Motherwell, one went down Kether's Brae and across Kether's Burn, now miscalled the Soo Burn. The road then continued much as it is now, with plantations on each side down to the pay bridge (Clyde bridge)".
That description now reads - Turning into Hamilton Road (from Brandon St or Muir St) past the old Town Hall, all the way down to The Loaning (on the right), turn left into Tinkers Lane, across Airbles Road into Airbles Farm Road, all the way down to where the old Clyde Bridge used to be.
King also describes Jack's Brae (where Dr Jack had his house) and further down, Forgie's or Frame's Brae.
The only mention of "Hamilton Road" he makes is in the present (1910).
He mentions many old Motherwell families, perhaps yours is there too?
Here is a picture of Hamilton Road (looking down Jack's Brae) taken about 1910. It would have looked nothing like this in 1861.
Also a picture of the old Clyde Bridge as a ruin before it was demolished about 40 years ago.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Lodger on Thursday 17 December 09 01:37 GMT (UK)
What happened to my pictures?
Another try.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: sancti on Thursday 17 December 09 08:51 GMT (UK)
Was there an old Hamilton STREET near to present day West Hamilton Street?
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Lodger on Thursday 17 December 09 15:34 GMT (UK)
It was just called Hamilton Street, so that could be it!
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Cheryl. on Thursday 17 December 09 16:08 GMT (UK)
Hi,

Thanks for checking that out and getting the pictures for me. I feel like a bit of an idiot now... Stephen from HC replied to me today and said that it's Hamilton Road in Newarthill - oops, I wasn't aware there was a Hamilton Rd in Newarthill, it doesn't mention Newarthill on the census. I'll see if I can find some info on Hamilton Rd in Newarthill and maybe some photos.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Lodger on Thursday 17 December 09 16:59 GMT (UK)
Well, Stephen must know, but Newarthill was in Bothwell parish, not Dalziel, does it say Bothwell on the census?
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Cheryl. on Thursday 17 December 09 17:04 GMT (UK)
It says Bothwell on the census, never noticed that before to be honest, it's pretty difficult to read. It also says the parish of Holytown too, I've had this census page for a while and never even noticed that  :-[
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Lodger on Thursday 17 December 09 17:46 GMT (UK)
Bothwell was the civil parish, Holytown was one of the several "Quod Sacra" ecclesiastic parishes within the civil parish. (The Quad Sacra Act of 1834 allowed parishes to form satellite parishes, usually in outlying areas but without the same rights as the main parish church).
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: margmo1 on Tuesday 22 December 09 16:53 GMT (UK)
hi all
my mother was born in ROMAN ROAD motherwell. i was wondering if anyone has a photo of it circa 1910.
many thanks
margaret
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Patsy Beech on Friday 08 January 10 01:55 GMT (UK)
Hello,

I am also looking for information about old Motherwell as I am chasing an Edmond V. Campbell around the UK in his job as an actor and theatre manager. He was born in London in 1836, and by 1871 he is recorded as working in Wolverhampton, but by 1881 he has moved north into 'God's Own Country' and can be found in Dalziel, Motherwell living at 30 Brown Street, as a boarder with his Welsh wife Mary. The head of the household was John Cook, Railway Stoker, aged 32.

Does anyone know of a theatre in Motherwell in 1881 where he might have been working, and is Brown Street in the same place now as it was in 1881? Are there any images or books available of that period for Motherwell?

All help greatly appreciated.

Happy Searching,
Patsy
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Lodger on Friday 08 January 10 10:41 GMT (UK)
Hi Patsy,
I checked the 1881 census and Edmund is living at Brown's Place. This was a tenement building in Hope Street and was demolished in the early 1960s, by then it was a sub-standard slum.
There were no theatres in Motherwell at that time although there may have been one in nearby Hamilton. He is listed as a comedian on the 1881 census.
He may have been passing through at that point in his life, perhaps moving into Glasgow where there were plenty of theatres and music halls.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Patsy Beech on Friday 08 January 10 19:02 GMT (UK)
Hi Lodger,

Thank you for the information about Brown Place, and the lack of theatres in the immediate area. I can't imagine he would have travelled far to work as theatre hours are strange, going to work when most people are enjoying themselves, which means a very late night walk home.

By the way the meaning of Comedian has changed slightly over the years, where we now think of a 'stand-up comedian' back then it was actually an actor who specialised in comic roles.

I much appreciate the help given with the local area, it saves hours of trying to find old maps and compare them with modern day streets.

Best Wishes,
Patsy
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: anotheroneopens on Tuesday 20 April 10 18:53 BST (UK)
Re-Motherwell Theatre.

There was a theatre in Motherwell around that time-it was The Empire in Camp Street- it was very popular but failed when the numerous cinemas were built . I think it may have been demolished in the late  early 1930's.  My 90 year old mother remembers appearing there in a school show about 1930. Browns Place was a part of the Pollock Street/Hope Street tenements. First right past the station or left at Dalziel High Church.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: Lodger on Tuesday 20 April 10 19:59 BST (UK)
The Empire Electric Theatre in Camp Street Motherwell opened in 1911.  The building ended its life as a Tyre Shop and was demolished in the 1960s as far as I can remember.

Lodger.
Title: Re: Old Photos of Motherwell and Surrounding Areas
Post by: wtkirkwood on Monday 05 November 18 12:16 GMT (UK)
National Tyres (Electric Theatre Camp St - Parkhead Street) was still standing in the 1970's