Thornly Park approved school

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danda
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:54 am

Thornly Park approved school

Post by danda » Fri Mar 04, 2022 5:50 am

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
Posts: 128
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:15 pm

Re: Thornly Park approved school

Post by carolineasb » Sat Mar 19, 2022 6:03 pm

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
Posts: 128
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:15 pm

Re: Thornly Park approved school

Post by carolineasb » Sat Mar 19, 2022 6:04 pm

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
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:54 am

Re: Thornly Park approved school

Post by danda » Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:08 am

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
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:18 am

Re: Thornly Park approved school

Post by grissel » Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:47 am

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
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:54 am

Re: Thornly Park approved school

Post by danda » Wed Apr 20, 2022 4:18 am

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
Posts: 266
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:11 pm
Location: North Lanarkshire

Re: Thornly Park approved school

Post by Rockford » Sat May 07, 2022 4:00 pm

grissel wrote:
Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:47 am
...
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
SMITH - Luss/Lanarkshire
BURNSIDE - Londonderry/Lothian
SWEENEY - Donegal/Monklands
GILCHRIST - Lanark/Lothians/Peebles
HUNTER/GWYNNE - Monklands/Fife/Stirling
LOGIE/DUNLOP/YOUNG/THOMSON - Lothian

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