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AAccompanying the “Obscure History Plaques”placed in pavements of the area your quest is touncover the Merchant City’s hidden history.From the tales of colourful characters to the grislymurder of a flea - the Merchant City vaults havebeen plundered for this leaflet. This leafletaccompanies “the Merchant City Visitor Guide”listing the various amenities and visitorattractions and “the Merchant City ArchitectureTrail” which celebrates the rich architecture ofthe area that you will pass by on your quest.

Deep beneath the modernstreets of the Merchant Citylurks an obscure history.

High Street, 19th century

KeyPLAQUESPLACES

ATM/BANKTELEPHONEPARKINGPOST BOX /OFFICERAILWAYUNDERGROUND

InformationTOURIST INFORMATION,GEORGE SQUARE:0141 204 4400WWW.SEEGLASGOW.COM

TRAINS, UNDERGROUNDAND BUSES:0870 608 2608WWW.SPT.CO.UK

TAXI RANKS:0141 429 7070(EAST SIDE OF QUEEN STSTATION/QUEEN ST JUNCTIONWITH ARGYLE STREET)

CITY CENTRE REPRESENTATIVES SPOT THE LITTLE RED REPS

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The Necropolis

St. Mungo Glasgow Cathedral, mid-17th century Mary, Queen of ScotsHigh Street Close, 19th century

Ipopular haunt for theGlasgow chapter of theVampire Society. Open tothe public from dawn ‘tildusk ...and best avoidedafter that!

4. Cathedral HouseHotel 28/32Cathedral PrecinctEstablished in 1877 as ahostel for prisoners beingdischarged from DukeStreet Prison. The prisonstood where we now see amodern housing estate.Cathedral House was ahostel for both men andwomen for more than 80years and contained muralspainted by the ‘GlasgowBoys’. When it closed, sodid the hostel and themurals were moved to thenew prison, Barlinnie,where they weresubsequently destroyed ina fire.

Not surprisingly, thisbuilding is believed tobe haunted.

5. Provand’s LordshipThe Casket LettersThe story goes that MaryQueen of Scots stayedhere when visiting herhusband, Darnley, whowas ill with the pox. Sheand Darnley were far fromhappily married, in factMary was having an affairwith the Earl of Bothwell.

Soon after her arrival inGlasgow she decided todispatch the ailing Darnleyto Edinburgh, he wasmurdered shortlyafterwards. It is believedthat whilst staying in theProvand’s Lordship shewrote the “Casket Letters”which revealed her affairwith Bothwell andimplicated her in themurder of her husband.

High StreetThe High Street is oneof the oldest streets inthe city. Continuingfrom Castle Street, HighStreet ambles down thehill towards GlasgowCross, carrying with ittales of poetry,mercantile wealth, bodysnatching and squalor.Two fires in the 17thcentury almostcompletely destroyedthis area, which cost asmall fortune to rebuild.The new buildingsinspired Daniel Defoe towrite “the four principalstreets... are the fairestfor breadth and thefinest built that I haveever seen... ‘tis one ofthe cleanest, mostbeautiful and best builtcities in Great Britain.”Sadly this beauty didnot survive. In 1853Hugh MacDonald wrote“Sin and misery areindeed here to be seenin loathsome union.”

1. CathedralMissing RelicsIn 1560, the Reformationof the Church sent theBishop Beaton fleeing toParis. Before he fled herescued a number ofsacred items from theCathedral. Amongst theserelics were: pieces of theCross of Christ, a casketcontaining some of theVirgin Mary’s hair, part ofthe girdle of the Virgin,a fragment of St.Bartholomew’s skin, abone of St. Magdalene,milk from the Virgin, partof the manger in whichJesus was born and fluidwhich seeped from thetomb of St. Mungo.

2. Cathedral PrecinctThe precinct in front ofthe Cathedral was used forburning witches andheretics. Glasgow had it’sown Witch Finder General,the Reverend Cooper, whowas so efficient atcatching witches andgaining their confessionsthat he became known as“Burning Cooper”.

Also within view of theCathedral are:

3. The NecropolisIn 1831 it was decided toturn an old pleasureground into a gardencemetery. It was namedNecropolis (City of theDead) and is an impressivebackdrop to the Cathedral.It was designed to be aplace of peace andinspiration for the localpopulace. Today it is a

In the Beginning......There was a monkcalled Kentigernwho was visited byan angel, who toldthe monk to headwest. So west themonk went. Hefound himself on ahill, gazing down averdant valley and tothe sparkling watersof a river. He said‘Glaschu’ (what adear green place)and decided to stay.The people wholived in the “deargreen place” took aliking to the monkand nicknamed himMungo, meaning"dear friend", theyeven made him theirpatron saint, and sothe history ofGlasgow began.... (or so legend has it).

The Magai byPeter Howson -one of the new Glasgow Boys’.

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who turned a rams headinto stone on this spot.The burial ground attachedto the church was apopular haunt for the“Resurrectionists” who madea living robbing graves.

