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Glasgow
Green
Old Templeton's Carpet Factory
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This old Templeton Carpet factory building is
the favourite of many Glaswegians. James
Templeton & Sons began making carpets on
this site in 1857. Construction of the
brick facade, inspired by the Doge's Palace in
Venice, began in 1888 designed by William
Leiper.
What is less well known is that on 1st November 1889 a
fault in the design led to the collapse of the
facade killing 29 woman in adjacent weaving
sheds. I know of no plaque commemorating the
deaths of these unfortunate women
.....again the working masses taken for
granted and dismissed.... |
Extract
from email April 2005, Kate Arnott Hawkins,
California, USA, Age 79
I have an old bible that was presented to
my Gran, Catherine Dunsmore in around
188?.
It states that it was presented to her because
of the calamity that occurred in Greenhead,
Glasgow in 188?. