Lennoxtown

James Foyer was a weaver from Campsie Parish. He was enlisted to fight in the Napoleonic wars and was killed in battle during the Siege of Burgos, Spain, in September 1812. During a battle to capture the Fort St Michael, Burgos on September 19th, Jamie was shot in the chest, and as he lay dying, he wished for a drink of water from Baker Brown's well in Lennoxtown. The Well was in Lennoxtown, down Well Lane, just off the Main Street, opposite the Health Clinic. However, despite the photograph of the well (in the Local Studies Collection of the William Patrick Library) and its known location, as well as an appeal for information, Don Martin's research of the site in 2003, revealed only a few stones, which may not even have been part of the original well. An unknown author commemorated the incident in a 19th C Folk song, based on the words of the dying soldier. It's noted in the Lennoxtown history pages that locals sang the song in the streets of Campsie, especially in front of a shop owned by Mr. James Jack, who usually rewarded the singer. The account also notes that in 1887, Mr. Jack told of two strangers arriving in Lennoxtown, looking for the well. They wanted to fill bottles of water to take with them to Spain, where they intended to drink it as near as possible to the spot in Burgos where Jamie died. 'Oh! if I had a drink of Baker brown's well, My thirst it would quench, and my fever would quell; But life's purple current was ebbing so fast That young Jamie Foyer soon breathed his last. They took for a winding sheet his tartan plaid, And in the cold grave his body was laid; With hearts full of sorrow, they covered his clay, And muttering "Poor Foyer," marched slowly away.'

This volume contains specifications, estimates, contracts and accounts for the building of Lennox Castle. The large 3 storey red sandstone mansion was designed by prominent Glasgow architect, David Hamilton, in a Norman castle style for the Kincaid-Lennox family of Woodhead. The house took around 4 years to build and was finished in 1841. During the First World War, like many grand houses, Lennox Castle served as an auxiliary hospital for wounded soldiers. In 1927 the family sold the castle and the estate to Glasgow City Council. In 1936 the Council opened a new mental hospital on the estate. During the Second World War the hospital was again used as a military hospital with the patients being transferred to huts in the grounds. From 1942-1964 a maternity hospital operated at the complex. By 1987 the original castle building was no longer needed by the hospital. During the 1990s a phased closure of the hospital was carried out with Lennox Castle Hospital finally closing in 2002. Unfortunately the building was badly damaged by fire in 2008 and is currently on the Buildings At Risk Register.

On the 4th of August 1914 Germany invaded Belgium and more than a million Belgian refugees subsequently fled from the advancing German armies. Around 8,000 refugees were housed in Glasgow and the surrounding towns and villages. In response to an appeal for help Kirkintilloch Town Council offered hospitality for a group of refugees. Accommodation was found for them at some empty estate cottages at Rowantreefauld in Lennoxtown courtesy of Colonel King of Antermony. Generosity and support for the refugees began to fade as the War dragged on and food supplies began to dwindle. Nevertheless many of the refugees got local jobs, joined the armed services, and generally supported themselves until the end of the War. The local committee in Kirkintilloch continued to raise money for the refugees throughout the War and created a repatriation fund to help them rebuild their homes and lives when they returned to Belgium in 1919. Few remained here, and there is little legacy of this small group of foreign refugees that was welcomed so openly into our local communities.

In 1825 Campsie Glen was opened up by a local landowner, John McFarlan, for the enjoyment of rural workers and it became a popular beauty spot throughout the 19th century with thousands of visitors enjoying its attractions every year. Mauchline ware was a 19th century tourist souvenir, usually made from sycamore. A vast range of mauchline items was produced during its hundred years of manufacture. Taking its name from the Ayrshire town, Mauchline ware was produced primarily by William and Andrew Smith from the 1850s, but there were other manufacturers as well. In addition to nearly every town and village in Scotland being illustrated, Robert Burns, Walter Scott, beauty spots, country houses, churches and castles were also popular subjects. Products included boxes of all shapes and sizes and uses, napkin rings, quaiches, photograph frames, matchbox holders, spill vases, rulers, tea caddies, cigar cases, containers for needlework items, pin cushions, bookmarks, letter openers, glove stretchers, posy holders, egg cups, spectacle cases, fans and many more. Not only was Mauchline ware sold throughout Britain, but quantities were exported to many parts of Europe, especially France; the British Empire – South Africa, Australia, Canada; and the USA.

During the early 1800s most goods were taxed including basic food stuffs such as bread. Life for working people was hard. So in 1812 a group of Lennoxtown residents came together to form the Lennoxtown Friendly Victualling Society. The stated purpose of the society was “to provide ourselves with the different necessaries of life at the cheapest and easiest terms we can”. The Society bought provisions in bulk direct from manufacturers and then divided these goods among themselves at cost price. From at least 1826 the Society paid members a dividend on purchases. This is probably the earliest recorded example of ‘the divi’. By 1886 the Society had 108 members and sold £6000 worth of goods. In 1909 this had increased to 309 members, 14 employees and sales of £18,715. The Society was able to increase the number of stores and the types of goods sold. It also opened branches in neighbouring villages such as Milton of Campsie. From about 1826 the Society sold general provisions including alcohol which was apparently supposed to be the ‘best of stuff’. The sale of alcohol by a co-operative society was quite controversial and led to many regulations. No liquor was allowed to be consumed on the premises, and the purchase of liquor would only count towards the dividend if it was marked in the member’s pass book as for ‘family use’ rather than for an individual’s private or public drinking. The alcohol licence was eventually lost in 1900 and the Society discontinued its sale. By 1965, when it became part of the Kirkintilloch Equitable Society, the Lennoxtown Society was generally accepted to be the oldest co-operative society still in existence – it had been in operation for 153 years. The Kirkintilloch Equitable Society in turn became part of the Co-operative Wholesale Society (now known as The Co-operative Group) in 1987.

The hillside above Lennoxtown provided an ideal location for an anti-aircraft position during World War II, giving Glasgow advanced warning of approaching German bombers. In May 1941 a German ‘Junkers JU 88 A/5’, returning to France after a bombing raid on Clydebank, was shot down by a British ‘Defiant’ close to Lennoxtown. These wreckage fragments were recovered during archaeological digs carried out in 1987 and 1997. The ‘JU88’ had a crew of four: a pilot, a radio operator, air gunner and bombardier. All four men bailed out, two were captured unhurt while two were found dead. One of the crew, Gerd Hansmann (1914 – 1941) is buried in Campsie cemetery. Below is the report on the destruction of the enemy aircraft by Squadron Leader E.C. Wolfe: “At 01.45 on May 7th I was patrolling at 12, 000 ft over Clydebank. In order to get as wide as possible a view of the moonlit cloud tops, I was making a continuous series of S turns. During one of these, whilst turning to starboard I saw an enemy aircraft 2000 ft below me turning on a parallel course with myself, I promptly dived into formation at full throttle slightly in front and below the enemy aircraft. I came up on his starboard forward quarter, where my gunner, Sgt. Ashcroft, opened fire at less than 20 yds. Strikes were observed and the enemy aircraft turned sharply towards us. I climbed over him to be on the outside of the curve and as soon as he had straightened up, I dived beneath him and took up the same position as before. A second burst was fired, after which the enemy’s starboard engine and cockpit were seen to be on fire and he turned on all his navigation lights. At the same time he turned towards me again and I repeated my former manoeuvre and the gunner gave him a third burst. After the fourth burst there were two blinding flashes from his cockpit. After the fifth burst, I left the attack as we were nearing cloud tops, and through the rift of the cloud layer, watched the enemy crash to the ground where it blew up.”