Smith's Place, Govan 1868

[mcmacey]

Can anyone tell me anything about a street or building called Smith's Place in Govan? My great grandfather's birth certificate says he was born there on 28 December 1868. His sister was also born there two years previously. Other siblings were born in Port Glasgow or Greenock, which is where I understood the family had lived at that time - also, although he was born in Govan my great grandfather's birth was registered in Port Glasgow.

I can't find it on any old maps or street indexes so any information on where it was or what it was near to would be helpful.

Thanks in anticipation,

Betty Macey

[stanmapstone]

You can see Smith's Place on this map https://maps.nls.uk/view/74955253#zoom=5&lat=6884&lon=11775&layers=BT

Stan

[stanmapstone]

This map shows the same area with the modern view https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17&lat=55.8611&lon=-4.3054&layers=168&right=BingHyb

Stan

[sancti]

Very unusual to be born in one registration district and registered at another

[Lodger]

It's all about the "domicile" status I think, I've seen it before but yes Sancti, it is unusual.
The mother must have been a visitor to Smith's Place. (Never thought of sunny Govan as a holiday resort before!)

[sancti]

Maybe a wee ferry trip to get the new year shopping at Asda, Govan

[mcmacey]

Thank you for the maps. I was surprised to see just how undeveloped Govan was at the time. Smith’s place looks like an isolated building, not the tenement or close I was expecting.

I am still puzzled why Margaret Madden McInnes was there rather than at home in Greenock for the birth of two of her children. It’s possible that her husband Neil McInnes had work in the shipyards in Govan but both these birth certificates describe him as a ‘ship carpenter at sea’, which I think suggest that he was away at the time of the Smith's Place births. I have been working on the theory that she might have been staying with relatives, but so far as I can tell Neil’s family were all still in Greenock.  I have less information on the Maddens. Margaret had family living in Houston in 1861 but I can’t find any of them in the 1871 census, although her married sister turns up again in Greenock in 1881.

A bit of a mystery!

[Rosinish]

It's all about the "domicile" status I think, I've seen it before but yes Sancti, it is unusual.
The mother must have been a visitor to Smith's Place.

Yes Lodger, that would be correct.

McMacey, who were the children born Govan please? Edit, found them 
Just wondering where Neil McInnes' line originated?

Lodger & Sancti Maybe happened to be the 'Glasgow Fair' for the 1st birth

Annie

[Rosinish]

You can see Smith's Place on this map https://maps.nls.uk/view/74955253#zoom=5&lat=6884&lon=11775&layers=BT

I couldn't find Smith's Place on the VRs nor Main Road although there's a 'Main Road' as per the map.

However, Smith's Place may have come under 'Main Road' but recorded as 'Main Street' (in error) as it's a continuous road (on the map)?

There were 3 M(a)cInnes men there in 1865 possibly related to Neil?

1865

MACINNES ROBERT Tenant Occupier
HOUSE 197 MAIN STREET
GOVAN
VR010200141-
   
MACINNES ARCHIBALD, Occupier
MAIN STREET, GOVAN
VR010700037-
   
MACINNES JAMES Occupier
HOUSE MAIN STREET
VR010700037-

1875

Robert & James still there with the additions of 'an' Alexander & Neil.

Do you know if those names connect with your Neil?

Annie