MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST Maryhill Burgh Halls: Historic Stained Glass Windows

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST STEPHEN ADAM

Stephen Adam & Stained Glass

When it opened in 1878, Ballantine of Edinburgh, Maryhill Burgh Halls at that time the premiere firm contained 20 stained glass working in stained glass in panels created by the studio of Scotland. They were the Adam and Small. This studio leading company in the revival was set up in Glasgow by of the craft in Scotland in the Stephen Adam in 1870 and the latter half of the 19th century. company produced possibly The Adam studio was the most significant examples originally situated in St. Stephen Adam of Scottish stained glass for the Vincent Street, coincidentally The stained glass panels were next four decades, until the same street where the taken out of the building in the Adam's death in 1910. He is architect of the building had early 1960s, and have been in recognised as an his practice. The realism of the the care of Glasgow Museums internationally important artist portrayals of the industries ever since. in the field of stained glass and trades in the Maryhill design and production. A programme of cleaning, Windows is in marked contrast Stephen Adam was born near repairing and reframing means to Adam’s other stained glass Edinburgh in 1847 and in 1862 that the panels are now in a treatments of similar subjects. was apprenticed to James condition that - almost 50 Frustratingly, there are very years later - they can finally be few mentions of the stained displayed in Maryhill again. glass in contemporary One panel - the Canal Boatman accounts of the building, and - is on display in the entrance no known photographs of foyer, and a number of others them actually in the Hall. We are back in as close as possible know they were mounted up to their original places high up in the square windows on in the main Burgh Hall itself... either side of the Hall, but

Panel detail during cleaning don’t know in what order.

2 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST MARYHILL BURGH HALLS Heritage Wall Display Small-scale backlit copies of the full set of all twenty stained glass panels can be seen Mackintosh Mackintosh Church, Queens Cross opposite the cafe servery, in the context of a stylised map of the Maryhill area.

Get up close and look at the details - the Firhill Timber Basin Maryhill panels are unique amongst stained glass of the period. They feature real working people of 1870s Maryhill, going about their everyday jobs, and not dressed up or stylised. For example - look closely at the Canal

Boatman and you can even stitches in the patch Century 20th Tenement in his trousers! Church Hall, Ruchill They feature geographically specific locations in Maryhill; for many we can identify the companies or factories shown; in some, we can make a good guess as to the identity of the people. They’re full of hidden stories - look for the hoof prints in the mud along the canal bank, the sign leading the soldiers to the canteen, or the High Flats,High Wyndford addresses on the parcels on the railway station Junction Stockingfield platform. The panels are shown against a stylised map of the area, defined by the geographical boundaries of the Forth & Clyde Canal, and the

River Kelvin. The stone panels are Caithness BurghMaryhill Halls Stone, with the Canal and Kelvin sand-blasted into it several millimetres deep. Some of the landmark buildings in the area, Maryhill Maryhill Locks both ancient and modern, are laser-etched onto Former Maryhill ChurchHigh it as well. Maryhill Road runs down the middle, from the Railway Line to the North- west, to Queen’s Cross Church to the south- east. Former White Bar House

The twenty panels are shown in locations Gasworks Former roughly appropriate for the companies and industries they depict. Heritage Wall display designed by Anna Montgomery; drawings by David Lemm. Kelvin Aqueduct

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS THE BLACKSMITHS

The Blacksmiths One man here is working a Tramway and Omnibus The canal boatmen would also chain-driven bellows, Company on Duart Street off need their horses shod, and maintaining the airflow to the Maryhill Road, and it would this smiddy might well have forge on the right. The other is have needed a farrier, but it been connected with that hammering a piece of metal on did not open until 1883, but activity. The P.O. Directory for the anvil, perhaps a horse-shoe there would have also been 1877-8 lists an E Mackenzie, like the one hanging up on the several farms in the area with blacksmith at Agnes Street, so wall. There was a horse-tram horses at this time. this could be that workshop. depot for the Glasgow

