GLEN CINEMA DISASTER 1929 PAISLEY

[shrewgirl30]

I am looking in to the Glen Cinema Disaster and I was Wandering if anybody knew anything about.

I have included the list of the victims so if anybody regonises any of the name I would love to hear from you.

List of The Victims Of Glen Cinema
1) Elizabeth Finlay (Bessie) 16 Glen Street
2) Francis Curran Age 4 - 92 Glasgow Rd
3) Jane Stevenson 21 Greenhill Rd/Street. Parents Bernard and Jane Stevenson (Nee Bryte) Cause of Death: - Asphyxia by Crushing.
4) Thomas Kerr Howard 3 Garthland Lane
5) George Lorimer Scott Age 9 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing. 7 Forbes Place. Parents: - James and Elizabeth Scott (Nee Geddes)
6) Mary Green 19 Cochran Street/Sister Margaret who survived.
7) Samuel McBlane 10 Incle Street
8) George Hammond 17 SmithHill Street
9) Margaret Gibson Age 8 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing. 36 Underwood Rd. Parents: - Daniel and Martha Gibson (Nee Farmer)
10) Georgina Peacock (Ina) 9 Anchor Buildings
11) Daniel Corbett 53 Canal Street
12) Helen McGran (Nellie) 11 Storie Street
13) Williamina McGran (Minnie) 11 Storie Street
14) Julia Irvine 5 Hunter Street
15) Robert McGirr Age 9 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing. 39 Underwood Rd. Parents: - James and Jane McGirr (Nee Chalmers)
16) Annie Hamilton Age 7 Parents: - Alexander Hamilton and Jessie Anderson Hamilton (Paton) Died of Asphyxia by Crushing. 22 Incle Street
17) William Irvine Age 7 - 10 Glen Street. Parent’s: Thomas Irvine (Died 21/2/1970 Age 86) and Dorothy Irvine (Died 11/7/1975 age 78) Also Thomas their Son Died 2/1/1990 Age 70
18) James Johnston Age 13 - 6 Glen Street. Parent’s John Johnston (4/9/1923 Age 40) and Isabella Johnston (Nee Russell) (Died 17/8/1924 Age 41) Brother Adam Died 27/6/1924 Age 19 and Sisters Janet Died 10/2/1947 Age 40 and Christine McKay Johnston Died 28/7/1991 Age 81.
19) Robert Adams 42 Thread Street
20) John Cairns Age 11 - 38 Gordon Street. Parents Charles and Jane Cairns.
21) Peter Houston 24 Mill Street
22) Thomas Jackson 10 New Sneddon Rd/ Brother Hugh Jackson who survived.
23) William Black
24) David Boyd 61 Underwood Rd
25) Elizabeth Dempster 8 Anchor Buildings
26) Mary Dolan Age 8 Parents Michael and Agnes Dolan (Nee Gallagher) Died of Asphyxia by Crushing 6 Moncrieff Street
27) Caroline Brain Age 8 - 6 Moncrieff Street Parents: Jean (Died 21/8/1969 Age 66) and Thomas Brain (18/5/1980 Age 89) Grandparents: Caroline Campbell (Died 14/3/1936 Age 66) and David Cummings
28) John Bowes
29) Robert McConnell Age 11 - 2 Brown Place. His Mother Robina Prentice Died 4/11/1962 Age 86.Sister Mary was killed by enemy action, Post 5,Woodside in 1941 Age 21.
30) Margaret Morrow Age 10 - 38 Underwood Rd. Parents George Morrow (Died 3/10/1952) and Margaret.A.Morrow (Died 25/12/1951)
31) Elizabeth Leonard Age 11 - 7 Moncrieff Street. Mother Sarah McDowall Leonard (Died 19/12/1943 Age 64)
32) William Fitch 11 Storie Street Age 4 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing
33) Janet Paterson Fitch 11 Storie Street Age 10 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing Parents: William and Rose Ann Fitch (Nee Orr)
34) James Gatherer 84 Abercorn Street
35) Henry Green (Harry) Age 5 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing. 7 West Street. Parents: Henry Green (Died 21/4/1975 Age 84) Janet Green (Nee Smith) (Died 23/12/1984 Age 88)
36) William Spiers/Speirs Age 7 -23 Back Sneddon/Brother John Spiers/Speirs who survived.
37) William Rae 27 Abercorn Street
38) George Elliot 5 Brown Place
39) George Kennedy 35 Canal Street
40) John Goodwin 9 Underwood Lane
41) Leah Dickson/Elizabeth Miller Dickson Hart Age 7 34 New Street Parents: - James and Elizabeth Hart (Dickson) Died of Asphyxia by Crushing
42) Henry Elliot 60 Causeyside Street/ Edie Elliot (Sarah) was injured, but did survive. Parents: Henry Elliott (Died 10/6/1953 Age 63) and Isabella Elliot (Nee Lochrie) (Died 31/1/1984 Age 93)
43) Robert Alexander 98 Abercorn Street
44) Archibald Grogan 84 Abercorn Street
45) Thomas Renfrew Age 11 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing. Parents Robert and Mary Renfrew (Nee McCabe) 16 Cotton Street
46)
47) Enzo Fiori (Luigi) Age 6 8 Silk Street. Parents: - Luigi Elisco Fiori – Restaurateur and Agostina Fiori (Nee Onesti) Died by Asphyxia by Crushing.
48) Margaret McEnhill/Irvine Age 3 - 12 Wallace Street.
49) Edward McEnhill Age 9 - 12 Wallace Street
50) James McEnhill Age 11 - 12 Wallace Street Died from Traumatic Asphyxia.
The Parents of The Above Are Pat and May McEnhill (Nee Pearson) Died 13/6/1936 and their Wee Son Pat who died in infancy. Margaret and Edward died from Asphyxia by Crushing
50) Alexander Telfer Age 4 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing Parents: Alexander and Jeanie Telfer (Nee Baker) 37 Lady Lane Paisley Buried 3/1/1930
51) Sarah McCafferty Age 8 (Formerly Sarah McCafferty Digney) Mother Agnes Digney. Stepfather John McGee 23 Thread Street Died of Asphyxia by Crushing
52) Elizabeth Hart 15 SmithHill Street
53) Thomas Renfrew Age 11 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing. Parents Robert and Mary Renfrew (Nee McCabe) 16 Cotton Street
54) Agnes Coyle
55) Robert Niven 141 George Street
56) Thomas Kilkie Age 5 - 9 Wallace Street Died of Asphyxia by Crushing
57) Helen Kilkie Age 10 - 9 Wallace Street Died of Asphyxia by Crushing
Headstone Erected By Their Parents George and Martha Kilkie In Loving Memory Of Their Children.
George Kilkie Died 23/4/1978 Age 84
Martha Kilkie Died 28/2/1968 Age 75
And their son George Died 23/4/1990 Age 74