A Christian Leg?A leg is believed to beburied somewhere in theRamshorn. The leg wasfound in the garden of agentleman who lived onthe Candleriggs. Unsurewhat to do with the leg,he thought to seek theadvise of the minister atthe Ramshorn Church.When the minister lookedat the leg, he said that hecouldn’t be sure that theleg was Christian, so itwas buried withoutceremony or epitaph tomark its plot.

A Grave SituationBeneath the PavementUnder the pavementoutside the Ramshorngraveyard are the gravesof the Foulis Brothers,appointed as printers tothe University in 1743.As publishers they wereresponsible for the“Glasgow Courant” thepredecessor of theGlasgow Herald. TheCourant gave a first handaccount of the Battle ofCulloden when it washeadline news.

“Gertrude of Wyoming”,“The Battle of the Baltic”and “Ye Mariners ofEngland”. His friends wereamongst the greatestwriters of the age andincluded; Sir Walter Scott,Wordsworth, Coleridge,Byron and Keats. Campbellhas a statue in GeorgeSquare and is buried inPoet’s Corner inWestminster.

7. Raising the deadTravelling a little furtherdown the High Street wecome to College Street.College Street led fromAlbion Street to the gatesof the old University onthe High Street*. Like itsneighbouring Schools ofAnatomy, the Universitywas involved in sensationalanatomical experiments. In1818 Professor Jeffreypublicly demonstrated thejourney of electricitythrough the human bodyusing the newly inventedGalvanic Battery. For theexperiment he used thebody of a murderer,Matthew Clydesdale.Clydesdale’s corpse wasplaced in a chair andwhen the Galvanic Batterywas switched on the bodyappeared (to a horrifiedaudience) to come back tolife. Legend has it thatMary Shelley was in theaudience and this incidentmay have influenced herfamous gothic horrorbook, Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

A. 175 High Street1822: The dingyBookshop of DuncanMcVean arrived hereafter a spell at 70 HighStreet. 1860: JamesBallantyne operated hisPawnbrokers Shop fromthis site. 1880: Miss JBoyd’s Drapers andMilliners Shop. J & AKay, Tobacconists andNewsagents.

6. Ye Mariners ofEngland215 High Street: (at thecorner of Nicholas Streetjust south of the OldCollege Bar). On the northfacing wall of thisbeautiful red sand-stonebuilding (the old BritishLinen Bank building) is aplaque commemorating thepoet Thomas Campbell.

Campbell was born in July1777, the youngest of 12children. He was aboisterous lad, always infights and prone to pranksand mischief. His chiefworks included “ThePleasures of Ope”,

*The University sold this landto the City of Glasgow UnionRailway Company in 1864and after that date moved toit’s current location atGilmore Hill.

B. 24 College Street1813: Medical Studentswould remove bodies fromtheir graves to study theanatomy of the humanform. The focus for theseresurrections were theanatomy rooms of MrGranville Sharp Pattison.Their actions werediscovered on the 13thof December when half ajaw bone and the ringfinger, believed to belongto Mrs McAllister, buriedthe previous day in theRamshorn Churchyard,were found in Pattison’srooms. Mr Pattison and3 other stood trial forthe felonious abstractionof the body of MrsMcAllister. All 4 werelater released as it couldnot be proven that thebody parts found werethose of the deceased,Mrs McAllister.

8. Ramshorn ChurchFrom the High Street, turnleft onto Ingram Street.Just beyond Albion Streetis the University ofStrathclyde’s RamshornTheatre, formerly theRamshorn Church. Thereare many theories behindthe origin of the name‘Ramshorn’. One of thepopular beliefs is that itoriginated from a miracleperformed by St. Mungo,

The Battle of Culloden

City HallsVirginian slaves, 18th century

Charles Dickens

By the end of the 18thcentury, people werebeginning to see slavery asa barbaric and evil practiceand some personal slavesin Britain gained theirfreedom. One such slave,Joseph Knight, appealed tothe Sheriff Court inGlasgow for his freedom.The case finally ended atthe Court of Session whereJoseph was declared afreeman and his master,an early abolitionist, toldthat he ..”Shall lose theproperty by the merecircumstance of his bringingthe said Negro to Scotland.”

10. First Take-awayCandleriggs boasted thefirst fast food shop inGlasgow set up in 1810,Granny Black's. Theproprietors realised thatafter a few drinks thecustomers would have acraving for greasy food, sothey started selling pies tocarry out. Sadly GrannyBlack's 'fell down' a coupleof years ago.

Glasgow’s first restaurantwas Sloan’s in the ArgyllArcade. The menu offeredthe discerning customersheep’s brains and pig’strotters.

At the corner of Candleriggs,turn left into Bell Street.

9. The Candleriggs Across the road from theRamshorn is theCandleriggs. This historicstreet extends from theTrongate to the site of theold candle makers, hencethe name. If you take awalk down this prettystreet, look at thepavement outside the CityHalls, where you will finda poem carved in thepaving slabs and a list ofthe fourteen IncorporatedTrades of Glasgow. The CityHalls line one side of thestreet and is attached tothe old Candleriggs Market(now Merchant Square)and the Fruit Market. CityHalls were used as a venuefor music, exhibitions andentertainment. Amongstthe celebrities who haveappeared there are:Charles Dickens, NiccoloPaganini, Oscar Wilde(pictured below) andHarriet Beecher Stowe.

