The Battle of
Langside
1568
Stewart/Stuarts
were involved in
For privacy Reasons, I shall call her Rachel.
Re: - Orphan in Castlemilk House 1961 - 1964.
Castlemilk House was used as a childrens home from 1949 - 1969
(Then Demolished Late 1969)
Rachel was aged 15 when she left Castlemilk House/Home. She left to stay in digs for a
couple of months and then got a job abroad. The staff at the home wanted Rachel to move
in with an older couple until she had a job and settled down. But, they let her move into
digs with her brother in "George's cross".
Rachel had two older brothers who were not housed in the home.
They were in employment and because they were not in care at that time,
she was allowed to live with one.
Below are the exact questions that were asked by the history group
and exact replies by Rachel: -
Q 1. Can you remember the Matron's name?
A 1. When I first went into the home in 1961, it was a Matron Glen and I'm
not too sure when she retired. Maybe within six months or a year and then after that
there was a Matron Gillies took over. She was actually called Sister but she replaced
the Matron, she was there till I left in 1964.
Q 2. How many staff would you say worked in the home?
A 2. There was quite a lot of staff, I would say there was domestic staff obviously,
there was day staff, night staff. I don't know exactly how many.
Q 3. How many children were there?
Were there a lot of children there when you were at the home?
A 3. It did allocate 60 children. There was space for 60 children but there was a busy
spell at one point, I think there was as many as 72 or 74 which was children
coming in during the night.
There was a build up of emergency cases. I can actually remember them putting
out mattresses on the floor. It went on for a few weeks.
Q 4. Was it normally always full to its capacity?
A 4. Yes and they took babies from as young as being abandoned at birth.
Q 5. Did they stay long? Or were they usually fostered out quite quickly?
A 5. They were usually fostered out quite quickly of were placed in other homes.
You found that some of them were put into catholic homes run by nuns,
and you maybe never heard of them again.
Q 6. You mentioned "before" that your dormitory was in Queen Mary's room.
Can you tell us a bit more about that?
A 6. There were about 6 beds in it. The bit in your book where you see the fireplace,
the only thing I remember about the mantelpiece was there was sets of drawers
underneath and a bed on either side. I had one of them, the one near the fire escape.
The fire escape had been added on but it was there before I came for obvious safety reasons.
Q 7. Were you in that room for the duration of your stay?
A 7. Yes, other than when you first went to Castlemilk. You went into the isolation
unit to be sussed out health wise. You spent your first 3-6 weeks in your pyjamas,
because if you think that there were 60 children and you had dysentery or anything like
that and you mixed with other children, then there would be an epidemic.
Before you were sent to the home you were sent to Chochrane St. Just off John St.
Where you got an X-ray and B.C.G. So while you were in isolation in the home your
results would come through. Meanwhile they were checking that you didn't have
dysentery or anything like that and once you got the all clear you went into what they
called the main unit - the home unit.
Q 8. It must have seemed like an awful long time in your pyjamas?
A 8. Well it was because nobody really explained things properly and you felt
because you had your pyjamas on that you were sick. It was a long long day,
but a lot of the staff were good.
Q 9. It must have been worse in the summer months because you couldn't go out to play!
A 9. You could look out and see the children playing, but there was no contact made.
Even things like comics that were brought in were kept in isolation, they never
went back into the main unit. It was a sensible decision I suppose.
Because I remember a family of three or four girls had came in one night.
And the night nurse had the job of checking their hair and of course they all had nits.
It was only whoever was on that night had to get them cleaned up
so they all got their hair chopped off.
It was just as well that they hadn't mixed with the other children.
Q 10. Did they not let the children who were in isolation out on their own?
While the other children were inside?
A 10. No, they were in like little cubicles but they could see through the glass to one another.
Q 11. When you did eventually go into the main unit, did you have any tasks or chores to do?
A 11. The older children had to help out with the younger ones, things like that.
There was cleaning the boot room � cleaning the shoes. The boot room was down in the
lower bit to the back and that was where the wellies, the school bags and jackets were
all put. Basically everybody had to go down to the boot room and clean their own shoes.
Q 12. You told us a story before about your �sandshoes�. Can you tell us again?
A 12. All the older girls were issued with men�s brogues and ankle socks. We all hated them.
There was no way that we were going to wear them out. So we went up the driveway
towards Glenwood School. We had our sandshoes in our bags and as soon as we got to
the first close after we came out the home we changed into our sandshoes.