4 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE BOATBUILDER

The Boatbuilder The worker is a ship’s on Maryhill Road, which was is a wooden canal barge, with carpenter with his plane (on actually built as a repair a swan motif. Swan was ground) and a shaping adze facility for the canal in the Maryhill’s first Provost in 1856, over his shoulder. He is 1790s, but later developed as a and initially lived in a mansion wearing trousers and boat building yard owned by Collina, near the yard. a jacket and waistcoat – Swan & Co. in the 1850s, and Notably, this panel features the dungarees were a long way off lasting till the 1950s. The name of Adam & Small’s for working men in 1870. The boatyard built mainly ironclad company in the lower left. yard is that at the Kelvin Dock puffers, but the vessel shown

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 5 THE BRICKLAYERS

The Bricklayers The wooden scaffolding, with On the other hand many of the both large brick-built rope knots, and ladders is factories beside the canal were buildings. The source of the interesting. Most of Maryhill brick built, and this is probably bricks may have been Eastpark was built of stone – the one of these being constructed. Brickworks, between tenements, the barracks, the Notably, both the Alexander Shakespeare Street and churches and the civic Ferguson Ltd chemical works, Avenuepark Street, which was buildings. as well as the George McLellan open until the 1890s. rubber works, were

6 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE PRINTERS

The Calico Printers Kelvindale Mills was built by just before it closed in the late They stand on duckboards, John Barr at Bantaskin Street in 1870s. The industry was and are wearing clogs, since The Butney c.1830, by the the main source of the factory floor would be River Kelvin. It was burned employment for women of the constantly sopping wet. Two down in 1841 and rebuilt, but time. The women shown above wear headsquares as had been demolished by 1895 are pre-treating cloth in a protective clothing, as they when Thomson wrote his container with a water supply. turn over the cloth with their Memories of Maryhill. Adam They may be (pre- poles. must have caught the works shrinking) or dying the cloth.

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 7 THE CANAL BOATMAN

The Canal Boatman 1870s many of the barges The Canal Boatman is standing In this panel, look for the would have been steam on the banks of the canal, with delightful patch sewn onto his powered, carrying bulk goods his horse, just on the aqueduct knee, and the hoofprints such as grain, coal and to the north of the Burgh Halls hidden in the mud on the canal fertiliser. over Maryhill Road. bank. Unlike English canals, The canal was closed to the journeys were not lengthy, The spire is that of Maryhill navigation in the early 1960s, so it was uncommon for boats High Free Kirk (now converted and reopened forty years later. to act as homes for the workers to housing). By the

8 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE CHEMICAL WORKERS

The Chemical Workers The workers appear engaged operative when Adam did his George Maclellan and Co., and in some kind of distillation panel. The Glasgow Lead and it made asbestos as well as process. John Sandeman was Colour Works of Alexander rubber products. The latter an oil refiner and rosin distiller Fergusson dates from 1874 and factory worked into the 1990s, at the Ruchill Oil Works in was on both sides of Ruchill and has recently been flattened Murano Street, but not till Street, with a wharf to the for housing. In addition Walls 1883. Of the various chemically canal. Two years later the and Co. had a paraffin refinery related industries in Maryhill, Glasgow Rubber Works was in Lochburn Road, and this several would have been built at Shuna Street for might be the source.

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 9 THE DYE-PRESS WORKER

The Dye Press Worker factory of Messrs Monteith & well as beautifully patterned Co. at Glasgow’. cloths which were exported On the front page of one of the throughout the world. issues of the ‘Mechanics Turkey red was Magazine’ published in 1824 originally brought to Scotland We don’t know which was a drawing of a press from France, and became a company in the Maryhill area almost exactly like the massively important industry might have been using this equipment being used here, in the West of Scotland in the process at the time the panels depicting the 'Great Bandana 1800’s. Besides cowboy were commissioned – so Gallery in the Turkey Red bandanas, the British Redcoats there’s still more to find out... were dyed with Turkey red, as

10 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE ENGINEERS

The Engineers The most likely source of this requirements of the latest job. panel would have been the The details of the drawing he Maryhill Engine Works at is holding have sadly faded Lochburn Road, built in 1873 and been lost. for Clarkson Brothers, later The building which housed Clarkson and Becket. Possibly this factory is still standing, as one of the brothers, John or far as is known, the only one in James, is explaining to the the entire set of panels. workman with the spanner the

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 11 THE GAS WORKER

The Gas Worker The Dawsholm Gasworks The provision of services like The worker shown is stoking which supplied Maryhill was these added fuel to the up the furnace under the actually within Glasgow, on arguments for the annexation retort, where the coal was the west bank of the Kelvin on of surrounding burghs by converted to coke, releasing Skaethorn Road. It was built Glasgow. The works was gas, which was eventually by the Glasgow Corporation demolished in 1968 and lay stored in the gasometer shown Gas Department in 1871-2 at long derelict before being in the background. the cost of £160,000. developed for housing.