Harriet Beecher Stowe wasin Glasgow to gain supportfor the abolition of slavery.The people of Glasgowwere so taken with hercause that they began acampaign on her behalfcalled “Uncle Tom’sPenny”, wherein a pennywould be donated forevery reading of the book“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.

C. 78-82 Candleriggs1800: the Bowling Greencould be accessed througha lane on Bell Street withan entry fee of one penny.The edges of The Greenwould often fill withstagnant water in whichthe local children woulddrown stray cats anddogs. 1817: the Bazaarwas constructed to thedesign of Clelland. 1851:the Bazaar was occupiedby 1 Cheesemonger,8 Fruiterers, 9 vegetabledealers, 2 OnionMerchants, 1 Gardener,4 Egg and ButterMerchants, 6 HamMerchants,3 Stocking Dealers,1 Brush Maker,3 Booksellers and 3 Bootand Shoe Manufactures.

Slavery Records show that thepayment for slaves go asfar back as the early 1500’s.

In the 1770’s a Mr. WilliamColquhoun wrote thefollowing in a letter,“We shall sail tomorrowwith a hundred and fiftyslaves for Potuchan Riverin Virginia in a very finevessel which I am chiefmate of...it is a veryprecious cargo as for me itis the first time... plenty ofnoise and stink.” It ishorrifying to think of allthose people, crammedtogether, many of whomdied of suffocation anddisease.

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D. 4 Bell Street1667: possibly the firstSugar Works in Scotlandwas founded here byPeter Gemmell, FrederickHamilton, John Caldwelland Robert Cummings.c.1820: previously 90Bell Street called theHerald Close. The secondfloor was occupied by theoffices of the GlasgowHerald and Advertiser.The paper cost sixpence acopy. Glasgow’s secondPolice Office, overlookingCandleriggs and theBowling Green occupiedthe first floor. JohnGardener, MathematicalInstrument Maker,Measurer and Opticianran his shop from theground floor.

E. City Halls1847: Charles Dickensattends a ball at the CityHalls opposite, after hisopening speech at thenew Athenaeum inIngram Street. Hecommented that he hadnever been more heartilyreceived anywhere as hehad been in Glasgow.1858: Charles Dickensreturns to give 2 readingsof his works, for whichhe was reportedly paid£600.00. 1882: BellStreet numberingreversed to allowcontinuation of BellStreet beyond HighStreet.

Crime, Punishment &the GallowgateEvidence of punishmentsmeted out at the Cross arestill visible on the walls ofthe Tollbooth Steeple,where metal rings surviveto remind us that peoplewere chained to the wallhere as a punishment.Another reminder of thisarea’s grim past is thename Gallowgate, a streeteast of the Tollbooth,which means the way tothe gallows.

The punishment of criminalswas a great source ofpublic entertainment. Itwas once recorded in theBurgh records that thepractice of lug-pinning(nailing a criminals ear tothe Tollbooth door - asillustrated above) must bebanned because it“corrupted community life,weavers will leave theirlooms and children playtruant” in order to jeer-onthe lug-pinned victim.

Opposite the Tollbooth isthe Third Step Gallerywhich showcases the workof world renowned artistPeter Howson and his artscollective of which many ofhis pictures are shown here.

Nothing was betterattended than a goodexecution*, but for all thatit was the most popularamusement, the purveyorof justice himself was thecity’s most vilified pariah.When the job wasadvertised in 1605, no-onewould take the position, sothe post was offered to aprisoner, John McClelland,in exchange for his life.

*The last public hangingattracted an audience of over100,000 people in 1865. Theyhad come to watch Dr. Pritchardswing for the murder of his wifeand mother-in-law. There arestill men who believe it was amiscarriage of justice.

Until April 30th 1630hanging was used topunish minor crimes whilstmurderers sufferedbeheading. After this datehanging was introducedfor murderers too.Between 1765 and 1850,107 people were executedin the city, of which only27 were murderers.

The first Glasgow PoliceForce was instituted in1778 with the appointmentof an inspector who waspaid £100 a year.

The Execution of a BearIn June 1880, a bearbelonging to the visitingperformer, Antonio Delore,was arrested and placedon trial for harassing aBailie whilst he was goingabout the city for the“Guid” of the people. Thebear was sentenced todeath by musket andAntonio was forced to sitin the stocks with the skinof his beloved bear aroundhis shoulders. It made sucha pitiful scene that notone Glaswegian had theheart to demonstrate theirapproval with the usualjeers and rotten fruit.

Continuing the line of theHigh Street from the Crossto the Clyde, is Saltmarket.

F 2 Albion Street1855: the City of GlasgowBank Building, designedby JT Rochead, who alsodesigned the WallaceMonument in Stirling.1878: the Bank failsspectacularly with debtsof £6m due to fraud,embezzlement, and falsebook-keeping. The Bankwas not a LimitedCompany and thousandsof Glaswegians were leftpenniless. Of almost 2000shareholders, only 250were not bankrupted.

