St Marys Industrial School, Bishopbrigs

[Ogleway]

mcgee67

I checked St Mary`s for you in Mitchell today.

Records you seek are not held there.

Ogleway

[mcghee67]

Many many thanks Ogleway for having a look and thanks to everyone who answered my query I appreciate it very much.

Kind regards Jane 

[johnreilly2250]

Hi I just found your posting on this forum while browsing .
I was a resident of st marys for one year in 1963 to1964 .
At that time it was classed as an approved school for boys.
It wanst such a bad place then as you were treated reasonably well as long as you behaved.

Interestingly I was passing one day when it was a derilect building a few years ago and decided to venture inside as there was a door open .
To my amazement I found all the old records and reports covering the time that I was in there.
Needles to say i still have them to this day
Hope this info helps a litle bit with your searching

john

[sancti]

Sancti,  you've omitted the salient point of how ones forebears ended up in an Industrial School (Catholic or otherwise) the reports you mention could equally pass for Eton or Harrow! whilst some kids were unfortunate enough to end up there due to family circumstances, the bulk were sent there by the courts and shocking places they were!......Skoosh.

Skoosh, the reports relate to the early 1900's and way before my time. Can you confirm if you are talking from experience 

[Skoosh]

Sancti, ah take the fifth on this matter!......Skoosh.

[doonayr]

The records are with the Roman Catholic Dioscese in Glasgow but while they admitted having them they ingnored my requests for answers.   I think you perhaps have to go there and do the research.

[Richard Moffat]

I was thirteen year a boy, I was sent to 'Housie' ~ Approved School... St. Marys in 1963 to 1965...ish, I spent 28 days in remand at Larchgrove, then on to St. Marys I can tell so many tales about the place, the Catholic priests who ran it, then it was civilian-ran, a big burly man called Ford was headmaster, a tough but fair man he was, he gave the belt hard on the arse in his office to bad boys... me included, it was not all bad, far from it lots of great outings tattie picking, the baths at Kirkintulloch, the trips to Loch Lomond, the food, the films the clean beds and so on. Got oot and went to work for the Times paper in Glasgow..... then on with life. Yeah!

[Richard Moffat]

Hi I just found your posting on this forum while browsing .
I was a resident of st marys for one year in 1963 to1964 .
At that time it was classed as an approved school for boys.
It wanst such a bad place then as you were treated reasonably well as long as you behaved.

Interestingly I was passing one day when it was a derilect building a few years ago and decided to venture inside as there was a door open .
To my amazement I found all the old records and reports covering the time that I was in there.
Needles to say i still have them to this day
Hope this info helps a litle bit with your searching

john

[Richard Moffat]

Wow! found yer auld files eh!! It was not too bad in Housie, some bullying and so on, the men in charge were ok, mostly.... Auld Goch the cobbler, remember him? Wee Chesty? Scony Weir? Br. Ford......the bonnie Irish lassies who served the grub and worked in the kitchens. Our sang~~~ The Boys of St Mary will never say no.....sing high-sing-low tr la la. I never got in trouble ever again, well not bad stuff! some went on the Bar-EL some died, some lived. Best of luck . R Moffat.