A warm welcome to this site from William Cross, FSA Scot
Starting here with Glasgow Disasters, this is part of a detailed retrospective on the major Accidents and Disasters from Scotland in the 19th and 20th Centuries by William Cross,FSA Scot, the author/ compiler of a series Accidents and Disasters Booklets published between 1995 and 2007.
The above image features the Daphne Disaster of 1883
Please feel free to contact William Cross
Email: williecross@aol.com
Read All about Glasgow Disasters Or “ Tales that beguile the tedium of a dull evening… ”
Some uplifts from the presentation by Monty Dart and William Cross, FSA Scot
These are some Glasgow dates and data that are featured or are relevant to the talk given by Monty and Will to the Glasgow and West of Scotland FHS at Glasgow University on 17 November 2008.
525 : St Mungo ( aka Kentigern) born – a contemporary of King Arthur
6th Century : St Mungo established an Abbey
738 : Great Glasgow Flood
1172 : Became a Burgh; 1611 Became a Royal Burgh
1350, 1380-1 & 1645 : Plague raged in Glasgow
1420 : Glasgow was a commercial place – chief export - Salmon
1546 : Glasgow had “fitted up a little fleet”
1652, 1677 & 1832 :Great Fires in Glasgow
1696 : Darien Expedition – many lost everything
1707 : Trade with Americas opened up 1718 Vessels sailed direct from Glasgow to America
1782, 1795 , 1825, 1864 etc : Great Floods in Glasgow 1968 : 9 Storm deaths in Glasgow
1857 : The City of Glasgow Bank fails – “ the effect on Glasgow was immense”.
Some Books Mentioned or Recommended
St Mungo’s Bells or Old Glasgow Stories Rang Out Anew : A G Callant
The History of Glasgow : John Gibson ; The History of Glasgow : John McUre
Reminiscences of Glasgow & West Of Scotland : Peter MacKenzie
A Peep into Ancient Glasgow : Rev Mr Wade.
Glasgow : Vol 1 Beginnings to 1830 Edited by T M Devine & Gordon Jackson
Glasgow : Vol 2 1830-1912 Edited by W Hamish Fraser & Irene Maver
The Annals of Our Time .. Joseph Irving. 1837 to ... 1871 (1871-1891 ... vol. I.- III. pt. 2., 1880-92 vol. 3, by H. H. Fyfe).
Scottish Disasters Series : William Cross www.scottishdisasters.tripod.com/
Scottish Disasters : Donald Fraser ; Red for Danger : LTC Rolt
Stairway 13 : Paul Collier and Donald S Taylor
Some Articles in Glasgow Herald : by SENEX ( Robert Reid of Strahoun Lodge, Cumbrae) ; Old Glasgow & its Environs ; NESTOR’s “ Rambling Recollections of Glasgow” & “ Loose Memoranda on Glasgow Subjects ”.
Some Glasgow Clubs : Twelfth of March Club, Bridgegate: Minutes 1824-53. Glasgow City Archives Ref GB243/TD373. This was a dining and social club in Glasgow, founded in 1812. Its name commemorated the serious flood of 12 March 1782.
Glasgow Humane Society : The Minutes of this Society are in Glasgow City Archives. The members of the Geddes family dominated the Society as “Officer”.
