Lodging House of Robert Burns...

[heymarky]

In the 1891 Census, David Dyer is living at (according to Ancestry):

No 39 Watson Street, Lodging House of Robert Burns

I suppose my first questions is, "Is this Robert Burns that Robert Burns?" (The poet)

Google books has a reference to (copy of?) Proceedings of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow which, in a footnote, says

...the fact that Mr. Robert Burns, after gaining his experience as a superintendent for eight years in the first Corporation Lodging-house, began the erection and running of those well equipted and admirably conducted private lodgings which now rival those of the Corporation.

It appears from that article that these lodging houses were some sort of low-income housing, which for a genealogist begs the question, "Did David have to fill out an application that might still exist somewhere?"

General Curiosity

This Lodging house is filled with married men who are not living with their families.

David is living in the lodging house (Blackfriars, Glasgow College) David's wife and children live in Milton at 22 William Street. Are they close to each other? Was there some benefit to living in one of these lodging houses that outweighed the cost of maintaining two residences?

The article (which I admit I've only skimmed) seems to imply that it is some sort of corporate housing, which may imply that the room came with a job or vice-versa, but the occupations of the men living there seem completely unrelated:

Moulder, Fish Hawker, Tailor, Dock Labourer, Carter, Hammer man, Surgeon Dentist, Peddler, Iron Moulder, Masons Labourer, Light Porter, Baker, Quarry Man, Window cleaner, etc.

Anyone have light to shed on any of these questions?

[heymarky]

Just had a peek at the census page where Susan and the kids are...

Susan is also a window cleaner, but she claims to be a widower.

The 1894 death cert I have for David Dyer, window cleaner, husband of Susan McDonald gives Susan as the informant.

Hints of a very interesting story that I will probably never hear the rest of...

Isn't genealogy fun?

- Mark

(Still interested in hearing from others about original posting, by the way...)

[LesleyB]

Hi Mark
My understanding of lodging houses was that they were fairly bleak places where single men or women ended up staying if they had hit on hard times, but maybe still had a job which paid a little money, so not so hard times that they had ended up in the poorhouse...yet.

I think many young single men who had moved to the city looking for work, or those who lost their jobs and had difficulty finding other employment ....or those who spent most of their income on drink ended up in such places.
See:
http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... ht=lodging

Best wishes
Lesley

[Jack]

Hi Mark,
I'd have doubts if any lodging house applications as such still exist; but you never know....
And i'd be thinking there would be very little personal info recorded if there were.
--
Watson St. ran north from 37 Gallowgate.
William St. ran north from Milton St - which itself ran east from Cowcaddens.
So they were just over a mile apart, but nearer 1½ miles to walk from one to the other.
--
From the very interesting book published in 1956.
"Glasgow Common Lodging-Houses and The People Living in Them"
by Stuart I.A. Laidlaw, Medical Officer of Health, City of Glasgow 1946-1955.

39 Watson Street - Privately owned male lodging-house. Opened 1886 - Closed 1921.
Census nights of -
1891 - 427 persons.
1901 - 352 persons.
1911 - 350 persons.
--
In 1902 there were 67 registered lodging-houses in Glasgow (51 male & 16 female).
The average number overnight in Aug 1902 was 6,904 males & 582 females.
Plus 5 special houses gave shelter to 224 males, 182 females, and 212 children.
Also 34 Seamen's boarding houses averaging 172 per night.

By 1954 there were only 18 lodging-houses left (15 male & 3 female).
Average inmates per night in that year were 2,987 males & 383 females.

Over the years they were well used - from 1 night stays to very many years residence.
--
In the 1960s i worked with a true gent who lived permanently in the Arthur St. "Model" in Paisley.
He was a very sober hard working Irishman, and you'd only need one guess as to his forename!
And he certainly seemed very content in his choice of living accommodation.
Jack