11. First Electric SignOn the corner of HighStreet and Bell Street wasBow’s of Bell Street (nowBed Shed), the first shop tohave an electric sign. A yearlater it was the first shopto receive electricity whichwas supplied to Glasgowin 1890.

From the end of Bell Street,turn right, back onto HighStreet and head down tothe Cross. Bell Streetcontinues east of the HighStreet where the Plaques‘g’ and ‘h’can be found:

G. 37 Bell Street1820: Wallace Court,home to the shop ofJohn Graham, Wine andSpirit Merchant who wascharged 3 guineas as libeldamages against a fellowand his lady friend foraccusing them of stealing2 bottles of Port. 1900:shop and office of WilliamMcEwan and Company,Tobacco and SnuffManufacturers. 1921:office of James Robb,Agent to the Glasgowand South WesternRailway Company.

H. 105 -153 BellStreet1882: built for theGlasgow and SouthWestern Railway Companyas the main storagewarehouse for therecently constructedCollege Goods Yard, thecreation of which causedthe removal of theMedieval BlackfriarsChurch (also known asthe College Church) andthe 15th Centurybuildings of GlasgowUniversity. c.1986: thewarehouse was convertedinto apartments.

12. The TollboothThe High Street ends atGlasgow Cross where the17th century Tollboothstands on an island in themiddle of the traffic. TheTollbooth Steeple is all thatsurvives of a much largerbuilding that once housedthe early City Chambers,courts and prison.

Bow’s, early 20th century The Tollbooth

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Britannia Music Hall

13. Filth & ‘Nestiness’(nastiness) on theSaltmarketThere were no sewersbefore 1790. Instead, thewaste would be thrownout of people’s window’sand left to flow down hillto the lowest part of thecity where it would collectand form dung hills or‘middens’. The midden ofGlasgow was located inthe Saltmarket and wasrecorded on one occasionto have grown to 15 feetin height and so wide itblocked the street oftraffic. This mountain ofeffluent caused the city tobe fined for ‘not attendingto it’s middens’. It isbelieved that the middenwas sold at auction tosettle the debt, perhapsprompting the magistratesand town council to pass astatute against ‘nestiness’.

Extract from the Burgh Records16th January 1696

The magistrates and towncouncil, taking toconsideration the manycomplaints made by theinhabitants of this burghof the growing andabounding nestiness and

filthiness of the place atpresent, doe thereforestatute and ordain asfollows; Imprimis, that nomaster or mistress or headsof families or their childrenor servants or otherslodging or residing in theirfamilies shall at any timeheiraftir cast out at theirwindows, aither upon foreor back street or in lanes orcloses, any excrement, dirtor urine, or other filth orwater, foul or clean, underthe pain of fyve merksScots money...

To get away from all thisfilth, many people wouldtake the fresh airs availableat Glasgow Green, themain gates of which areon the Saltmarket.

14. Glasgow GreenGlasgow Green is knownas the site of a thousandbattles. These battles werefought by the people.The battle for “one manone vote”, “one womanone vote”, “a fair dayspay for a fair days work”,campaigns against povertyand the demon drink.The Green was also thesite of the annual fair,festivals, entertainmentsand sport. In short, thisancient park is the heartand soul of the socialhistory of Glasgow, a factthat is commemorated bythe People’s Palace andWinter Gardens

(Glasgow Green is open fromdawn until dusk; People’s Palaceand Winter Gardens is openMon-Thur & Sat. 11-5pm Fri &Sun 11-5pm).

EntertainmentThe annual fair onGlasgow Green attractedtravelling troupes andlocal talent who wouldentertain the crowds.Some entertainers woulderect temporary theatrescalled ‘Geggies’. TheseGeggies would present allmanner of entertainment,but melodramas andShakespearean deathscenes seemed to be themost popular!

SportGlasgow Green is theoriginal home of bothRangers (1873) and Celtic(1888) football clubs,Glasgow golf club wasfounded here in the 18thcentury and whilst thewealthy putted, the washerwomen gossiped in the‘steamie’ and pegged theirlinens out on the publicwashing lines.

Nelson’s Monument The foundation stone forNelson’s Monument waslaid on Friday 1st August1806. The needle-likemonument cost £2075 toerect. Tragedy struck thehuge column in August1810 when, during aferocious thunderstorm, abolt of lightning struck themonument and the top20ft of masonry collapsed.

This storm highlightedthe need for lightning

conductors for the tallbuildings of the city.

The first lightningconductor had beenerected on the oldUniversity Steeple on theHigh Street under thedirection of BenjaminFranklin in 1772.

SteamJames Watt once wrote:“I had entered the Greenby the gate at the foot ofCharlotte Street and hadpassed the old washinghouse. I was thinking uponthe engine* at the timeand had gone as far as theherd’s house when theidea came into my mindthat, as steam was anelastic body, it would rushinto a vacuum and, if acommunication were madebetween the cylinder andan exhausted vessel, itwould rush into it andmight be condensedwithout cooling thecylinder... I had not walkedfurther than the golf housewhen the whole thing wasarranged in my mind.”

