Housing Conditions of Miners

Extracted from "The Housing Condition of Miners" Report by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr John T. Wilson, 1910

Cadder Parish

Coal, ironstone, and Fireclay are worked extensively in this parish. Only 16% of the total houses are occupied by miners. A large number reside in adjacent populous places. Table 1 shows that there are 8 collieries, in which 1996 persons are employed.

William Baird & Co., Ltd, 168 West George Street, Glasgow

Bedlay Coal Mine - Situated near Mollinburn and Chryston, on the north west border of the parish of Cadder, and close to Annathill, in the parish of New Monkland, where the mine-owners' houses are situated. The mine was opened only a few years ago.
Persons employed - underground – 300, above ground – 134, Total - 434

The employees reside in the following localities:-
In Mine owners' houses, situated at Annathill, in New Monkland Parish – 231. These houses are reported in the Middle Ward portion of this report
In rented houses, 200, distributed as follows:- Condorrat – 43, Glenboig – 34, Mollinburn – 27, Gartgill – 21,Coatbridge – 19, Leckethill - 13 , Chryston – 11, Airdrie - 8 , Medrox – 7, Greenfoot – 6, Gain – 5, Riggend – 3, Glasgow – 2, Glenmavis - 1
In houses owned by miners situated at Condorrat – 2, Greenfoot - 1

Carron Co., Carron, Stirlingshire

Cadder Nos 15 and 17 Mines - Situated near Bishopbriggs, in or near a plantation known as the Wilderness. Coal and ironstone are the minerals wrought. From No 15 Mine it is mainly coal, and from No 17 mainly ironstone, which is roasted near the pithead
Persons employed - underground – 477, above ground – 146, Total – 623

The employees reside in the following localities:-
In Mine owners' houses, situated at or near No 17 Pit ( Mavis Valley District) - 270, Lochfaulds – 53, Kenmure – 12, Blackhill - 9 , Moss Cottages - 9 , Total - 353
With the exception of Moss Cottages, the above localities are, on an average, about half a mile distant from the mines
In rented houses, situated at Possilpark, Lambhill, Maryhill, Bishopbriggs, Auchinairn, Torrance, and Balmore - 270

The mine owners' houses may be described as follows:
Mavis Valley
116 houses - Situated to the east of No 17 Mine, and near the plantation known as the Wilderness. Good site, sloping to Forth & Clyde Canal - houses arranged in two rows, with wide space between and plenty of ground in rear.

Old houses - 4 one apartment, rental - £4 11s, 20 two apartments, rental - £5 4s - Rent includes taxes - One storey, stone built - Erected about 1855 - no damp-proof course - Walls strapped & lathed - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surfaces of walls and ceilings in fair condition

No overcrowding except in one house
No gardens - no wash houses - no coal cellars
Six privy middens, situated either at the rear or at the end of the rows, some not sufficiently private
Sinks outside
Gravitation water from 2 standpipes
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Repairs have been carried out from time to time at the request of the Public Health Department

The new houses amount to 92 - in one storey blocks 32 houses of two apartments, in two storey blocks 56 houses of two apartments and 4 houses of 3 apartments, rental of two apartments, £9 - includes taxes - Erected under Building Bye Laws at different dates - Brick built - Damp-proof course - Walls strapped & lathed - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition.

No overcrowding – apartments good size
No gardens but have washhouses and coal cellars
Sinks in scullery or in kitchen
Gravitation water at sinks - drainage underground
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense

See illustration below:

The pail closets at two storey houses are emptied with ash pits once a fortnight. The pail contents are mixed in the cart with ashpit refuse and not allowed to soil the ground. The disposal in on farm lands at Jellyhill. At one storey houses the emptying takes place once a month.

New Terrace
No 17 Mine, adjoining wood - 12 houses of three apartments, rental £12 - Two storey, brick built - Erected under Building Bye Laws - Damp-proof course - Walls strapped & lathed - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surface of walls and ceilings good

No overcrowding – apartments good size
Gardens in front and end of terrace - wash houses - coal cellars
Three water closets, entering off ground floor passages - ash pits at rear
Sinks inside with gravitation water - drainage underground
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
See illustraton:

Double Villa - Two houses for managers, situated near No 17 Mine. Each house has five apartments with scullery, bathroom, and water closet.

Old houses at No 2 Mine - 4 houses disused

Jellyhill
Old houses - 30, two apartments, rental £6 1s 4d, including taxes - One storey, brick built - In two rows, one alongside highway and the other a good distance in rear - Erected about 1883 - Roofs not ridged but circled from front to back and covered with tar felt - difficult to keep water tight - no damp-proof course - No strapping and lathing, plastered on solid - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition - Most of the windows are dead-lights, with an opening pane of about one square foot.

No overcrowding
No gardens, but plenty of ground available - no wah houses - coal cellars at rear of houses
Five privy middens, with ten seats
No sinks – surface channels
Gravitation water from 3 standpipes
Drainage seems to connect with surface water from highways.
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Repairs have been carried out from time to time at the request of the Public Health Department

New houses - 16 two apartments, rental £9, includes taxes - Situated alongside highway opposite old houses - Two storey, brick built - Erected under Building Bye Laws

The domestic and sanitary conveniences are similar to those for new houses at Mavis Valley

Lochfaulds
46 houses - 12 one apartments, 34 two apartments, rental £5 12 s 8d for single and double apartments. The rooms in two apartment houses are very small, having only about 240 cubic feet - Erected about 1857 - One storey, stone built - The first block was used as a school house, and is in better state of preservation than the others - no damp-proof course - No strapping and lathing - windows are mostly dead-lights, with opening panes - some of the walls are damp - Wood Floors, ventilated, but as the ground surface is about the same level as the floor, the ventilation is defective - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition

Some overcrowding has been discovered in three houses
No garden ground - no wash houses - coal cellars in the school block re situated at the rear of houses, and the other blocks have coal bunkers inside houses situated at the end of bed.
Privy middens, with 12 seats, situated at rear of houses
No sinks - drainage by surface channels
Gravitation water from 3 standpipes
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Repairs have been carried out from time to time at the request of the Public Health Department

Blackhill
10 houses of two apartments, rental £5 4s - One storey, stone built - Erected about 100 years ago - no damp-proof course - Back wall embedded - No strapping and lathing, plastered on solid - Lined with wood where back wall damp - floors wood, not ventilated - internal surfaces of walls and ceilings in fair condition - Windows in back walls are dead lights, with an opening pane, windows in front are sashed.

No overcrowding – apartments good size
Garden plots in rear fenced and well cultivated - no wash houses, but some tenants have erected a wooden structure to serve this purpose - coal cellars to rear of houses
Two privy middens, each with two seats, situated at head of garden, and are well kept
Sinks outside at front, with rain water conductor discharging into them
Gravitation water from standpipe situated at one end of row
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Repairs have been carried out from time to time at the request of the Public Health Department
The houses seem occupied by a good class of tenants, so, notwithstanding their ancient structure, there are few sanitary defects

Kenmure
12 two apartment houses rental £6 1s 4d includes taxes - One storey, stone built - Erected about 1853 but renovated internally about 16 years ago - no damp-proof course - Walls strapped & lathed - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surfaces of walls and ceilings in fair condition - Windows are dead-lights with opening panes

No overcrowding
No garden - no wash houses - no coal cellars
Two privy middens with four seats, situated at either end of row
Sinks outside near entrance door, one for every two tenants underground drainage goes towards canal
Gravitation water supply from standpipe at east end of row.
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Repairs have been carried out from time to time at the request of the Public Health Department
The houses are in fair structural condition, but many of the occupiers do not keep them as clean as they might be.

Moss Cottages
7 houses - 3 two apartments, rental £5 12s 8d; 4 three apartments with sculleries, rental £7 3s, includes taxes - one storey with attics, stone built - Erected in 1874 - no damp-proof course - Walls strapped & lathed - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition

No overcrowding
Garden ground in front of the houses and also at the west end - wash houses at the rear - coal cellars at the rear
Privy middens are distant about 30 yards from the houses
Sinks with gravitational water inside - underground drainage
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Reconstruction of drains and general repairs carried out a few years ago. These houses are occupied by a good class of tenants, and are in good condition.