All the above are interred at Hawkshead Cemetery, the following are interred elsewhere.

58) Robert Wingate Age 8 Parents James and Margaret Wingate (Nee Russell) Died of Asphyxia by Crushing 9 Lawn Street Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
59) John Pinkerton 7 Andrews Street Age 12 Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
60) William Pinkerton 7 Andrews Street Age 5 Parents of William and John are Robert and Mary Pinkerton (Nee Kenny) Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
61) Elizabeth Corrigan 15 Maxwellton Street Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
62) Norman Gillies Age 6 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing. Parents- Matthew and Alice Gillies (Nee Hopburn) 158 George Street Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
63) Thomas Perkins 112 George Street Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
64) John Gielty 15 Barclay Street Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
65) James Geilty 15 Barclay Street Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
66) Robert Craig Age 6 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing 10 Underwood Lane. Parents: - James Kean Craig and Jeanie Craig (Nee Blackwood) 10 Underwood Lane Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
67) Dennis McGarrity 26 Causeyside Street Buried @ Woodside Crematorium/Cemetery Paisley.
68) Mary McWattie 4 Millar Street
69) Jeanie McGrattan (Jenny/Jean) Age 4 Died of Asphyxia by Crushing 158 George Street/Sisters Catherine McGrattan and Elizabeth McGrattan (Seriously Injured) both survived. Parents Patrick McGrattan and Jeanie Lamont Grattan
70) Hugh Blue Boghead, Beith (He had been on a visit to friends in George Street)
71) Lily Buchanan 10 Oakshaw Brae


With Thanks Louise

[Liz Turner]

Dear Louise

I hope you made some progress with your search for information about the Glen Cinema disaster - I think you covered it on another post too.