That only worked for a short while because we had to go up through the bridal path where
it was quite mucky. We got to the school one-day. It had been pouring with rain and we
were standing in our sandshoes � Feet soaked and it was Miss McKellar the assistant head
who called �the girls from the home�, and asked �no shoes�? We replied �no, they are all
away to the cobblers�. She said, �all of them�? We said �yes�, but we�ll get them back
next week�. She said �did Matron send you all out in your sandshoes�. We replied �yes�.
When we went home at dinner time we had to change back into our brogues and our
�sannies� were in the bag. The Matron then pulled us up by saying, �Shoes in the cobblers
are they�. So from then on she kept an eye on us.
Q 13. It must have stigmatised you all having to wear that type of shoe, did it?
A 13. They were men�s shoes; there was no getting away from that.
Q 14. Did you wear school uniform?
A 14. Yes. You wore uniform and you had Sunday clothes. You had a Sunday hat to go
to church. There was a big box of Sunday hats and you chose one. Everybody went for
the berry. That was normal! But there was always someone who ended up with the
horrible one. Someone would always say, �I�m not wearing that�. But you were made
to wear it.It was very embarrassing, you hoped that no one from school saw you going
to the East Parish Church, because of these daft hats. When we came back we put on our
normal clothes and you'd just toss the hat back in the box till next week. And the box
went back up to Matron�s Quarters. We used to say to the staff, �Would you wear it�?
�Oh yes�, they�d say.
Q 15. How many resident staff actually stayed in the home?
A 15. There wasn�t a lot, most of them either stayed in the scheme or other places.
There was 2 or 3 staff stayed in the upper quarters. Nobody was allowed up there
unless you were sent a message to Matron�s bit and it would be one of the older girls
who would be sent.
Q 16. Were you ever sent a message up to Matron�s quarters?
A 16. Yes. Upstairs there was a store where they kept the new clothes. I can always
remember going up when it was time to wear a bra. Matron was standing and you
knew something was going to be said, Matron said, �you know it�s time for you to wear one�.
It seemed to me that it was one of Queen Mary�s that were up there. Matron took me in
and tried to explain how to put on this harness, my face was like a beetroot and she was
trying to be that nice about it. That was Matron Glen, she was the first Matron that was there.
She was very gentle.
Q 17. Can you remember any of the Armoury that was in the home/house?
A 17. When you went in the main door on either side going up the stairs,
there were the plaques coats of arms. All the way up the stairs.
Q 18. Do you remember the fireplace?
A 18. Yes, the fireplace was the talking point for all the kids that came into the home.
There was a line right down the middle of the top of the fireplace. The story was that if you
could get up that high and get that opened then you could get through it and slide down and
come out to a tree in the garden. As it�s a battle that�s depicted on the fireplace, meant
that one of the swords on it was pulled down and that is what released the secret door open.
The children were told that was how one of the other children escaped at one time.
Q 19. Did you find your time in Castlemilk Home a happy time?
A 19. Yes, I would certainly say it was quite a happy time. It was not an unhappy time!
It was quite a normal life I had. I Wasn�t a troublesome person. There were ones who
wanted to smoke, or answer back. I was quite timid. I did what I was told because it was easier,
but when it got nearer the end of my time I must admit, I got a little rebelious. Because when
they spoke about putting me in with an elderly couple in Byers Road, who would look after
my wages once I�d found a job, I said �I�m not going to anybody�, and I remember saying,
�I�m going to run away�, and I was terrified. But I did run away for one night.
What happened was I had a friend in the home (another girl). And she wanted to go and stay
with her gran. But they said �no, we�ll designate a couple�. So we both decided to run away,
and Matron thought that we�d never do it. But we did.
It was a Friday night, and we walked along Sauchiehall Street until it was dark and
there was nobody about. So I thought maybe we�d better go and stay with my brother
who stayed in George�s Cross in digs. We arrived at his flat at about 1.30am or 2.00am.
He just looked and shook his head, he took us down to a phone box and said
�you just phone and say where you are�.
The Matron said, �so you�ll be back first thing in the morning or we�ll be sending the
police out to get you. I had to make my own way back on the Saturday morning and the
Matron gave us a lecture on how we shouldn�t have done that etc. But we�d made a
point of how we didn�t want to go where they wanted to send us. My friend wanted
to go and stay with her Gran, and I wanted to stay in digs and it worked out ok.
Everybody has an officer connected to John St, she was in charge of each individual case.
They brought her in and we spoke it out. Then they checked the digs out and said ok.
It wasn�t an ideal situation where I went, it was all men but I had two brothers there
and the landlady wasn�t keen on it but it worked out ok.
Q 20. Could you talk us through the inside plan of the house?
A 20. When you entered the main entrance, you went up the old stone stairs and you had the
plaques etc. on either side of the wall, leading up to another glass door and that took you into
the main reception. Straight on was the fireplace on the big wall. Off to the left was a dormitory,
which must have had at least twenty beds. That was the only room off to the left.
To the right of the fireplace, there was a room where the television was. You could look
out the window right over to the pond. So that looked out to the back of the house.
To the right there was another dormitory which would hold about the same amount of beds,
about 15 � 20 beds. The first dormitory I spoke about was mostly for boys. The one to the right
was mixed. You would still have some cots in there but also boys and girls. You would also
have a slunge room, for toilets, nappies, little baths for the wee ones. There was two baths;
the baths were right in the middle of the floor. They had a little row of cubicles for the toilets
and then they had the little row of sinks. There was also a small room, which was like a slunge
room, which was used for medical reasons� hosed or washed down. So that was all on that level.
If you went up the way, that took you up to Queen Mary�s room. You first came to a cupboard/store
room for clothes or suitcases etc. You then went up the other half of the staircase and that
took you into Queen Mary�s bedroom. There was a toilet there for the girls in that room.
You went up another half staircase which took you to another bedroom, which I think was called
�Yasmin�, It was supposed to be Mary Queen of Scots maid�s room and that was the smaller room.
There was slightly younger girls in there.
Q 21. How many was in your dormitory?
A 21. I think it was 5 or 6. And then Yasmin�s room would have about the same.
Off to the left, by this time you�d be in the top level, which is the bit, if you look from the
main entrance where you came in. You look up and you�d see the glass roof that was the
big bright space where the gallery was going round and you could open a door and walk
onto that and you could walk right round that. That�s where you had one or two staff rooms
and if you carried onto the far corner, that was you into Matron�s quarters. Go along a dark
corridor and come back down, that brought you back down stairs to the other side
of the house.
Continued on Page 3
Bannockburn
to find links to
"The Battle of Orleans"
The Monarchy
The Stewarts
Stewart
Dumfries map
Note -
The Water of Milk
Queen
of
Scots
& Eskdale -
Castlemilk
Depicts the
"Battle of Orleans" 1429
It was created (1794)
to commemorate the 2 Stuart Brothers who died in
Battle at Orleans.
It once graced the Entrance Hall of the Great Castle
It stands 15ft high and has now been restored
and returned to Castlemilk.
while on display in :-
The Tobacco Lords Mansion House
Before Returning toCastlemilk
(It was too large to piece together).
and his twin sister
Anne Margaret Helen
Approx 1865
From right - Twins William and Anne
With three of their four sisters
Lady Helen Stuart Stevenson
(2nd from Left) (Her husband)
Major Herbert Harry Stevenson
(centre) Their son - James
(Far right) their daughter - Helena
(Far left) (younger son of the Laird)
Douglas Rae Stirling Stuart
Photo 1951 from Mrs BWH Herbert
Photo from the Glasgow story
The First lot of Tennants
Notice Mitchell Hill and Dougrie Flats were not yet built!
Castlemilk House (Mid Bottom Right)
These extracts were taken from posts on the Glasgow Guide web forum
http://discuss.glasgowguide.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2826&hl=
With Rabbies Kind permission
Hi Fowks!
My name is Rabbie, not going to whitter oan aboot much else, except subject heading. Although, I goat loads to whiffle aboot. I was born in Kendal, England.
My maw was sent to a Convent there as she wasnea married when she hud me. When I was about 1yr I was adopted by my Grandparents.
We lived 3 flights up in 61 Alexandra Parade. Was just across the road from McClardy's Dairy on the corner of Glenfield St.
I went to Golfhill School 61 to 69, then Whitehill 69 - 74, then became a Gleasga Expat. <cuts to chase of subject>
I am looking for anyone that was involved with Castlemilk House; Staff, anyone who spent time there. During this period of Sept 1967 to June 1968, I spent some time in
Castlemilk Home. My grandparents where getting oan a wee bit and I wus a right wee scunner, so I goat pit in the home,
so they could have a wee breather. I will give my pennies worth on my experiance during my stay there.
Staff I remember:- Matron Moria Gillies:- She was a lovely lady, although we lived in the dread of being sent to her quarter's,
she was a gentle soul and loved all her weans. After I left, around the time of the gas explosion in Ronan Point Flats. I got a letter from here making sure I was behaving.
Of horse I was, Neighhhh Sister Kirk:- She was a very reserved lady and was very much in the background, but if ever needed a shoulder to cry on,
she was there. Nurse Topping:- She was strict and a bit handy at skelping yer arse, had 2 wallupins from her, but I deserved them.
Who said arse skelping shuld be banned, Ah luved it, still do. Ask the Missus.
Nurse Eleanor:- She was down to earth and prolly one of of most glamourous staff there, looking back,
I now realise that she knew it too. I weaved her a basket, as is my want. Next day, seen it going skiteing righr out a windea, was a wee keech called Cyril Cochrane that did it.
Nurse Jean:- Seem to recalled that she looked a lot like Jane Smith <Sally Army fame> of Crossroads. Used to always go on about how she could throw a discus from here to Helensburgh.
Nurse Morgan:- She wus the wan that wid scrub ya raw if ye goat oae'r maukit. There are others, that I cant recall. Oh just did
Nurse McEwan:- She was a BIG wumin, if she caught you talking past bed time, she would make you stand in main hall faling the wall with yer hands on head for ages.
We called the caretaker Jimmy, wither that was his real name, is conjecture. Used to take the pish oot him, well thats wit jannys are fur.
Used to have a minister come round at time, Father Burrell. He used to go aon about letting Jesus into yer heart, I asked him if needed an operation to let him in, in all innocence!
Did not go down too well. When i first got there it was the beginning of autumn, the trees where showing the fist signs of changing colour. I was instantly mesmorised by the
sound of the water in the background, the wind in the trees and the vibrant colours. I had come from a monochrome environment of soot and grime to a sea of greens, purple,
orange, golds and birds I had never seen or heard before. Sadly, I can never understand why the building / site was never preserved. I seen it ripped down in winter 1969
I recall there was severe subsidance at the south wing, would be about late Sept 67 where the banks sloped down to the pond. This caused quite a panic as it was where the boys
dorm was. It had to be proped up and fixed. We where all warned to stay away from it,or we would be swallowed up in the quicksand.
On entering through the front door, there was the reception area then passing through the 2 glass doors was the main hall with the huge mantlepiece right in front of you,
to the left was the boys dorm, to the right I think was 3 rooms, one was a playroom when they showed films, had a piano in it ane where we played for the most part.
The cluddgies where to the right too, a couple of cubicles and 2 big baths and basins and I think there was a wee room, where they kept the orphaned babies in.
I dont recall much of the day to day routine, was like got woke up about 7am, got washed, made your bed and tidied up in form. Breakfast, was like purrige or soggies and a cup of tea,
don't recall ever having a cooked breakie. If you didnea eat yer purrige it would be waiting on you when came back from school. In Sept 67, 6 of us decided to run away from the hom.
Try as hard as I can, but I cannot recall any of my fellow escapees names. We manganed to skip a train into the Central, and then made our way to Blackhill,
one of the boys had an auntie there, she gave us crisps and bottles of ginger and told us to beat it before the polis cuagh us. We made our way to Milton and spent the night,
it was a Wedsneday, in a big rabbit hutch in someones back garden. It was freezing cauld. We had a great view of the campsies, and when ever we saw a light up , said to hide as
*they* would be out looking for us! I believe, our attempt at the great escape was mentioned in the papers, so there may be some archive footage, containing the names of the escapees!
I am sure we where mentioned by name as *missing* After a pretty sleepless night, starving and frozen to the bone whe wandered over to Hyndland, knicking rolls and bottles of milk
from doorsteps. Pretty done in by that afternoon, we gave ourselves up. We got taken back in a big black car, where lined up given a right shirrikin, ordered to drop em,
and bend over chair and had our bare arses skelped, no preferance was made for the lassie, it was a communal skelping session. Duly bollocked and arses glowing, we where
ordered in the big baths and scrubbed from head to toe, put into our PJ's and set to bed for 3 days. This was curtailed, due to the instance of subsidance I mentioned early,
so we had a repreive Halloween and run up to Xmas was great fun, had lots of outings to different places, got loads of pressies, sweets and the like.
The pond at back was frozen and covered in snow, picture postcard setting. Still remember it today as vivad as it was. Only diffence then was there was no auld burnt oot
motors littering the banks. We got pocket money to on a Satarday, we had to queue up outside Matrons office, think it was like one or 2 bob we go every week,
then would rush down to the shops in Machrie Drive / Road? Believe they are gone now. Sometimes some of the staff would take us to their home,
I remember one being in Castlemilk Drive, I recall the night of the great gales in January, was blowing a hoolie outside. Was really wide, never seen trees sway so much.
Next day plenty of hooses withoot roofs and fallen trees around. Rest is really a blur, left in summer 68, can always remember Matron telling me to be a guid boi and
no huvin' tae come back again. I did one and got chased, they didnea want me back. Now I wonder, where everyone is, there has to be loads of people around that passed there and
even some staff around. On a note, even though we referred to the staff as nurses, some where not actual nurses. I enjoyed my time there, it was a freindly,
warm place, the staff where caring and considerate. Put the clock back, yeap I would do it again. There where no signs of bullying or abuse.
OK I got my arse tanned, but then again I deserved it, it done me no harm. So, if anyone has had any personal experaince of castlemilk home, dont be shy.
I and I am sure many others woudl love to share these experainces! Can post hear or email me at [email protected]
All the best.
Many thanks fowks!
Expanding a wee bittie on my time in the hoose. I have been focused on trying to recall; accurately, on more experainces and names of my freinds there.
I got a blood brother and sister from the house. Scary now, but in those days there was no woories, we chibbed ourselves with a bit of glass and held cuts together and swore our allegaince!
Well, I wus too young to know about whiching and the like. The Missus only just told me aboot where weans come from last week. *makes note to stotter the coalman*
It is really strange, after nearly 38 years how memories are locked up, but not really forgotten. I had forgotten about Queen Marys tree, was a really old Holly tree.
That tree was a death trap, it had a rusty tin capping on it, supposed to be a playhouse. I cut my hand climbing it! If yer sat on it. The tree appeared outwardly like it wus deid,
yet it still managed to flower a few holly leafs and jag yer mitts. I am sure it was the inspiration for the song *The Lighting Tree* Sadly, when I touched base on site 2002.
The tree was gone. Another relic of oor history departed. It had survived 300+ years of all sorts, only to be destroyed by corporation neds.
Asking myself, how do I remember staff and not my contempories. This is paradoxical, yet simple. Having recently learned that Castlemilk House, was a clearing house for mainly
foster / adoptive children. Time frame <1948 - 1968-9 (closure)> It was due to my individual circumstances. I was put in the home, unbeknown to me at the the time, on a temp basis.
Assigned to go back to my adoptive grandparents when they were a wee bit better. I recall so many childen coming and then going on an almost daily basis, so it was hard to form
relationships with them. The staff where a seemingly constant element, so was easier to get to know them, hence being able to recall thier names. I warmed to them,
they where ordinary, nice people, who in their own time would come through as a big sisters. There was an air of belonging. I have recalled another member of staff over last few days,
Nurse Lillian. It recently came back to me, not long before I left, a handful of us decided to go on a rooftop expedition of the home. Nae shinnin up drainpipes fur us.
This was serious bid at exploration, full use was made of the fire escape to access the roof. Yes, the fire escape was out of bounds, even in the event of a fire.
The rooftop views where fab. The scenery was amazing anyway, but this was awesome, looking down from the top of a castle while Nurse Topping was running around
going radio rental. I peed me shorts laughing at the risk, the danger of it all. Either that it was pishing doon on a lovely summers evening.
Anyway, up went the cry *weans on the rooff, git em doon!* and Nurse Lil came to get us got us all down, but only after we gave her the run around.
Rumour was she was a ex bizzie., due to the flattie shoes she wore. So we gave her a hard time. She got a bit cross, so didnea push it, she wus nice anyway.
We was lectured how we scared the staff and to be more responsible and stop being so childish, well most of where < 10. So that went in one ear and oot the other, as was remarked,
it would, and did. Ah how I miss the place. Sister Kirk, was i/c at this time, Matron was on leave at the time. Thank gawd, otherwise that would have been skelping #3 from
Nurse Topping. She must have have a good cobbler, as she prolly wore more leather of on my erse then she would have had climbing Everest heid fusrt.
I attended, occasionally, Braeside Primary. Mah teacher was a Ms Camaron, and the Heidie was Mr Wilson. Seem to remember Mrs Buchanan too. I lived in fear of going to
Glenwood/side? Heard they had real belts there and mental teechers that like using them. So I opted out the secondary education system for a few years and took up
adult education at 40+.. I goat oan with the local weans, never finding much discrimanation, of them or us. I was as daft as the rest of them, so blended in.
In fact, I distinctly recall a local lassie who was in home; Pamala taking a few of us up some closes in Machrie and dishing oot a singles from packs of 5 Park Drive,,
hell we was gallus and dead grown up. chokeing to death and boaking up! Pamala, well she about was 15 / 16 and left after I had been in hoose a few weeks.
We shared a mixed dorm with 1 other lassie. Anyway, I am hoping that may jog a few memories. there hus to be loads of peeple oot there, with loads to tell
Lubs and hugs to those that like those and wee drammies to the rest!
Thanks Rabbie for your very interesting and may I say! Humorous escapades.
Sounds like you had a happy time despite getting a skelped erse!
