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Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Glasgow Times
The reason Glaswegians are so grateful to 12th century churchman
This was a huge turning point for Glasgow, and its future as a thriving, modern metropolis was set in motion. This year, the city is celebrating its 850th anniversary. But who was Jocelin, the Bishop upon whom William of Lion, King of Scotland, bestowed this honour? Born in 1134, Jocelin was a Cistercian monk, based at Melrose Abbey during the 1160s. In 1170 he was appointed to be the fourth abbot there, a post he held for four years. In February 1174, on the death of the then Bishop, Jocelin was appointed to be the Bishop of Glasgow by the clergy, 'the people requesting and the king consenting' on May 23, 1174. The bishopric survived claims from the Bishop of St Andrews who considered himself 'Bishop of the Scots' and by longstanding claims by the Archbishops of York to subject the Scottish bishops to their authority. In 1175, Jocelin obtained a papal exemption from the authority of any bishop or archbishop, safeguarding him from any such claims, declaring the bishopric of Glasgow to be a 'special daughter of the Holy See.' That is, subject directly to Rome - a privilege later extended to the whole of the Scottish Church. City Charters showing Burgh Charter (Image: Scottish Catholic Collection Trust) This papal bull was confirmed in 1181 by Pope Lucius III when Jocelin travelled to Rome to appeal, on King William's behalf, against the King's excommunication by the Pope in an argument about the succession to the bishopric of St Andrews. Jocelin played a major role not only on the settlement that grew up around Glasgow Cathedral but in wider town and diocesan affairs. In about 1180. Jocelin commissioned a new Life of Kentigern from a monk of Furness, in Lancashire, whose name was also Jocelin. The purpose of getting his namesake to compile a biography of St Kentigern was to rouse enthusiasm over Glasgow's patron saint. Extract from Life of St Mungo (Image: Glasgow City Archives) He intended to create a powerful cult around St Mungo; helping to avoid any future threat of having to succumb to the supremacy of the Archbishop of York; and promoting the collection of funds for the erection of the church which was to be so intimately associated with his name. In terms of the cathedral, Jocelin began the erection of a nave as an addition to the already existing choir, but before 1189 and before the work was far advanced, it was interrupted by a fire. Bishop Jocelin took energetic measures to raise funds for its restoration. There is contemporary evidence as to what was happening around the rebuilding a few years later. Acting with the cooperation or counsel of the abbots, priors and other clergy in the bishopric, Jocelin was raising funds and promoting the rebuilding of the cathedral. Jocelin seal (Image: Glasgow City Archives) Jocelin secured large accessions of property throughout the kingdom with a view to the rebuilding of his cathedral, which had been destroyed by fire. His commission of a new life of Glasgow's patron saint was to excite public interest, and he procured a royal injunction that the undertaking should receive general support throughout the kingdom. On July 6, 1197, the 24th year of his episcopacy, Jocelin dedicated the new cathedral church. It was consecrated by Jocelin, with two other bishops assisting. It was not, however, completed for many years afterwards. Bishop Jocelin died on March 17, 1199 at his old abbey of Melrose and was buried there in the monk's choir. His 25-year tenure as Bishop of Glasgow was highly successful in promoting the best interests, both civil and spiritual, of the wide district over which he exercised his authority. Of all his endeavours perhaps the most permanently beneficial was the establishment of a burgh at Glasgow - the foundation charter of Glasgow's greatness, but the matters which attracted most attention in his own day were probably those connected with ecclesiastical affairs throughout the bishopric, and, most prominent of all, the rebuilding of the cathedral. And in one other way, Jocelin left a great legacy for the city. Glaswegians will be ever grateful that in the early 1190s he persuaded the king to granted Glasgow an annual fair. Its original emphasis was on trade, primarily of horse, cattle and produce markets, first held within the boundaries of Glasgow Cathedral, but its focus later shifted to entertainment - circuses, fairground rides, shows and amusements – and Glasgow's industrialists gave their workers their annual holiday during the week of the Fair. The Glasgow Fair Fortnight may not be as religiously observed as it once was, when the entire city closed down and everyone went on holiday, but it remains a tradition held dear to this day.