*Thomas Newcommen’sIndustrial Steam engine

15. The WhistlingKirkOn the North side ofGlasgow Green is a lovelylittle Episcopalian church(now offices). Originallyknown as St. Andrews bythe Green, this was thefirst church in Glasgow touse an organ since theReformation and has beennicknamed the ‘WhistlingKirk’ or ‘Kist of Whistles’since.

Saltmarket, 1930s

Glasgow Green Market, 1870s

The Steamie

Lord Horatio Nelson

16. St. Andrew’sSquareAround the corner fromSt. Andrews by the Greenis St. Andrews Square, anda spectacular classicalchurch. St. Andrews in theSquare (recently convertedinto a venue for Scottishdance & music). Prior tothe church being built,Vincent Lunardi amazedan audience by inflating ahuge balloon in the squareand flying over the city tofinally land in Hawick inNovember 1785 (one ofthe first solo balloonflights in history).

From St. Andrews Sq,St. Andrews Street leadswest and back to theSaltmarket. On the northeast side of Saltmarket isParnie Street, which takesthe wanderer fromSaltmarket to the NewWynd via King Street.

I. 4 Parnie Street1650: from this point,you would have been ableto see Silvercraig’s land,the country residence ofthe Bishop. The Mansionsat opposite the mouthof the Bridgegait. In thisyear, Oliver Cromwellstayed in Silvercraig’sland during his time inScotland. 1756: one ofthe first 2 front hat shopsin Glasgow was openednearby by John Blair.

During Oliver Cromwell’svisit to the area, heattended a sermon at theCathedral where the

Bishop Boyd roundlyharangued Cromwell fromthe pulpit. Boyd’s hatredof Cromwell incensedCromwell’s secretary whosuggested beheading theBishop might cure hisrudeness. Cromwelldeclined and instead invitedthe Bishop to dinner.

J. 57 Parnie Street1851: previously called 70Princes Street, it was thepremises of Mrs Jarvis, aLeather Merchant. 1895,the street was renamedand renumbered ParnieStreet, Mrs Jarvis’s Shopstill operated from thesame premises. 1902: theShop of J Jarvis & Son,Leather Merchants andShoe Furnishers.

K. 83 King Street1821: King Street was themarket place for sheep,cattle and fish withdozens of permanentstalls set up along itslength. Fleshers whoworked in the King StreetBeef Market included:Thomas Atkinson,William Flemming,Thomas Fleming, GeorgeFleming, Robert GilmourJnr; William KilpatrickJohn Patrick; JamesKilpatrick; MatthewKilpatrick; RobertKilpatrick; James Neilson;Thomas Reid; JohnScouller; John Sugar;Matthew Watson; JamesWatson; William Watson,86 King Street, MuttonMarket, 108 King Street,Fish Market.

They entered the sessionhouse where an open fireblazed. The gentlemenbegan to boast on howhot they could take thefires of hell. To prove theirboast they built the fire up,fuelling it with benches,tables and whatever theycould find, until the firespilled out onto thewooden floor and set thewhole building alight.The Hell-fire starters fledthe scene of their crimeand left Glasgow, neverto return, in fear ofretribution. James Adamdesigned the currentbuilding soon after.

Bearded Ladies, Basementzoos and the great escapeof the Himalayan bear.Just west of King Streetstands the oldest musichall in the UK, the

17. Paddy’s MarketAlthough these old marketsare long since gone,Paddy’s Market (founded inthe first half of the 19thcentury by Irish Immigrants)continues as Glasgow’sonly daily (except Sundays)flea market. The traderssell their wares on thepavement and even thoughthey had been offeredmore salubrious premisesaway from the street, thefollowing week the traderswere back in the old lanewith their wares laid outin the traditional manner.Glasgow’s other survivinghistoric market is theBarras on London Roadand Gallowgate.

18. TrongateKing Street leads northfrom the Briggait to theTrongate. Facing east,towards the Cross you cansee the Tron Steeple,which once housed the oldweighing machine. TheTron Steeple is attachedto the Tron Church, whichhas now been convertedinto a theatre, restaurant& bar.

HellfireThe original Tron Churchwas burnt down inFebruary 1793 by a gangof drunken gentlemenknown as the Hellfire Club.

St. Andrews Square

Trongate, 1826, by John Knox Behind King Street

OliverCromwell

21. The Greatest LoveStory Never Told

On the corner of GlassfordStreet and Argyle Street,stands Marks & Spenceron the site of the BlackBull Inn. The Black Bull iswhere Robert Burns stayedwhen he wrote to his lover,Agnes Mclehose. BecauseAgnes was a married lady,they feared their affairwould be discovered, so toconceal their identitiesthey signed the letters“Sylvander” and “Clarinda”.

Before she died, Agneswrote in her journal:“I parted with Burns in theyear 1791, never more tomeet in this world, maywe meet in heaven.”