Glenboig Union Fire Clay Co Ltd, Glenboig

Gartcosh Fireclay Mine - Situated near Chryston
Persons employed - underground – 19 , above ground - 3 , Total - 22

The employees reside in the following localities:-
In Mine owners' houses, situated at - Gartcosh - 10
In rented houses, situated at - Chryston - 3
There are a large number of employees engaged in the manufacture of fireclay goods

The mine-owners' houses known as Brickworks Square situated at Gartcosh number 28 houses of one and two apartments, rental being about £4 for one apartment and £6 for two apartments - One storey, brick built - Erected about 1870 - no damp-proof course - Strapped & lathed in some instances since they were erected, others are plastered on brick wall - some floors wood and ventilated, others fireclay tiles - internal surfaces of walls and ceilings in some instances broken

No overcrowding discovered
Garden plot for five houses at front and at each end - wash houses used in common - coal cellars
Privy midden with four seats at rear of houses
Slop sinks near entrance door - drainage to Bathlin Burn
Gravitation water supply from standpipe at each end of row.
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense

Gartcosh Square
12 one apartment houses, rental £4 11s - One storey, brick built - Back to back arrangement, special means of ventilation - Erected under Building Bye Laws

Overcrowding reported and dealt with
No gardens, but wash house and coal cellars - see Illustration
Privy midden with two seats - See illustration
No sinks - surface channels
Gravitation water supply
Scavenged at owners' expense
See illustrations:

Heathfield & Cardowan Fireclay Co, Chryston

Heathfield Fireclay Mine - Situated near Chryston
Persons employed - underground - 15 , above ground – 5, Total - 20

Most of the employees reside in mine owners' houses situated at Heathfield Square. Others in rented houses situated at Chryston and at Garnkirk. One house owned by a miner at Chryston. A large number of employees engage in the manufacture of fireclay goods.

Heathfield Square
66 houses including managers house, average rent of two apartments £6 16s 6d; and average rent of one apartments £4 2s 4d, including taxes - One storey, brick built, with the exception of two that are built of wood - no damp-proof course - No strapping and lathing - some wood floors, ventilated, and some fireclay tiles - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition

Some overcrowding discovered
No gardens but some families seem to have cultivated pieces of land in the vicinity - wash houses in centre of square - coal cellars at end of houses
Four privy middens, situated at centre of square, at south east end of square and facing south block. Total seats 13
One slop sink for every two houses, situated in front of houses - drainage to burn
Pit water - well in centre of square
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Repairs have been carried out from time to time at the request of the Public Health Department

Peter & Mark Hurll Ltd

Gartliston Fireclay Mine - Situated near Glenboig
The employees mostly reside in mine owners' houses situated at Glenboig, known as Gartliston Square and Garnqueen Square

The new houses are described as follows: - 20 houses - 12 one apartment, rental £5 19s 2d including rates and doctors attendance; and 8 two-apartment houses, rental £7 13s 10d, including rates. Seventeen of the houses have a scullery - These houses were erected about 16 years ago - One storey, brick built - no damp-proof course - Outside walls strapped and lathed - floors wood, ventilated - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition

No overcrowding
No gardens - wash house in common with other houses - coal cellar for each house.
Privy midden with two seats, not sufficiently private
1 house with sink and water supply to same - surface channels, thence underground to loch
Gravitation water supply from standpipe at west end of property
Scavenged at owners' expense
Repairs have been carried out from time to time at the request of the Public Health Department

James Nimmo & Co Ltd, Bothwell Street, Glasgow

Auchengeich Coal Mine - Situated near the north wet border of the Parish of Cadder, not far from Chryston and Lenzie. This mine was opened only a few years ago.
Persons employed - underground – 418, above ground – 82, Total - 500

The employees reside in the following localities:-
In Mine owners' houses, situated at - Bridgend, somewhat to the east of the mine shaft ad near Chryston - 121
In Mine owners' houses, situated at - Gartgill, near Coatbridge - 12
In rented houses, situated at - Auchenairn, Bishopbriggs, Bridgend, Cardowan, Chryston, Coatbridge, Easterhouse, Gallahill, Garnkirk, Gartgill, Glasgow, Glenboig, Heathfield, Kilsyth, Kirkintilloch, Millerston, Mollinburn, Moodiesburn, Shettleston, Tollcross and Waterside - 367
In houses owned by miners situated at - Chryston and on the road to Garnkirk Station - 2

The mine owners' houses situated at Bridgend number 102, and may be classified in two groups:
In one storey blocks - 78 houses of two apartments, with scullery, rental, £9 2s, brick built - Erected under Building Bye Laws - Damp-proof course - Strapping and lathing - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition - Rental includes occupiers' rates and taxes.

