PEOPLE

Jack House was the acknowledged authority on the history of Glasgow. He was the author of many works on the subject, such as "The Heart of Glasgow" and "Square Mile of Murder" and of commissioned works for various companies. He compiled a history for Long John International which included the Westthorn facility.

As a journalist he wrote for several Glasgow newspapers including the "Evening Citizen" and, latterly, the "Evening Times". Although he was popularly known as "Mr Glasgow" - a title he did not particularly approve of - strictly speaking he was not himself a native born Glaswegian. He was born in Tollcross Rd, opposite the Deer Park, in 1906, prior to Tollcross being incorporated into Glasgow! He did not move to Dennistoun in Glasgow until he was about two years of age.

In 1842 a book of poems by William Miller was published called "Whistle-binkie; Stories for the Fireside". In it appeared for the first time a poem which is arguably the most well known in Glasgow - "Willie Winkie". For those few unfamiliar with it, the first verse runs;

"Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon,

Up stairs an' doon stairs in his nicht-gown,

Tirlin' at the window, crying at the lock,

"Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"

Although it is commonly assumed that Miller is buried in the Necropolis, the stone there which designates him "The Laureate of the Nursery" is only a memorial to him. The funds which paid for it were raised by public subscription and were originally intended to help Miller when he was ill and penniless. However, he died before the funds became available and is buried in an unmarked grave in Tollcross Central churchyard.

John Wheatley was born in Bonmahon, County Waterford. His family moved to Bargeddie where he worked in the local pit for 13 years from the age of 11. Tollcross formed part of the constituency of Shettleston which Wheatley represented from 1922-1930 as a member for the Independent Labour Party. While Minister of Health in Ramsay MacDonald's 1924 Labour Government his campaign for decent housing for the working class came to fruition with the "Wheatley Act" which allowed local authorities to build subsidised housing.

Wheatley lived in Sandyhills, a Glasgow Corporation built estate which benefited directly from the reforms pioneered by him. He died at home in 1930 and was buried in Dalbeth Cemetery, the thousands of mourners at his funeral bearing testimony to the high regard in which he was held.

The Lord Provost of Glasgow at the beginning of the 80th anniversary of Tollcross's annexation was, aptly enough, a resident of the district. Mrs Susan Baird was born in Dalton St, Parkhead in 1940 and her family moved to Auchenshuggle when she was 5 years old. Mrs Baird and her husband live in Dowanfield St, with the traditional Lord Provost's lamp standards outside their gate, denoting the position the resident held.

She joined the Labour Party in 1963 and was elected Councillor for the Parkhead ward in 1974 at the time of the creation of Glasgow District Council, becoming a Baillie of the city in 1980. On 12th May, 1988 she was sworn in for her 4 year term as Glasgow's Lord Provost and was only the second woman to hold the office, which retained the male title.

Sybil Templeton nee Tennent was born in Dunlop St (Corbett St) in 1885 in a house on French's Land, so named after its owner. Life was not easy in 19th century Tollcross. There was no running water and she had to carry it to her home from an outside well. As a child she worked during her summer holidays to bring some extra money into the house. Youngsters would work for Wullie Spittal of Spittal's Farm turning hay and thinning out turnips. Work was from 6am to 6pm and pay was 9d.

Later when she worked at a mill in Bridgeton she had to walk there before the trams extended as far as the village. She witnessed both the coming of the trams and their passing in 1962. Her father was a miner, like many others, and she could recall seeing the horses and coal carts emerging from Mutton Pit at the foot of Wellshot Rd.