13. John Begg
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John Begg (1793-1867) was the nephew of our national bard Robert Burns. John was the son of Burns's youngest sister Isabella. Her husband John Begg (a land steward on the Blackwood estate in Lanarkshire) died after being thrown from a horse. Isabella later moved to East Lothian for a period of time and later went to Bridge House, Alloway where she spent the rest of her life.
In the Old Gorbals Burial ground (now the Rose Garden) lies another local link to Robert Burns, a gentleman named John Wilson - the inspiration for his poem 'Death and Dr Hornbrook'. |
Wilson in his early years as a schoolmaster at Tarbolton parish took to dabbling in amateur medicine by printing advertisements promoting his free advice for common ailments. After attending a Masonic meeting where John Wilson displayed his so-called medical skills, Robert Burns set about writing the verses for 'Death and Dr Hornbrook'. Following the circulation of the poem John Wilson left Tarbolton and headed for Glasgow where he took up the position of session-clerk for the Gorbals Parish Church until his death in 1839.
14. Charles Wilson
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Charles Wilson, (1810-1863). One of Glasgow’s legendary architects and the man responsible for the Southern Necropolis Gatehouse.
Born the son of a builder, Charles Wilson served his apprenticeship under the auspices of that other great Glasgow architect David Hamilton. During the period from 1827 to 1837 he contributed to the design and building of Hamilton Palace, Lennox Castle and Toward Castle. In Glasgow, he worked with Hamilton on the conversion of the Cunningham Mansion into the Royal Exchange (now GOMA).
Charles Wilson left the David Hamilton practice in 1837 to enter into partnership with his brother John. Their partnership ended in 1839 and Wilson set up his own practice at 41 George Square. The first two years would see him occupied with commissions to build a series of small churches and villas. In 1841, he designed and build the Glasgow Royal Asylum for Lunatics at Gartnavel. In 1842 Wilson designed the Mathew Montgomerie Monument at the Glasgow Necropolis, a prominent feature of that particular Heritage Trail. |
The nineteenth century offered great opportunities for young architects. As Glasgow expanded its boundaries, huge areas of land were opened up to new development. One such development was the rocky outcrop of Woodlands Hill.
The lower slopes of Woodlands Hill had been partly developed in the 1830’s and the 1840’s. However, by the 1850’s, a proposed initiative to build the new university buildings on the summit had fallen through and Charles Wilson was commissioned to produce a revised plan for the Woodlands Hill and Park area. He entered into a joint venture with surveyor Thomas Kyle to produce a plan which would become Park Circus, Park Terrace and Kelvingrove Park which included the magnificent granite staircase - which is a main component of the Kelvingrove Park Heritage Trail.
Ironically, Charles Wilson was one of an elite group of city builders and financiers who proposed a private ‘West End park’ as early as 1850. Their failure to raise sufficient capital for a commercial venture prompted civic leaders such as the visionary Lord Provost Stewart to intervene and in 1852 the Town Council purchased the lands now known as Kelvingrove Park.
The years following the Disruption of the Church of Scotland (1843) involved Wilson in the construction of many Free Churches, such as the Italianate style Free Church Training College on Lynedoch Street (Trinity College), Glasgow (1855-61). Other notable churches worth mentioning are the Rothesay Free Church (1845), Maryhill Free Church (1847) and Rutherglen Free Church (1849). All were built in different styles, most notably Romanesque and the early English gothic style.
In 1845 Wilson designed Kirklee Terrace and in 1855 designed the whole of Park Circus, apart from the Park Church. In 1857 he laid out the Queen’s Rooms at La Belle Place just opposite Kelvingrove Park and added the adjacent houses that same year.
The first mention of Wilson’s magnificent gateway at the Southern Necropolis is found in a disposition dated 10th September 1844 by William Gilmour to the Magistrates of Gorbals. It mentions the rights of entry to land disponed, by a road leading eastwards until it passes through ‘the gateway with its accompanying ornaments to be erected in the centre.’ This majestic gateway stands today at the Southern Necropolis, like a guardian at the gates of Hades.
