Bothwell Parish Housing

Muirpark, Bellshill

These houses are owned by Addie & Company. The houses themselves are comparatively modern, but the outside accommodation is not satisfactory. The coal-cellars are in the inside of the houses. Closet accommodation is far from satisfactory, there being flush-closets of a kind, but stand open to the public. There are as many as ten tenants using one washhouse. Attention ought to be given to the proper formation of streets here. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Addie's Square, Bellshill

Addies Square, Bellshill - These houses, which appear to be very old, are the property of Addie & Company, coalmasters. They are single apartments, and are rented at 1s. 9d. a week. There are no washhouses. There are no coal-cellars, coals being kept below the beds. There are no rhones even to take the rain-water from the roofs, and the water simply runs down the walls to the earth. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Addies Square, Bellshill
This property consists of two rows attached to one another and forming L shape, having a frontage of 195 feet 6 inches and 193 feet, and 20 feet 6 inches wide.

The property is one storey in height, and contains twenty-three single houses and one room and kitchen house.

Rental - single house, 1s. 9d., and room and kitchen, 2s. per week, including taxes.

The ceilings of all the foregoing houses are 8 feet 6 inches high.

There are no wash-houses and the only conveniences for the tenants are dry-closets, with ash-pits. The walls are plastered on the solid wall, and there are no rones to take the roof water. The back of these houses is built at the extreme boundaries of the feu, and there are no openings in the back wall. The property appears to have been built a considerable time ago.

In our opinion the cost of the erection of this property would be about £1249.[Supplementary report on cost of rebuilding old houses, presented to Royal Commission on 25th March 1914]

Hattonrigg Terrace, Bellshill

This property is owned by the Summerlee Coal. Company. It consists of one row of 32 two-roomed houses of two storeys. Each house has a coal-cellar; water-closet accommodation is quite inadequate, one only being supplied for every four families. The supply of water is from four stand-pipes fixed in the stairs. Dirty water is disposed of by being emptied into an open gutter (channelled with cement). The entrance to all the houses is from the same side of the property; the stairs to the second storey are outside, and, of course, run up past the kitchen windows of the houses on the ground-level. No proper street has been made, and at the time of our visit the street space was in a very bad condition. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Bothwellpark Rows, Bellshill

Wm. Baird & Company, coalmasters, own considerable property here. The property consists mostly of room and kitchen houses. Water is not led into the houses, but is supplied by the usual standpipe in the street. Sanitary accommodation consists of dry-closet and ash-pits, which are in a very bad state. Seven families use the same washhouse. The houses are damp, which may be caused by the height of the roads surrounding them. The rent is about 2s. 9d. per week. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Jerviston Square, Holytown

Jerviston Square, Holytown - This "square " is composed of two parallel rows of one-storey, stone-built houses, with a wide space between, on which are erected wash-houses and trough-closets for the use of the tenants. The houses are old, and in a state of general disrepair outside and inside. The ground around is soaked with the rain from the roofs, the rhones and fall spouts being defective or absent. The floors are of tiles on the ground, or of cement; and under the beds in the living-room there is only bare earth. There are defective surface-channels, made of bricks, along the whole length of the rows for surface and slop waters.

There is wash-house accommodation in outhouses, one wash-house for every six tenants. There is a trough-closet for every four tenants.

There are no coal-houses, the household supply being kept under the kitchen beds. There are no sinks in any house.

Water, Drainage, etc. - Holytown is a special drainage and a scavenging district, daily removal of household refuse having been instituted. There is a plentiful supply of gravitation water available, belonging to the Middle Ward of the county.

The rent of the houses, which are of two apartments, is 2s. 3d. a week [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 12th March 1913 by Dr Fred Dittmar]

The houses in Jerviston Square, Holytown, may be taken as an example of houses that are very near the border line of the habitable standard. These are stone houses about 100 years old and built on two sides of a square. There are neither rones nor down-pipes, the plaster is placed hard on the outside walls, the roofs are leaking, the floors are of tile or cement, and some of the windows do not open. All these are structural defects which make for uninhabitable housing.

There are no sinks inside the houses. Trough-closets, in the proportion of one to four families, are placed in the yard and the surface channel of brick for slop water is broken in parts. The want of water in the houses and also of proper conveniences tend to make the habits of the tenants undesirable and so indirectly to affect the state of the structure.

The houses have each two apartments, but in many cases one of the rooms is sub-let to another family.

The tenants are iron works labourers and miners, with wages from 24s. a week for the former to about 40s. a week for the latter. The rents are 2s. 3d. per week.[Evidence presented by John Wilson to Royal Commission, 29th April 1913]

Baird Square, Holytown

Baird Square in Holytown, until a year ago, might have been taken as another example of bad housing, even worse than the former [Jerviston Square, Holytown]. When the mineral lease changed hands, the new lessees thoroughly repaired the houses. A scullery wing has been added to each house and contains sink, water-closet, and coal-cellar. The stone floors have been replaced by wood floors. One wash-house for every five houses has been erected in the yard.

Though the houses are 90 years old, I barely recognised them in their altered condition as the almost uninhabitable houses seen two years ago.