Other Sources Mentioned: Glasgow University Archives Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd Shipbuilders ( Daphne); http://www.gla.ac.uk/archives/ National Archives of Scotland (NAS) : AD15/02/71: Precognition against Alexander McDougall- Ibrox Park, 1902. JC26/1902/46 Trial Papers : 7 July 1902. Precognition against Henry Northcott - St Enoch Railway Station 1903. JC26/1903/23: Trial Papers 19 October 1903. AD27/5-11 : Ibrox Disaster : Proceedings, Police Reports, Photographs, Witnesses etc GRO8/118 ( Death Certificates) ;http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/ Oxford Dictionary National Biography : Jemima Blackburn (1823–1909), painter and illustrator;
Some Notable Glasgow Disasters 1849-1971 & later
1849 : Dunlop St, Theatre 65 people trampled to death on stairway
1864 : Glasgow Ferry Boat Catastrophe 20 lives lost
1872 : Explosion at Tradeston Flour Mills : 14 killed
1880 : Glasgow Iron Works explosion kills 24 men
1883 : 124 men and boys perish on launch of Daphne on the Clyde
1884 : Star Theatre, 14 lives lost in crush
1889 : Templeton’s Carpet Factory Collapse 29 women and girls die
1898 : Glasgow Firemen Killed on Duty in Renfield Street Fire
1902 : 25 die & 500 injured stand collapses at Scotland v England match
1903 : 16 killed, many injured in St Enoch’s Railway Accident
1905 : 39 men die in Model Lodging House Fire at Watson Street
1949 : 12 girls die at Grafton’s Fashion Store Fire
1960 : 20 Glasgow Firemen & Salvage Officers buried in a whisky warehouse fire
1968 : James Watt St : Fire : 22 die in factory – infamous bars at the windows case.
1971 : 66 people die on Stairway 13 at Ibrox Park
1971 : Explosion at Clarkston Toll Shopping Centre, kills 12
2004 : Stockline Plastics Factory 9 dead, 37 injured
Fatal Accidents Inquiries ( FAIs) : As a result of the Fatal Accidents Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1895, public inquiries by Sheriff and jury came into being. A limited number of Fatal Accident inquiry records commencing pre 1900 may be found in the National Archives of Scotland ( NAS). Arbroath (SC43) /Campbeltown (SC50) / Dornoch (SC9) / Dumbarton (SC65) Dumfries (SC15) / Dundee (SC45) / Duns (SC60) / Edinburgh (SC39) Greenock (SC53) / Inverness (SC 29) / Lanark (SC38) / Paisley (SC58) Portree (SC32) / Stirling (SC67) / Stornoway (SC 33) / Stranraer (SC18) Airdrie 1943- 68 ( SC35) Hamilton 1953 -64 (SC37) SC= Sheriff Court Series. NB Many Glasgow FAI reports, have now been digitized.
FAI on Ibrox Victims 1971 : SC36/30/1971/1 in NAS. [ The total number of Glasgow FAI entries is 4,082 covering the years 1900-1977. Inquiries include the bonded warehouse of Arbuckle Smith & Co Ltd, 76-118 Cheapside Street, Glasgow on 28 March 1960 ( REF SC36/30/1960/28) killing 14 fireman and 5 salvage corps workers. NAS Report 2004/5]
Newspaper Sources : British Library ; National Library of Scotland; Mitchell Library ( Glasgow Room/ Collections ); Glasgow City Archives; On line sources - web sites : The Times 1785-1985; The Scotsman Digital 1817-1950; 19th Century Newspapers Data Base - Suggest you seek access via Athens or one of the major libraries/ archives.
New Zealand Papers Past ( free ) http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
Australian Papers beta ( free ) http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home
American/ Canadian/ Other ( pay site ) http://www.newspaperarchive.com/
National Archives, Kew Files consulted : Daphne Disaster 1883 : T1/15113 Sir E Reed’s fee St Enoch’s Disaster 1903: MT6/1177/2; MT6/1206/9; MT6/1235/1 and RAIL 1024/14
Ibrox Disaster 1971 : AST 20/89; HO300/84; PREM 15/796; Images: COPY 1/502/210 ( Boat House Humane Soc); COPY 1/365 73-75 ( The Daphne Wreck ); COPY 1/435/568 ( Anglo Scottish Football Team 1898); COPY 1/435/ 654-5 and 863 ( Football ).COPY 1/439/33 and 37 ( Glasgow Municipal Buildings & George Square ).
NB A one hour illustrated talk and Powerpoint is available on Glasgow Disasters. Contact Will for more details.
William Cross, FSA Scot, is a writer and researcher based in Newport, Gwent, South Wales. He is the Author of six books on the Morgans of Tredegar House, Newport and six books on the Carnarvons of Highclere Castle, teh back drop to TV's " Downton Abbey"
http://williecross.tripod.com/