15. Reverend James E. Smith
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The Reverend James E. Smith (1801-1857) was born in Glasgow the son of John Smith of London and his wife Janet. His father, a well-educated man, had strong ambitions to see all his sons in the ministry. After studying at Glasgow University, James Smith acquired a fair amount of general knowledge and a degree in Divinity. By the age of 17 he became a private tutor and probationer for the church. He continued to teach in various families until 1829. Although preaching occasionally, he made no serious attempt to enter the church.
After turning his talents to painting he managed to raise enough funds to take himself to London. In 1832, he opened a chapel, charging a penny for admission. He circulated tracts and gave lectures. At first he appeared to have considerable success but, as the novelty of his views wore off, he then connected himself with Robert Owen, the Socialist who developed New Lanark, and lectured at the Socialist Institution in Charlotte Street. |
Towards the end of August 1834, after a disagreement with Owen, James Smith established his own publication ‘The Shepherd’ in which he discussed subjects that interested him. After the publication ceased James turned his versatile hand to producing the ‘The Family Herald’, the first issue of which appeared in May 1843. This celebrated publication was sold weekly at the cost of one penny and was mainly devoted to popular fiction and was, according to the prospectus: ‘The first specimen of a publication produced entirely by machinery, types, ink, paper and printing’. James ‘Shepherd’ Smith died on a visit to Scotland in 1857.
16. George Thomson
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George Thomson (1815-1866) was born on 25th March 1815 in Partick. His first apprenticeship was as a "millwright" after which he entered the works of Robert Napier, the legendary engineer and shipbuilder who also trained the likes of William Denny, John Elder and William Pearce.
During this time there Thomson developed considerable knowledge of marine and general engine work and his talents were soon recognised, leading to the position of assistant manager with the firm for several years. |
In 1846, along with his older brother James, he started a successful engineering company at Clyde Bank Foundry in Govan, from which they set up a shipbuilding branch at Bankton, just East of Govan in 1851. The first ship produced was the ‘Mountaineer’, launched on Thursday, 15 July 1852. This 175 ft paddle steamer was constructed for use on the West Highland trade routes, then run by David Hucheson, and later David MacBrayne. Around 40 vessels were made in total, with names such as Clansman, Columba and Claymore.
Thomson’s iron-hulled, schooner-rigged, screw steamer ‘The Fingal’ (1861) gained great notoriety during the American Civil War when the Confederate army used this ship to break through a Union blockade at Savannah. It was written that ‘No single ship ever took into the Confederacy a cargo so entirely composed of military and naval supplies.’ ‘The Fingal’ was later iron clad and converted into a confederate warship called ‘The Atlanta’. Later in the war this ship was captured by the Union, then renamed the ‘USS Atlanta’ and subsequently used against Southern troops at Richmond and Fort Powhatan.
In 1871 his son James Roger Thomson purchased extensive lands at Barns of Clyde in Dunbartonshire, diagonally opposite the confluence with the Cart. The Govan yard and Thomson’s entire operation was transferred across to the North Bank of the Clyde, bringing with it the name Clyde Bank - later to be taken up by the town that grew around it. In 1899 Thomson’s magnificent shipyard was bought out by John Brown and Co. of Sheffield and arguably became the most famous yard on the Clyde.
During his lifetime George Thomson remained heavily devoted to his business and was rarely seen or known in public. His yards employed more than 1,500 men. The last ship designed by George Thomson was a 3,000 ton steam powered vessel named the ‘Russia’ 1865, a mail ship for Cunard. At the time of its construction it was the largest and most important vessel operating on the Atlantic and was able to cross the ocean inside nine days. A kindly and modest man, despite his success it is recorded that Thomson never lost the broad Anderston "Doric" in his speech. He died on 29th June 1866 aged 51.
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