The rents charged formerly were 1s. 6d. and 2s. a week for one- and two-roomed houses respectively. Now 3s. and 4s. a week are charged, and I was assured that the tenants were very pleased to pay the increase in rent for the extra conveniences.[Evidence presented by John Wilson to Royal Commission, 29th April 1913]

Baird's Square, Holytown.
About a year ago, Baird's Square, which is also in Holytown, was in a similar state to Jerviston Square. It was indeed rather worse, as largo open privy middens stood in the space between the rows of dilapidated old houses.

Houses Repaired. - At this date (February 1913), the following improvements have been made in Baird's Square. The houses have been repaired inside and outside.

Wooden floors have been put in, and under-floor ventilation provided.

A large window of double-hung sash type has been put in the back wall, and a new one of similar type is, I was told, to replace the existing window in the front wall that is not "hung."

For each tenant a coal-cellar has been provided outside and near the house.

A scullery with sink and tap from the main has been added to each house.

A water-closet has been provided for each house, the entrance being outside.

Wash-house accommodation has been provided, one for every five tenants.

The houses on one side are of one apartment, and on the other of two apartments, and the rents are 3s. and 4s. per week respectively.

All the alterations in Baird's Square were made willingly by the leaseholders of the mineral rights. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 12th March 1913 by Dr Fred Dittmar]

Baird's Square, Holytown - Bothwell Parish (McAndrew & Company, Owners)
This property has been in existence for eighty ' years or thereby. The houses are of a very poor type. Recently there have been built to this property a water-closet and washhouse and scullery for each house; coal-cellars have also been erected. But these additions are only salves on the ulcer. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Hozier Street, Tannochside

There are ninety-three houses here owned by Russell & Company. Single apartments are rented at 2s., and room and kitchen houses are rented at 3s. weekly. Each tenant has a coal-house, but eight families use the same washhouse, and four families use the same closet (which are not of a good type). There are two open middens, which, at the time of our visit (4th December 1913), were not only full but overflowing. Water is supplied by stand-pipes in the street. Matters all over are very bad. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Napier's Square New Stevenston

Three rows of miners' houses, known as Napier's Square, New Stevenston, which were the subject of complaint and inspection. Certain improvements were carried out, but the result was far from satisfactory, so that they are again being dealt with during the current year, and a representation will be suggested. [1903 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

The rows of miners' houses, known as Napier's Square, New Stevenston, were inspected, and formed the subject of negotiations. This property has now been sold, and, at an interview, the new proprietor stated that he would carry out various improvements, including sinks in every house, with a water supply connection; a water-closet for every four families, and each to be provided with a key; wash-houses and coal-cellars; an ashpit, of suitable dimensions; the abolition of surface channels, and the laying of drains for the interception of all rain-water; the area to front and back of houses to be levelled; the repair of all broken plaster, and wood-work; and the alteration of fixed windows to meet the requirements of the local authority. The work of improvement is at present being carried out. [1905 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

Braidwood's Land, Uddingston

Braidwood's Land, Uddingston, has been the subject of interview and much correspondence with the owner, who has carried out some minor repairs, but the matter is still under consideration.  [1905 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

Doctor's Land, Main Street, Bellshill

The insanitary property known as "Doctor's Land," Main Street, Bellshill, has been sold during the year, and formed the subject of negotiations with the new proprietor. The matter is still under consideration. [1905 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

The insanitary property known as " Doctor's Land," Bellshill, is still the subject of negotiation with the proprietor. [1906 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

Gilchrist's Land, Holytown

Gilchrist's Land, Holytown, a thatched block of three houses, was inspected, and found to be damp from want of damp-proof course, absence of rhones and rain-water conductors, want of ventilated air space beneath floors, and want of strapping and lathing of external walls. An agreement was entered into with the owner that the houses would either be repaired or vacated before 15th April, 1907, if not previously sold. [1906 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

Gilchrist's Land, Holytown. - A thatched block of three houses dealt with in last Report, has now been vacated. [1907 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

Lawson's Cottage, New Stevenston

Lawson's Cottage, New Stevenston, was a single storey property consisting of two houses of two apartments each, and was complained of as being damp, with defective roof and want of proper water supply. It was inspected and reported upon by the Assistant Medical Officer. Statutory procedure was adopted, and Sheriff Thomson ordered remedial measures to be carried out. The property has been vacated, and the site is being utilised for other buildings. [1907 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

Johnstonhall, Holytown

Johnstonhall, Holytown, was a single-storey property consisting of three houses, and was inspected by the Assistant Medical Officer, and found to be damp, due to various structural defects. Statutory procedure was adopted against the owner, under Section 16 (1), and Sheriff Thomson granted one month for remedial measures to be carried out. These measures were carried out. [1907 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

Mossend

Two lots of miners' dwellings at Mossend, situated on the north side of the public highway, containing 17 one-apartment and 11 two-apartment houses, were inspected by the Medical Officer and Sanitary Inspector. After negotiations with the proprietors a meeting was held, and remedial measures discussed with their representatives. As the outlay involved in dealing with the sanitary defects was considerable, the proprietors thought it would be better to vacate the dwellings altogether and build new houses elsewhere. As this course was commendable, the matter was put before the Public Health Committee, and received their approval. The proprietors promised to vacate the houses not later than Whit Sunday, 1910, and plans have already been lodged for new buildings, consisting of 32 two-apartment houses, to be erected at Hattonrigg, Bellshill [1908 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]


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