12 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE GLASSBLOWER

The Glassblower In 1878 Maryhill had two operating since 1874, and it closed by 1973. Almost alone large-scale glass works, both in seems likely that this is the of the workers featured on the Murano Street, named after the location of the panel. The 20 panels, this worker is Murano Glass Works in Venice. Glasgow Glass Works was also beardless. It is probable that The worker is shown with a established on the canal banks this was because he was still wide variety of blown glass in 1874, but this produced just a boy, as in 1878 people products. The Caledonia Glass rolled plate glass and is started work in factories as Bottle Works under its owners, therefore unlikely to be the early as 11 or 12 years old. Gibson and Scott, were location. Both these works had

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 13 THE IRON MOULDERS

The Iron Moulders There were a few ironfounders to set up on his own in 1865, The workers shown here are in Maryhill, starting with the along with his brother-in-law, pouring molten iron - using Kelvin Foundry from 1837. Archibald McInnes. The firm very little in the way of Taken over by John Shaw, it of Shaw & McInnes thrived on protective clothing or safety thrived and was later known the north bank of the canal, equipment! - into an open as the Maryhill Iron Works, or just to the right of Firhill topped mould, while a further just ‘Shaw’s’. A cousin of John Bridge, and remained in supply is released in the called James Shaw, who was a business until 2001. background. manager at the works, decided

14 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE JOINERS

The Joiners In the nineteenth century then. The only one listed on be shaped, and has a basket of skilled woodworkers were the P.O. Directory is J & W tools slung across his shoulder. designated carpenters, and Goodfellow, cabinetmakers, Look for the wood-shavings on had a more general training Main St (now Maryhill Road). the floor, and the details of the than those we would now call chisels in the background. One joiner is at planing a piece joiners. This panel illustrates a There is also another type of of timber on the workbench, carpenters’ workshop, of plane - a spokeshave - lying on while the other is carrying a which there would have been the floor. length of wood that appears to more than one in Maryhill

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 15 THE BLEACHERS

The Linen Bleachers A bleachworks was founded century, but this was moved to Mills, but was also on Maryhill Road (the part the Vale of Leven in 1770. bleached chemically by the then called New City Road) in There was only one linen mill 1870s. A possibility is that this 1855, but this was within the of any size in Glasgow by is an historical image, relating Glasgow City boundaries, and Adam’s time, at St Rollox and to Maryhill’s pre-1870 past, a it engaged in chemical it didn’t use bleachfields either. lapse from the pattern of the bleaching without bleachfields. It may have been a cotton other panels, which show There was a linen bleachfield bleachfield, for the Kelvindale contemporary workplace at Dalsholm in the eighteenth situations.

16 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE PAPERMAKER

The Papermaker Unlike other industries which Dalsholm Road near Dalsholm the Kelvin, and some of the moved to the canal with steam Bridge, or at the Kelvindale red-brick houses, built for the power, the paper mills stayed Mills further downriver at managers, also survive. on the River Kelvin, because of Kelvindale Road, established The worker here is retrieving their need for large amounts of at about the same time as a the finished rolls of paper as water. The man here is either snuff mill and later converted they emerge from the rolls working at the Dalsholm Paper to paper making. This latter which give it a smooth, even Mills, founded by William works’ lade and distinctive V- finish. MacArthur in 1783 on shaped weir are still visible on

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 17 THE RAILWAY WORKERS

The Railway Men Maryhill had two stations. This was constructed in 1858 Examination of the crates on Maryhill Central Station for for the Glasgow, Dumbarton the platform show that they the Lanarkshire and and Helensburgh Railway. are addressed ‘Newcastle- Dumbartonshire Railway was Closed, the station was Maryhill’ and ‘London- built in 1896, and demolished reopened in the 1990s. This Maryhill’ The sack beside them in 1966. The station shown is was originally a goods, as well is addressed for one ‘James thus likely to be Maryhill Park as a passenger station, shown Black, ’. Station, at Station Road. by the parcels carried by the porter.