Liz

[gord.lalonde]

Hello, my wife's two aunts died in the fire, Nelli and Minni McCran. You have their names recorded as McGran. I would like to know more about this disaster.

[LesleyB]

Hi gord.lalande

...and welcome to Talking Scot

There is some general info at these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Cinema_Disaster
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/gla ... 435104.stm
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scott ... -21935039/

Best wishes
Lesley

[Currie]

Hello,

This was the Glasgow Herald article on the day after the tragedy. Just zoom in or out and drag the pages around using the mouse or arrow keys. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6q ... nema&hl=en

If you wish to browse the issues immediately after 1 January 1930 click on ‘browse this newspaper’ and follow your nose from there.

The Google News Archive search is generally unreliable however it does bring up these items. http://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&hl ... tbs=ar%3A1

Hope that helps,
Alan

[Roving Lad]

Hi,
My father had wanted to go to that matinee on that day. Fortunately for him, his mother didn't have enough money to give to him for the admission charge. As far as i know, it would have have cost 1 old penny to get in then (240 to a pound in the old currency). According to some of my older relatives, some of the picture halls would accept an empty jam jar in exchange if you didn't have the penny.
About 1970 i made friends with an old gentleman in Paisley, he would have been in his 80's then. Turned out he had lost two children in the disaster, although he never said anything about it in all of the years that i knew him. So i didn't like to ask.
Many years later when i managed to get a computer i googled his name with Glen Cinema next to it. For sure it came up, with the names of the two kids also. I was then saddened a bit when i read another little bit attached to it. Misfortune had hit the family again.
Fourteen months after the disaster another one of his little boys was knocked down and killed by a motor vehicle in Paisley, he was aged five. Poor old Willie carried all of that on his shoulders and never said a word.

Roving Lad

[bossjock]

No.41 in the list of victims is incorrect. Leah Dixon was not related to Elizabeth Miller Dickson Hart and the parents mentioned were not hers either. Leah, who was aged 11 when she died, did live at 34 New Street, she was my mums sister.

There is a tribute to the victims of the Glen Cinema disaster, with various links, here http://tinyurl.com/nfm2knb

[Currie]

Thanks for that bossjock and Welcome to TalkingScot.

A list of injured children was published in The Scotsman on January 1, 1930, with a note that their ages ranged from six to nine, were mostly suffering from injuries caused by crushing and by asphyxiation, and that some of the children who suffered mainly from shock made a speedy recovery and were allowed home later.

They don’t appear to be listed online anywhere so I’ll include them here. Their names are as follows:—
[The names in brackets are where the spelling in the Glasgow Herald list varies.]

Jas. Boyd, 13 Moncrieff Street. [James Boyd]
Tom Brown 3 Moncrieff Street.
Sarah Cowden, 42 Thread Street. [Sara Cowden]
Agnes Vasey, 16 Love Street.
Hugh Jackson 10 New Sneddon Street.
Dick M'Neill, 59 Old Sneddon Street.
Mary Robertson, 16 Greenhill Road.
Wm. Crawford, 24 Barclay Street. [William Crawford]
Charles M'Glashan, 85 George Street.
Ruby Buttler, 2 Silk Street. [Ruby Butler]
Matthew Bickett, 52 Canal Street. [Matthew Pickett]
D. Campbell, 51 Storie Street.
Jas. Gabey, 15 Park Street. [James Gabey]
Owen Goudie, 6 Andrews Street.
Robt. Simmons, 2 George Street. [Robert Simmons]
H. Thorley, 7 Galloway Street.
Alex. Dickson, 28 New Street.
Greta Brown, 13 High Street. [Gretta Brown]
Donald M'Diarmid, Lochfield Street.
Chrissie Goudie, 14 Thread Street.
Lizzie Gilday, 34 New Street.
Neil Yeoman, 13 Blythswood Drive.
Jas. Riley, 8 Silk Street. [James Reilley]
Bernard Jenkins, 26 Kilnside Road.
John M'Leod, 34 St James Street.
Rose Guthrie, 36 Gordon Street.
Mary M'Dougall, 40 Storie Street.
Margaret Green, 19 Cochran Street.
Jas. and Martha Dever, 2 Oakshaw. [James Dever, Martha Dever]
Mary Ross, 22 Storrie Street.
Mary Boyle, 8 Brown's Lane.
Margaret M'Grathan, 158 George Street.
Margaret Cowden, 7 Thread Street.
Laura Adams, 32 Gauze Street.
Mary Ross, 22 Storie Street.
Margaret M'Gatham, 158 George Street.
Margaret Harper, 9 Anchor Buildings.
Lizzie Goudie, 10 Thread Street.
John Spears, 23 Back Seddon Street. [John Spiers]
James Gilton, 15 Barclay Street.