Glasgow Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Secrets of Glasgow's very own 'Domesday Book' revealed
This tongue-in-cheek title is an ode to the oldest government record held in The National Archives. The original Domesday Book is a survey of English land in the eleventh century and is perhaps the most well-known archive item in the UK. Sadly, Glasgow's Domesday Book cannot boast such an illustrious history. (Image: Glasgow City Archives) Our volume consists of biographical notes and cross-referenced newspaper obituaries of Glasgow councillors. It was compiled by local authority officials to cover 1890 to 1975 but also includes retrospective information back to the 1850s. As such, it's an invaluable launchpad for any research into councillors for Glasgow Corporation and its predecessor, Glasgow Town Council. Me and my colleagues have used it many times over the years to help questing researchers. (Image: Glasgow City Archives) Understandably, many people are interested in the careers of former Lord Provosts. The origins of this civic role date from medieval times when Glasgow was a burgh. In modern times, Glasgow's Lord Provost has been the city's principal civic representative at home. I wrote recently about James Welsh, who served as Lord Provost during the Second World War until November 1945. James Welsh (Image: Glasgow City Archives) The Domesday Book provides an excellent, though brief, summary of his political career in the city. He began in 1913 and completed thirty-six years of public service, many of those spent representing the people in the wards of Dalmarnock and Maryhill. In addition, he was elected as the MP for Paisley in 1929. (Image: Glasgow City Archives) His entry also notes that he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in October 1945. Last year, we took in his official and personal papers which chronicled his time in office. When I started out as a new archivist at Glasgow City Archives, part of what intrigued me about the Glasgow Domesday Book (apart from its name) was that it was the first internal finding aid within an archive collection itself that I had come across. Finding aids are key for any collections-based service like ours. To help researchers, we create catalogues (hard copy and online) and indexes (names, places, subjects, organisations and buildings among other terms) as well as making use of internal finding aids like the Domesday Book. It is an archive item itself but was compiled as a finding aid by clerks from the Town Council (later, Glasgow Corporation). The clerks would have gone through meeting minutes, obituaries and other sources to summarise the careers of former councillors for use by future researchers. The Glasgow Domesday Book is a manuscript volume and was clearly a living document, being added to throughout the years by various clerks. In the entry for James Welsh, you can see that there are examples of several different clerks' handwriting. As a finding aid, the Domesday Book helps researchers to navigate their way through our other sources searching for these same councillors. For example, the Book gives dates which helps users to narrow down their search of our Glasgow Corporation minutes. It also helps them to find their councillor in our annually printed lists of magistrates and town councillors of Glasgow, a source which confirms which committees each councillor served on and when. READ NEXT: The unusual link between Glasgow and 'dark history' of the pineapple 9 pictures which tell story of famous Glasgow store with link to Rennie Mackintosh 'Gran's report card' discovery reveals story of 'lost' Glasgow school If a councillor became Lord Provost, then researchers can use the archives of the Lord Provost's Office. These are a rich resource which include correspondence, press-cutting books, committee minutes, files on public events as well as photos of civic occasions. Some films presented to the Lord Provost are held on deposit at the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive. As many Lord Provosts were merchants or business owners, some of their personal papers have survived to form part of our collections. For example, we hold the family trust volumes of Sir James Bain (born in 1818) and the papers of Sir James King (born in 1830) during his time in office. Interestingly, the Domesday Book doesn't record other notable information. For example, Dame Jean Roberts, a former teacher, was the first female Lord Provost and served from 1960 to 1963. One of her predecessors in the role, Sir Patrick Dollan, was the first person from an Irish-Catholic background to hold the office when he became Lord Provost in 1938. Neither entry records these facts. Nevertheless, the Glasgow Domesday Book is outstanding in its own way, forming one of the many access points into the collections of Glasgow City Archives.
Glasgow Times
21-05-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Report card discovery reveals story of 'lost' Glasgow school
Intrigued, I wanted to find out a bit more about what school would have been like for her. As well as doing some research online, I delved into some of the sources held at the city archives, namely the Glasgow Corporation Education committee handbooks and the Bernard Street School logbook. Image of Bernard Street School, c 1916 (Image: Glasgow City Archives) Bernard Street School, long since demolished, was classed as an Advanced Central School. At age 12, pupils sat the qualification exam to demonstrate their completion of primary school education. There were different kinds of schools and courses after this, depending on whether a pupil was expected to complete a further two, three or five years of secondary education. The Advanced Central schools were for post-primary pupils aiming to complete a vocationally-oriented education until the age of 14 or 15. This is reflected in the list of subject my gran, Mary Reid (nee Bertie) studied. Pre-printed in the report card are the subjects English, history, geography, arithmetic, science and drawing – subjects that all pupils studied. Then, underneath in ink, my gran has written needlework, cookery, laundry and housewifery. These additional subjects reflected the technical course curriculum for girls, whereas boys' technical courses included benchwork, technical drawing and mechanics. READ NEXT: 'Another Glasgow first': New display marks 200 years of world's original comic Additionally, pupils received between one and a half and two and a half hours of physical instruction per week. Between the 1920s and 1930s, schools played an increasing role in physical health. As well as more time allocated to PE classes per week, there was a push to increase and improve school gyms and playing fields, and expenditure on school medical services in Scotland rose from £44,000 in 1914 to £172,000 in 1933. The Bernard Street school logbook reflects this emphasis on physical education, noting for example that the school's first annual sports day was held on June 21, 1935 at Barrowfield Park. I wonder how my gran got on? Image of girls doing a drill, c 1916 (Image: Glasgow City Archives) The 1933 handbook also provides insight into general rules around homework, corporal punishment and instruction in temperance, morals and manners. Homework was only to be given to children above the Junior Division and the maximum was not to exceed one hour per evening. Generously, it is noted that additional work was not to be given on Fridays... READ NEXT: Glasgow museum's organist celebrates 55 years of playing Beyond the curriculum, schools were encouraged to engage with the value of social activities in school, with education ministers at the time highlighting the increase in school journeys, school clubs and musical societies. The 1933 handbook makes clear that the Corporation approved of school choirs and was willing to offer up facilities for practice and rehearsals after school. Similarly, the Bernard Street logbook reveals that on August 27, 1935, a Miss Harvey took up her duty as visiting music teacher, giving music lessons to the children one day every third week. Image of logbook extract, April 1935 (Image: Glasgow City Archives) The school logbook also includes mention of annual trips to the nearby Olympia Picture House in aid of the Necessitous Children's Holiday Camp Fund, jumble sales held to raise money for the school, as well as a school visit to an exhibition held at the Kelvin Hall in 1935. READ NEXT: Glasgow unveils city's first ever memorial to Merchant Navy These examples are commended in the HMI report on the school from the July 25, 1936, which highlights the pleasant atmosphere and the 'whole-hearted and sympathetic service given by the staff." The logbook reveals that the summer holidays used to be seven weeks long and that the school would close for events relating to the royal family, such as the wedding of Prince George and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark on November 29, 1934, and King George's funeral on January 28, 1936. Like many of her peers, my gran left school at 14 and started working. Clearly the needlework lessons came in handy since she trained as a seamstress and in her marriage certificate to my granddad, she is noted as a tailor's finisher.
Glasgow Times
14-05-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
The Glasgow schools for 'homeless waifs' which helped feed city's poor
In England, the Education Act of 1876 established the Day Industrial School system. It had not been put to very great use there, but the Glasgow School Board thought that it could be a device which would admirably suit those neglected and potentially delinquent children. 'A school situated in the denser parts of great cities and intended to attract from the streets,' reads one of the early records contained in Glasgow City Archives. Rottenrow Industrial School (Image: Glasgow City Archives) 'The essential features of such a school were that it should deal with the lowest element in the urban population and that in many cases, it had not only to instruct but to feed and clothe its pupils.' Day Industrial Schools opened in Green Street in 1887 in the Calton, followed by Rottenrow in 1882, and Rose Street in 1889. These schools were sometimes known as feeding schools, as they provided meals but not lodging. The venture was a joint one by the School Board and the Delinquency Board, who, from old photos, seem quite terrifying. Glasgow Delinquency Board (Image: Glasgow City Archives) The buildings were provided by the School Board and then leased to the Delinquency Board at a nominal rent. The school was either converted from an old School Board building or built specially for the purpose. While the superintendent was appointed and paid by the Delinquency Board, the School Board supplied the teachers. A major part of juvenile delinquency consisted of very trifling misdemeanours such as stone throwing or petty thieving, and it was a great problem to know how to deal with them. They often originated in truancy which, in turn was usually traceable to inadequate supervision at home. At their Default Meetings the School Board soon realised that there were many homes where the parents simply could not be expected to exercise 'proper care and control of their children.' READ NEXT: Glasgow unveils city's first ever memorial to Merchant Navy 'It was the end of blackouts and air raids and fear' as Glasgow marked VE Day Do you know Glasgow war hero nurse who helped amputate man's foot in Blitz? A common instance was the home with only one parent. Whether widow or widower they had to go out to work, leaving the children to fend for themselves early morning to 6pm or later. Another example of this class was the deserted wife, a distressingly common feature of Glasgow where it was so easy for a man to take a ship abroad. Once delinquency developed, the child had to be dealt with in other ways, namely in in industrial schools and reformatories. The former were regulated by the Industrial Schools Act of 1854, and controlled after 1860 by the Home Department. They were intended for 'vagrant and homeless waifs', to prevent them sliding into crime. Usually, no difficulty was experienced in getting the magistrates to commit a child, even when no actual offence had been committed. Parents were extremely glad to come forward stating, as required 'in order that our minds may be at ease, will you commit this child.' This extension of the law led to the suspicion that these schools were being used as a surreptitious means of feeding poor children at public expense (30 years before the Schools Meal Act). This was denied by the Boards. The schools opened their doors at 6am to receive the children as parents went off to work. The janitor looked after them until lessons began at 8.30am and they could stay until 6pm and on Saturday till 1pm. They were given three meals daily which were regularly provided by charity organisations, The Day Industrial Schools served a most useful social purpose. Unfortunately, the Delinquency Board was empowered by the Act to deal only with Protestants and so Roman Catholic children living in poverty were not supported. Many School Board members felt that all children should receive equal treatment, however, and after much discussion it was decided to open Govan Street School as a Day Industrial School for Roman Catholics. The more serious cases of juvenile criminal were committed to one of the residential Industrial Schools, boys to Mossbank and girls to Maryhill. These institutions were run by the Glasgow Juvenile Delinquency Board, a quasi-public body, whose members were selected by the Corporation. Once a child entered an industrial school, he was no longer the responsibility of the School Board.