This affair inspired Burnsto write one of the mostromantic poems in Scottishliterature, ‘Ae Fond Kiss.

The Burns Club hascommemorated Burns stayat the Black Bull Inn witha plaque at the corner ofArgyle Street and VirginiaStreet.

The Pen & Pencil Club was one ofmany clubs in Glasgow. Otherswere: The Hodge Podge Club, TheHellfire Club, The Face Club,

Hutcheson Hall John Glassford & Family

In 1910 the Pen & PencilClub mounted the firstplaque announcing thatthis was where PrinceCharles Edward Stewartstayed when he was inGlasgow. Although his staywas brief, it was enoughtime for him to fall for thecharms of ClemintinaWalkinshaw, the daughterof a wealthy merchant.Clementina later joinedCharles in exile andtogether they had adaughter, Charlotte, whowas endowed with thetitle Duchess of Albany.

N. 2 Glassford Street1711: site of ShawfieldMansion built by DanielCampbell of Shawfield.1725: following his votefor an extension of MaltTax to Scotland, a mobdescended on his houseon the 24th of June andvirtually demolished it.The following day,2 companies of footsoldiers entered the Cityand in the ensuing riots,7 were killed and 17were injured. Campbellreceived £9,000 damageswith which he boughtthe Islands of Isla andJura. 1745: Bonnie PrinceCharlie stayed from the26th December till 3rd ofJanuary, where he fell inlove with ClementianaWalkinshaw. They latermarried in France. 1793:the House was removedfor the creation of GreatGlassford Street whichcontinued the axis ofStockwell Street.

latest oddity. One lady inthe crowd, however, wasunaware of the nature ofthe performers she wasabout to see. When sheentered the Inn, she saw atable which had upon it anumber of miniature itemsincluding a small carriage,which appeared to bepulled by a flea. In herdismay, the lady crushedthe parasite with herthumbnail. Mr. Boverick,the owner of the fleaaccused the woman ofmurdering the animal anddemanded justice. Thecase, surprisingly, doesn’tappear to have made itto court.

M. 26 HutchesonStreet1835: Jamie Begg’s wasthe leading Tavern of theperiod. The Proprietorwas Alex Miller. Men ofsubstance went there atnight to discuss thetopics of the day, orspecial subjects, as wellas ‘Welsh Rabbits, FinnanHaddies and Rationals’.

20. Love at first sightThe Trongate ends atGlassford Street. On thecorner you will find twoplaques commemorating abuilding that once stoodon this site, the ShawfieldMansion.

Britannia Panopticon (113-117 Trongate). It holds averitable catalogue ofbizarre and entertainingstories, from famousdebuts like that of asixteen year old StanLaurel, to mermaids andbearded ladies in the atticand a zoological collectionin the basement.

The basement zoo wasnamed Noah’s Ark andamongst the exhibitspaced a Himalayan Bear.In 1911 the bear escapedonto the Trongate where itterrorised the populaceuntil it was shot by it’sowner, A. E. Pickard.

L. 159 Trongate1824: the Glasgow CoachOffice of Messrs Lyon &Fraser Coaches. Theyoperated a service fromPaisley to Glasgowthrough Renfrew leavingGlasgow at 12 noon, 3,half past 3, 5, 6, 7 andhalf past 8.

Lang Tam, a wanderingimbecile beggar, wouldoften wait for the coachto leave its Glasgowterminus and then set outwalking for Paisley. Hewould generally be waitingfor the coach to arrivewhere he would receivecongratulations andcoppers from thepassengers. Tam was alsoknown to run alongsidethe coaches of thewealthy, patting the frontwheel and saying ‘guidwee wheel, guid weewheel, big wheel cannycatch up on ye’.

19. The Case of theMurdered FleaThe Masons’ Arms (whichonce stood on theTrongate) advertised‘S. Boverick and hisMiniature Circus’. A hugecrowd gathered to see this

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22. Trades HallOn Glassford Street isTrades Hall, the lastbuilding to be designed byRobert Adam. The TradesHall was built to face theMerchants House whichonce stood at the top ofGarth Street (and nowstands on George Square).Trades Hall was built forthe 14 Incorporated Tradesof Glasgow and is open tothe public.

23. Rab Ha -The Glasgow Glutton‘Rab Ha’ or Robert Hallwas best known as the‘Glesga Glutton’ he wasforced from his home byhis mother who could nolonger afford to feed him,and made his living bywinning eatingcompetitions. He gainedhis reputation by beatingan English glutton of greatrenown, the ‘YorkshirePudding’, in a pie eatingcontest at the Saracen’sHead Inn. The spirit of‘Rab Ha’ is celebrated at arestaurant on the corner ofHutcheson Street andGarth Street.

24. Ingram StreetIngram Street travels fromthe High Street to QueenStreet, the westernboundary of the MerchantCity. On the way to QueenStreet we pass VirginiaStreet, named after theVirginian tobaccoplantations. Beyond that isMiller Street where acouple of buildings surviveto remind us of the area’sbusy mercantile past.