18 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE SAWYER

The Sawyer Firhill Sawmills in Murano from 1848. Ruchill Sawmills The machine the worker is Street and MacFarlane’s became part of Bryant and using is of an advanced Ruchill Sawmills in Shuna May’s match factory c.1918, design, with the rope thought Street were both operating in and the Firhill Sawmills were to be some form of tensioning 1878. The man shown might be the last to go in 1969. device, with the gears on the working at either, or at the left regulating the speed of the Carpenters would also have Western Sawmills at Firhill circular saw. been employed at the Kelvin Timber Basin, built with the Dock shipyard. canal but greatly extended

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 19 THE SOLDIERS

The Soldiers Just opened in 1876 when The building where the two Along with the gatehouse, the Adam did this panel, the soldiers are shown could well barracks wall remains, along Maryhill Barracks was used by be the still extant gatehouse, with the iron bollards various regiments until looking out onto the tenements embossed with VR (Victoria eventually becoming on Maryhill Road, or more Regina), as seen in the Canteen associated with the Highland likely inwards the barracks sign in the panel, at the Light Infantry or H.L.I. themselves. Note the pan-tiled, pedestrian entrance to the Soldiers then, like policemen, rather than slated roofs. Wyndford Estate. all wore mustaches.

20 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE TEACHER

The Teacher The Education Act of 1872 in Park Public School, and Post Office Directory for theory made primary Church Street Public School, 1877-8, however, gives another education compulsory, and one of which is illustrated Public School teacher, a James this looks like one of above. The map, interestingly, A Miller. Although education Maryhill’s first primary shows England. It is possible was free, parents had to pay teachers. According to A that the teacher was John towards the cost of books. Thomson’s Maryhill (1895) Russell, parish teacher and Note the children’s tackety there were three primaries – session clerk. The Glasgow boots. Maryhill Public School, East

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 21 THE WHEELWRIGHTS

The Wheelwrights Working with wooden tools, Co., spring van and lorry they are making wooden builders, which fits the bill. In wheels. In 1878, most vehicles , 1900 this building became a carts, carriages, still had cooperage for Fergusson’s lead wooden wheels, though these and paint works. It occupied were iron-girded. A the now waste ground north of coachbuilder’s shop appears Ruchill Church. likely, and at Ruchill Bridge was located David Stirrat &

22 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST THE ZINC SPELTERS

The Zinc Spelters This panel shows the making The solid zinc was known as The connection with Maryhill of zinc metal-spelter. The spelter. It was at that time used is that David Swan Junior, 'furnace' is a battery of zinc for coating iron or steel objects Glasgow's only spelter make in retorts. The zinc produced is - galvanising - to protect the 1870s, had his works near gaseous, and is condensed in a against rust, and also formed the Kelvin Dock on the canal. receiver. The liquid zinc is into sheets, or sections. This was listed as closed by drawn off at intervals and 1896. poured into moulds, as seen in the foreground.

MARYHILL BURGH HALLS TRUST 23 MARYHILL BURGH HALLS

The stained glass panel images are copyright Culture & Sport Glasgow, on behalf of Glasgow City Council. Thanks to Ian R Mitchell, William B Black and Michael Meighan for research into the stained glass panels.

The Burgh Halls project is only possible thanks to the generous financial support of the following organisations:

GET INVOLVED! If you are interested in finding out more about the project, booking a space in the Halls for an event, becoming involved as a Volunteer, or showing your support by joining the Trust, please get in touch. You can contact us through our website at www.maryhillburghhalls.org.uk or by email to [email protected] or alternatively by writing to Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust, 10-24 Gairbraid Ave, Glasgow, G20 8YE. Telephone 0845 860 1891 / 1878.

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