All the best,
Alan

[MikeOfDorset]

Hi Alan

Mary (May) Boyle was one of the survivors (age 6). She was my grandmother (she died in 1986 aged 63). She was known as May rather than Mary and her middle name was Gilmour (I am sure Gilmour was her mother's maiden name). I have googled 9 Brown's Street and the houses look modern, I am sure the old flats had to be demolished because there were not fit for habitation (I think she said her whole family lived in two rooms). I know she had a brother called David (he moved to America), and sisters called Reena, Margaret and Emily (all of whom have passed away too) – Emily had a son who vanished. There was also another little girl who lived with the family and though she was not related, was taken in and brought up with the rest of them. My mother has a photo of the family group and I will see if I can get it scanned and will upload it (you can see some of the kids trying to hide their feet cos they have no shoes or boots).

She used to tell me about the fire and how frightened she was, she had her little brother with her (remember she was only 6 herself) and she 'grabbed his hand and pulled him here and there until they found a way out'. Once outside, she looked down and saw her feet were bare and was so scared of getting a beating for losing her shoes, she ran back in to find them! I say shoes, they were wellington boots – they got a new pair each in winter which they cut down to shoe size in spring and painted 'shoe laces' on them to look like shoes and then in summer, cut the toe section out because they were getting too small (so they turned them into 'peep toes' [her words). When she found her wellies, she also found two other small kids hiding behind chairs and brought them out with her into safety. She said there was something in the newspaper about 'plucky little Mary Boyle who ran back into the cinema to save other children' – she never corrected the man who told her how brave she was – she had left her coat behind and thought that she would get away with it and avoid a beating for that too!

She told me about how she loved going to the 'pictures' and she had a special coat she wore (black on the outside with a red lining). She went in wearing a black coat, watched the film and when it finished, then quickly changed seats, but a beret hat on her head and turned her coat inside out so it looked red and stayed to watch the films over again and not pay and the usherette assumed it was another person! She was also a great ice-skater (or so she said) and won a lot of competitions. She had a scar on her leg which she said she got as a teenager when she collided with someone on the ice. She also told me about how poor her family was, her mother used to pawn blankets on a Tuesday and buy them back on a Saturday (when her father finally gave her mother some money). On the days with no blankets, they used to go to bed dressed and put coats and sacks over themselves to keep warm. Her father was nicknamed 'costa' Boyle and my mother told me she thinks he was called this because he was a bit shady and sold on stolen gear - I don't know for sure.

My nan moved to Lancashire early in WWII after marrying my granddad who was in the airforce. She had four children in rapid succession and then a fifth one late in life (my uncle who was only 3 yrs old than me). Sadly my uncle, who was more like a brother, drowned in 1968 aged 8 years and just two weeks later, her youngest daughter [recently married] died in her sleep aged 21 after a brain haemorrhage.

Out of her five children, only my mum is alive now aged 71. May (Mary Boyle) has seven grandchildren all of whom knew her well and loved her. She also has eight great grandchildren who wished they had met her!

Will be back in touch when I get a copy of the family photo.

Keep well

Mike

[MikeOfDorset]

I found my Nan's address. I had looked up Brown's Street which had modern buildings on it but I should have googled Brown's Lane. Her old home is still there, all boarded and bricked up - it doesn't look like a great place to live now, never mind how it must have been in the 1920s & 30s which lots of poor families on that narrow lane.

Mike