The Grog Club, The Pig Club,The Beefsteak or Tinkers’ Club,The What You Please Club, TheSma’ Weft Club

Another Burns plaquecan be found in VirginiaStreet, which runs alongthe west side of Marks &Spencer on Argyle Street.

It is recorded that Burnsbought 15 yards of blacksilk from John McIndoe,Silk Merchant, of HornsLand off Virginia Street togive to Jean Armour forher wedding dress.

O. 2 Argyle Street30th October 1821,Donald Davidson, adischarged Sergeant ofthe Rifle Brigade whohad lost his left arm atthe siege of Badajosunder Wellington,fraudulently wrote a notefor £90 while acting asSir Thomas Maitland, anAdmiral of the RoyalNavy. He withdrew hismoney from the Cashierof the Ship Bank, MrMichael Rowand. Afternoticing several spellingmistakes on the note,Davidson was latercaught while making hisway north on theCaledonian Canal. 1822:Davidson stood trial inApril, was found guiltyand sentenced toexecution for fraud on29 May 1822. Followingthe actions of MichaelRowand, Davidsonreceived a respite fromKing George III and thesentence was commutedto transportation for life.

42 Miller Street

P. 191 Ingram StreetSite of Virginia Mansions,built in the early 1700’sby George Buchanan. Itwas then taken over byhis son, Andrew (afterwhom Buchanan Street isnamed), prior to residenceby Colin Dunlop ofCarmyle in 1796. 1842:Dunlop’s Mansionremoved to make way forthe Union Bank Buildings.1876: the Ingram StreetFaçade was replaced andextended with 2 pairs ofstatues added to flank theexisting 6, all by GlasgowSculptor John Mossman.From left to right, theStatues representNavigation and Commerce,Britannia, Wealth,Justice, Peace, Industry,Glasgow and Mechanicsand Agriculture. TheScottish place names ineach of the windowarches are the placeswhere the Union Bankhad its main office.

Q. 48 Miller Street1820: Offices of J & ASandeman, Sugar Brokers;William Connal andCompany, Brokers;Grierson Lockhart andCompany; Manufacturers;R Anderson, CommissionMerchant. 1860: home toStirling’s Library, LibrarianThomas Mason. 1920:Offices and Works ofSands and Graham Ltd,Button Manufacturersand Factors, makers ofLeader and Gem Buttonsand covering machines.1977: WholesaleWarehouse of WilliamMcReadie. Miller Street isnamed after RobertMiller, Maltman, who inthe 1760’s, built 24identical mansions on hislands, 12 on either sideof the street. Number 42remains with the date1775 on its Apex.

R. 7 Miller Street1840: Tobacconist’sShop, owner GeorgeBaird. 1861: Workshopand Warehouse of T & JStewart and Company,Rope and SailManufacturers. 1880, 5,7 and 9 Miller Street,Robert W Cairns Outlet,Wine and SpiritMerchants. 1961: 5 - 15Miller Street, R W CairnsLtd, Wine Merchants.

S. 194 Ingram Street1796: the AssemblyRooms, opened at a costof £4,800. The RobertAdam Building wasfunded by a subscriptionof £20 shares. 1847: itbecame the Athenaeum,opened by CharlesDickens. 1889: thebuilding was removed tomake way for the PostOffice Buildings, thecentrepiece beingre-erected as theMacLennan Arch onGlasgow Green. 2002:the building is convertedto apartments andoffices.

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T. 205 Ingram Street1886: Miss Cranston’ssecond Tea Room openedand operated at thisaddress. The famouscommissioning of C RMackintosh came in1900. 1920: the TeaRooms stretched from205 - 217 Ingram Street.The proprietress wasMiss Drummond. 1940:Cooper’s Tea Roomoperated from thisaddress, then 205 - 209Ingram Street.

U. 224 Ingram Street1818: Mr William Angus,the author of a numberof school books ran hisschool from this address.The building was a littledark, self-containedhouse of 2 storeys. 1839:Both Angus’ School andthe neighbouring GaelicChurch were removed tomake way for the BritishLinen Bank, as designed byDavid Hamilton. 1969: thebank was demolished tomake way for the presentoffice development.

25. GOMAAt the end of IngramStreet can be seen theGallery of Modern Art(GOMA), situated onQueen Street, builtoriginally as a TobaccoLords mansion house. Thehouse was built so thatIngram Street would endat the front door.

V. GOMA1778: the Town Houseof William Cunninghameof Lainshaw, one ofGlasgow’s 4 young men,was constructed at areputed cost of £10,000.Cunninghame was aMerchant who made andlost his fortune with theexpansion (after theColonial Wars) of theTobacco Trade withAmerica. 1789: thewhole building passedinto the possession ofWilliam Stirling and Sonson the 3rd of November.1817: the Royal Bank ofScotland bought thebuilding and added anornamental staircase onthe east making the firstfloor the entrance level.1827: sold to theCommittee for forming anew exchange. Thebuilding was extended tothe west with the Porticobeing added to the east.1880: Edison TelephoneCompany set up inExchange. 1915: StuartCranston opens arestaurant in thebasement. 1949: Councilbuys the Exchange backfrom Shareholders for£105,000 as a home forthe Stirlings Library(named after WalterHumphry Stirling whodied in 1791, leaving804 books and £1,000for the upkeep and theconstant existence of aPublic Library for the citizens and inhabitants ofGlasgow...). 1994: Librarymoves to Miller Streetbut returned in 2002.