Overcrowding has occurred and many of the houses are now registered as “houses let in lodgings”
No gardens, but ground available - wash houses used in common - coal cellars for some of the houses.
Water closet for each house - circular iron ashpits
Slop sinks inside, one for every house - drainage under ground to small purification plant draining into Bathlin Burn. Houses now within special drainage district
Gravitation water at sinks inside
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense

Two storey blocks - 16 houses of two apartments and scullery, rental £9 2s; 8 three apartments, rental £12 7s - Erected under Building Bye Laws - no damp-proof course - Strapping and lathing - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good order

Where overcrowding has occurred, houses registered as “let in lodgings”
No gardens, but ground available - wash houses used in common - coal cellars for each house.
Water closet for each house - circular iron ashpits
Slop sinks inside for each house - drainage as above
Gravitation water at sinks inside
Scavenged at owners' expense

Illustrations of houses at Bridgend:

Summerlee Iron & Coal Co, Coatbridge

Blackhill Coal & Ironstone Mine - Situated near Maryhill
Persons employed - underground – 296, above ground – 84, Total - 380

The employees reside in the following localities:-
In Mine owners' houses, situated at - Blackhill – 24, Knightswood – 26, Lambhill - 8
In rented houses, situated at - Maryhill – 187, Lambhill – 62, Possilpark – 14, Keppochhill – 5, Auchenairn - 3 , Torrance - 4 , Balgray – 7, Temple – 30, Skaterigg - 4 , Partick – 2, Netherton - 4.

The mine owners' houses situated at Blackhill and at Lambhill are the only one within the Lower Ward District and may be described as follows:-

Blackhill New Row
6 houses of two apartments and scullery, rental £5 4s, One storey, brick built - Erected about 1882 - no damp-proof course - No strapping and lathing - some wood floors, ventilated, and some fireclay tiles - Wood Floors, ventilated - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition

No overcrowding
Garden plots in front of houses - wash houses - coal cellars
Privy midden with three seats at back of wash house
No sinks - surface channel in front of houses, drains to a cesspool, thence to River Kelvin
Gravitation water from standpipe situated about centre of row
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Improvements carried out from time to time at request of Public Health Department. Houses structurally in good condition. Seem occupied by good class of tenants

Blackhill - 4 new houses of two apartments rental ______

Erected under Building Bye Laws
Structural arrangements are modern but with privy ashpits

Lambhill Square
Leased by the company - 6 houses - 3 one apartments, rental £5 4s; 3 two apartments, rental £6 3s 6d, includes taxes - One storey, brick built - Erected about 1867 - originally for stables and workshops by the Canal company - no damp-proof course - Walls not strapped & lathed - internal surface of walls and ceilings in good condition

No overcrowding
Some have gardens - wash house - coal cellars at rear
Privy midden with two seats situated at corner of square
Sinks outside near the doors - drainage underground, towards canal
Water supply from standpipe in front of houses
Scavenged regularly at owners' expense
Reconstruction of drains and general repairs carried out a few years ago.

Conversion of a large house into workmen's dwellings:-

Lambhill House - This old mansion-house is situated near to the Balmore Road and is about 122 yards north of the Forth and Clyde Canal at Lambhill, outwith the northern birder of the City of Glasgow. The house, in the old Scottish baronial style of architecture, originally consisted of 18 apartments, with stables, coach house, and various other out-houses, and up to 18 years ago was the family residence of the owners of Lambhill Estate. About the date mentioned the house was leased and divided up into 11 or 12 houses of one or two apartments, at rents ranging from £6 to £10 16s, and occupied principally by miners families. In addition to the main building, a number of the out-buildings, including the old byre and harness room leading off the stable, were converted into dwelling houses, but with the exception of the harness room these were not long inhabited, the conditions being such that the Local Authority ultimately took action and had them closed up. The harness room continued to be occupied until about 3 years ago, when it was also closed on account of the insanitary condition into which it had been allowed to drift.

At present the main building consists of 2 one apartment houses and 4 of two apartments, and occupied by 6 families only, 2 of which are miners. The rents are £7 4s and £10 16s. The other apartments, including the fine old dining room, are now closed, having been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair and become uninhabitable.

The house was originally provided with 2 water closets, 1 on the ground floor, and 1 with bath on the first floor. The water closet on the first floor only now remains, the other, together with the bath, having been removed on account of misuse by the occupiers. A privy and ashpit situated at the dungstead in the courtyard on the north side of the house is still in use. The garden ground on the west side of the house is cultivated by two or three of the present occupiers, who are of a failry respectable class, and keep their houses in a cleanly state.