Blantyre Area Housing
Craighead Rows, Blantyre
These two rows of miners' houses, which are owned by William Baird & Company, are situated near to the Glasgow Road in the Parish of Blantyre. They consist of 108 houses of two apartments. They were erected nearly forty years ago, and are built with stone throughout, and have boarded floors. The rent, including all local assessments, is 2s. 9d. per week. There is a good gravitation water supply, which is served up in a niggardly fashion by means of stand-pipes erected at short intervals along the rows. There are no sculleries nor sinks in any of the houses, so that all the dirty water has to be emptied into an open gutter that runs along in front, of the row - a most objectionable feature, which is very common to miners' rows. There is a washhouse to every ten families, and coal-cellar to each house.
By the inclusion of this property in a special scavenging district the county authorities have greatly improved the sanitation of the place. The old common ash-pits and dry-closets have all been removed, and a flush-closet has now been erected for every five families. Dust-bins are also now in vogue, with a daily collection of refuse, and a local scavenger is employed to tidy up the place. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]
Merry's Rows, Blantyre
We visited these two rows of miners' houses on 24th March 1913. They are situated near to the Glasgow Road, in the Parish of Blantyre, and are owned by Merry & Cunninghame, coalmasters. They consist of 46 single- and 50 double-apartment houses. They are built with brick, and were erected between thirty and forty years ago, and are a very poor type of house, low-ceilinged and mostly damp. The rent per week, including rates, is 2s. 4d. and 2s. 11d. for single and double houses respectively. Within the last five years this property has been included in a special scavenging district, and consequently the sanitation of the place has been very much improved. The water is supplied by means of stand-pipes at intervals along the front of the row. There are no sculleries or sinks about the place, and all the dirty water is emptied into an open gutter. There is a washhouse to every six tenants, and a flush-closet to every three tenants. Bins are in vogue, with a daily collection of refuse. No coal-cellars or drying-greens. A man is kept for tidying up the place. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]
Low Blantyre Village
This property is situated in the Blantyre district, on a picturesque site on the banks of the river Clyde, and consists of large groups of one- and two-apartment houses. It is known locally as the "Village," and as recently as forty years ago was used as a kind of female colony for millworkers, approachable only by means of large iron gates, which gates were closed each night on the stroke of ten. This place has long been famous as the birthplace of David Livingstone. Built over 100 years ago, it in now in a bad state of dilapidation. It in outside any scavenging district, and is consequently in a most filthy and insanitary condition, and is a standing disgrace to the memory of David Livingstone. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]
Dixon's Rows, Blantyre
These rows cover a very extensive area, and are situated in the centre of the Blantyre district. They were erected some forty years ago, and are owned by William Dixon, Limited. They consist of 157 single- and 149 double-apartment houses. The rent per week, including rates, is 1s. 11d. for single-apartment, and 3s. 2d. for two-apartment houses. They are a most miserable type of house, thrown together with bricks in the cheapest possible fashion, with floors consisting largely of flags laid down on the earth. They are in a district well supplied with water, but are only served by means of standpipes at long intervals along the row. They have recently been included in a special scavenging district, which has greatly improved the sanitation of the place. There are no sculleries or sinks, consequently all the dirty water has to be emptied into an open gutter that runs along the front of each row. There is a washhouse for every 4 and 8 double- and single-apartment tenants respectively. There is a water-closet outside for every 3 and 5 double- and single-apartment houses respectively. Dust-bins are in vogue, with a daily collection of refuse. There are no coal-cellars. There is a man employed locally for cleaning up the place. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]