W. 73 Queen Street1851: the shop ofWilliam Lang,Confectioner, Tea andWine Merchant. 1920,Lang’s ConfectioneryShop. It’s stylish 1930’sart deco frontage stillsurviving. A second shopselling wines and spiritsoperated from 79 QueenStreet. 1962: Lang’s Ltd,this Self-ServiceRestaurant was the firstof its kind in Glasgow.It operated an honoursystem of payment,wherein you declaredwhat you had eaten andpaid at the end of themeal. Prior to 1766,Queen Street was knownas the Cow Loan. TheTown Herdsmen woulddrive the cattle alongTrongate and turn upCow Loan on their wayto the grazing land,known today asCowcaddens.

Further up towards ArgyleStreet is another plaque at:

X. 48 Queen Street.1802: office and worksof Robert & JamesMcNair, Sugar Merchantsand refiners. 1941:46 - 50 Queen Street,office of Wiggins, Teapeand Alex Pirie (Sales) Ltd,Papermakers. They occupythe first floor. 1962:offices’ of the StandardBullion Company andWerner, Jewellery andBullion Merchants.

Turning right onto QueenStreet, a short walk bringsyou to George Square,originally laid out as aresidential square.

26. George SquareMerchant’s House standson the north west cornerof George Square and isthe home to the oldestChamber of Commerce inthe World (founded in1783).

The north side of thesquare is dominated bythe Millennium Hotel, allthat remains of theGeorgian Terraces (built1807-18). The Churchillsuite and Hopkins Suite(Hopkins was theSecretary of Commerceand Special Advisor toPresident Roosevelt)commemorate the famousmeeting between thesetwo men, in the hotel,which resulted in theagreement that the USAwould become directlyinvolved in WWII.

27. City ChambersEncompassing the entireeast side of the square isthe magnificent CityChambers, regarded as oneof the finest civic buildingsin Britain.

City Chambers

Winston Churchill

Acknowledgements:

Design by Cactus www.cactushq.comText by Judith Bowers, Britannia Music Hall Trust. www.britanniapanopticon.com tel: 0141 553 0840

Also, thanks to Ross Hunter and John Martina,Graven Images; Peter Howson and John Mullen,The Third Step Gallery; Steve Hosie and Jane BakerDRS, Glasgow City Council; Barbara Keenan,Culture and Sport Glasgow.

Images:©2005 Glasgow City Council (Museums)©2005 Glasgow City Council (Archives and SpecialCollections)©2005 Glasgow City Council (Development &Regeneration Services)© The Third Step Gallery

www.glasgowmerchantcity.net

The John’s of John Street

AA. 31 John Street1812: Workshop of JamesBogie, Tallow Chandler.1851: office and shop ofRobert Oliphant, Printerand Stationery. 1883:removed for developmentof City Chambers to thedesigns of WilliamYoung.

29. Hutcheson’sHospitalOn the corner of JohnStreet and Ingram Streetis Hutcheson’s Hospital,founded in 1639 by twophilanthropic brothers togive shelter to the destitutemen of Glasgow.

30. The Star InnJust beyond Hutcheson’sHospital is all that survivesof the old “Star Inn”,which was licensed toHenry Hemmings. TheGlasgow character BlindAlick once wrote of thisestablishment, “And firstthey gave me brandy, andthen they gave me gin,here’s long life to theworthy waiters of MrHemmings’ Hotel and Inn.”

And so dear reader,that brings us to theend. So here’s long lifeto you, or as they sayin Glasgow, “Langmay your Lum reek”.Translation “Longmay you have enoughmoney to pay for coalfor your fire”.

Y. 107 George Street1835: William Motherwell,Poet, died of Apoplexy.Found dead on a Sundaymorning. The previousafternoon, he had beenone of a gay party andapparently, in theenjoyment of perfecthealth.

Z. 151 George Streetc.1820: formerly 183, thehouse of Stephen Miller,who was the wonderfulwean of the Poem of thatname, by his father,William Miller, author ofthe famous Wee WillieWinkie. 1851: House ofThomas Wylde of themanufacturing firm RogerWylde and Son. 1957:John Player officedevelopment for theirbranch of the ImperialTobacco Company.

28. John Street

John Street takes usthrough the middle of theCity Chambers and back toIngram Street. John Streetderives it's name from thenumber of Georgiannotables who had thechristian name John.

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Large font version also available -to obtain a copy either call Merchant CityInitiative on 0141 552 6060 or visit thewebsite at www.merchantcityglasgow.com

All efforts have been made in the accuracy of the information contained in thisleaflet. The funders are not responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur.