'Mystery' Glasgow woman behind musical donation revealed

Glasgow Times

29-06-2025

I wanted to find out about the lady, a Mrs Henderson, who donated the famous Binns organ to the town hall in Kinning Park, but she proved very elusive.
However, with the help of the Glasgow Times, and Special Collections at the Mitchell Library, we discovered Margaret Henderson, nee Anderson, was born in Glasgow in 1837. She married James Henderson, a carpenter employing 30 men, in 1855.
They had four children: James, who died in 1890 aged 34, Thomas who died in 1879 aged 21, Janet (known as Jessie) and Margaret.
(Image: Margaret Kitson)
James ran Anderson & Henderson, builders, wrights and sawmillers who employed 164 men by 1881. He died in 1882 and left £17,398 - equivalent to £2.7million nowadays.
Mrs Henderson and her two daughters donated the organ to Kinning Park Town Hall on the occasion of it opening in 1902.
A report in our sister newspaper, the then Glasgow Herald, on October 10, 1902, said: 'The new Town Halls which have been erected in Kinning Park were formally opened last night by Mrs Gray, wife of Provost Gray.
'Provost Gray, in the course of an address, read the letter from Mrs Henderson, Mrs Anderson, and Mrs Mann giving to the community the large organ which has been placed in the hall, and expressed on behalf of the inhabitants their hearty appreciation of the gift.'
Mrs Henderson died in 1903. I'm grateful to everyone who helped uncover the story of our organ, which now has pride of place in Dedham Parish Church.
Margaret Kitson, Dedham
(Image: Newsquest)
Quest to find answers about old Glasgow park
I was born June Munro in 1953 and my mum always said I was born on 'Rottenrow'. She has passed now, but I understood there was a park, possibly called Queen Elizabeth Park across from the hospital.
I have an old photograph of my mum, dad, brother and me at the park – but I'm having trouble finding out if this is all accurate.
Do any Times Past readers know if there was a park across the street from Rottenrow around that time?
June Bervig, Glasgow
Who remembers old Glasgow bar which was razed to the ground?
I have just come across a recent Glasgow Times article about Keyden Street. My parents owned the Royal Bar at the corner with Scotland Street.
I wonder if any readers remember it? The Royal dated back to about 1872 and was owned by wine and spirit merchant James Taylor, who lived at 5 Finnieston Street.
He served the locals until the 1880s and during the 1890s the licence changed hands a few times, to owners including George Weir and James Simpson, Walter B Scott, and after the First World War, Charles McGarvey.
My mum and dad Betty and William Connolly ran the pub in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. It was closed and razed to the ground in the 1970s to make way for the M8 motorway.
Gerard Connolly, Glasgow
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