Thornly Park approved school

[danda]

Are there any survivors out there who had the misfortune to be incarcerated from the 60's in this place I've only found one post related to it but no reply as yet I'm sure there must be inmates who are still alive and would want to share their experiences from that awful place
regards
Danda

[carolineasb]

No relatives incarcerated there, but sadly my family had the misfortune to be burgled twice by inmates and a third time the police came out to sit with my mother as escapees had said they were on the way to burgled us again one day.

My parents did a dance when it burned down!!

[carolineasb]

No relatives incarcerated there, but sadly my family had the misfortune to be burgled twice by inmates and a third time the police came out to sit with my mother as escapees had said they were on the way to burgle us again one day.

My parents did a dance when it burned down!!

[danda]

Hi There thanks for the reply , yes I think that would have been way after my time there as we all would have been too terrified to overstep the mark back then discipline and brutality was the order of the day then just to give you an idea I stole 7/6 pence from an ice cream van (hungry) and at age 13 was given 1 to 3 years as a first offender what happened in that period would be worthy of a best seller even now when I tell people what happened they cant believe it, I'dlove to get answers as to how they justified the beatings but we're all getting old now aye ?

[grissel]

Hi

The Barrhead news advertised a few years back asking for anyone who went to Thornly Park to get in touch with Lady Smith, chair of the Scottish Child abuse inquiry. It was a good few years ago but maybe still worth enquiring.

I didn't have any one in the 60's that went there, however if my research is right( not sure at this stage if it is) It might be possible that Thornly Park was once Paisley Industrial School. Mt ancestor was sent there from 9 years old to the age of 16 years old for stealing money from his mother and a neighbour. Like you he was probably hungry and had not long lost his father . This was 1917 . A very hard sentence for a young child.

[danda]

Hi there thank you so much for the reply
yes there were many of us in there for such a petty crime to think at 13 youu'd get 3 years for stealing 7/6 because you were hungery beggars belief
which was why I was rtying to find out if there was any one else who were incarcerated there and how did they go after it, afer all they could do anything they liked in there as they WERE the law and who could we tell that would do anything ? after all we were criminals in their eye's not children aye ? I will try and find out more of that link you mentioned though your probably right it maybe too late
many thanks
Dave

[Rockford]

...
I didn't have any one in the 60's that went there, however if my research is right( not sure at this stage if it is) It might be possible that Thornly Park was once Paisley Industrial School...

Hello,

It seems that Thornly Park School was the Paisley Industrial School, and moved to premises there c1910 after having been located at various locations in the town since the 1840s.

http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/Paisle ... the%20town.

As an aside, the site of the school at Thornly Park was developed into student accommodation for the University of Paisley (now UWS), there were newer blocks built as student flats and some older houses that had originally formed part of the school buildings. I stayed in one of the new blocks in the mid 90s.

Best wishes

Brian

[Doc 123]

Hi Danda ,

Just seen your post albeit is now 2 years old I was there for two years in the late sixties never forget that place

[grissel]

The Scottish child abuse inquiry has been looking at Thornly Park approved School( Paisley Industrial School) since 2020 . It might be worth contacting them to see how much further they have come with their inquiry and maybe to add your experiences of this place to their enquiry.