Glasgow Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
The Glasgow bank scandal which saw managers jailed
On October 2, 1878, branch managers of the City of Glasgow Bank (CGB) received the following message from their director, Robert Stronach. 'Bank has stopped payment. Close your door at once and pay nothing.' So began the dramatic collapse of the CGB, an event which led to the restructuring of the Scottish banking system, and which historians have described as the most significant commercial banking failure in the UK prior to the 2008 financial crash. The effect of the bank's collapse on its 1819 shareholders, whose liability for the bank's losses was unlimited, was severe. Bank manager Robert Stronach (Image: Glasgow City Archives) An investigation into the CGB's affairs was immediately ordered, and in mid-October 1878 the bank's managers, directors and secretary were arrested and charged with 'wicked and felonious fabrication and falsification' of CGB's accounts. At time of collapse, CGB had the third-largest branch network in the UK, with 133 branches across the country. The bank was established in 1839, and had its headquarters in the Merchant City. As was common practice in Scottish banking at the time, shareholders' liability was unlimited – meaning that they were required to cover any discrepancy between assets and liabilities. When CGB collapsed, the investigation of the bank's accounts revealed this debt to be £6.2 million – about £608 million in today's prices. It fell to CGB's shareholders to foot the bill. Historian Sydney Checkland describes how shareholders were called to pay £2750 per £100 share, with the result that ultimately only 254 of the 1819 shareholders remained solvent. The effects of the collapse were not limited to Glasgow – the Dundee Evening Telegraph reported that 'the failure of the City of Glasgow Bank has come upon the community of Scotland like a thunder-clap'. Image – Trial Report, Front Cover, 1879 (Image: Glasgow City Archives) Two questions immediately arose: how had this happened, and who was responsible? The investigation into the bank's accounts soon revealed some of the ugly truth of the calamitous affair. While rumours had been circulating about the state of CGB's accounts, few on the outside could have foreseen such a disastrous collapse – indeed, just a few months before its failure, the bank's published balance sheet showed it to be in good shape. Investigators revealed CGB's balance sheets to be a tissue of falsifications. For years, the company's directors had been 'cooking the books' to conceal the dire consequences of reckless lending and risky speculative investments. READ NEXT: Devoted father of Glasgow murder victim Moira Jones sadly dies READ NEXT: 'My sister pushed for cancer test, without her I might not be here' READ NEXT: Burning baffles and drinking pubs dry: How Glasgow celebrated VE Day The report into the trial of the bank's directors, held at Glasgow City Archives, excoriates the directors who 'converted a great banking institution into a mere machine for abstracting money from the pockets of a too confiding public, in order that it might be lavished upon their friends.' Duke Street Prison interior, 1959 (Image: Glasgow City Archives) The fall from grace of the supposed 'men of virtue' at the top of CGB was swift. On October 19, the same day as the report of the Investigation Committee was published, the arrest of the bank's managers and directors was 'quietly effected', and the seven men taken to Duke Street prison. The trial report describes how, on January 20, 1879, in front of a 'crowded and expectant court' in Edinburgh, 'the manager and directors of the City of Glasgow Bank were placed at the bar, to answer the charges of falsehood, fraud and theft preferred against them.' Trial Report, Not Guilty, My Lord, 1879 (Image: Glasgow City Archives) The seven accused each pleaded not guilty. After a long and complicated trial, which the Lord Justice Clerk admitted had 'perplexed' even him, the jury were instructed to retire and consider their verdict. They were given the difficult task of ignoring the significant sympathy that the situation of CGB's shareholders had aroused in the public, and dealing dispassionately with the evidence. On February 1, 1879, all seven accused were found guilty, to varying degrees, for the fraud, falsification and mismanagement that had led to the bank's collapse. The longest sentences, of 18 months, were handed to Stronach and Potter, for actively falsifying CGB's balance sheets. The crash of CGB and the public sympathy for its shareholders led to significant reform in the Scottish banking sector. The Companies Act of 1879 was brought about as a direct result of the collapse of CGB, and led to a system of limited liability for shareholders. The Act also required that the balance sheets of banks be subject to external audits, in an attempt to prevent a repeat of one of the greatest failures in Scottish banking history.
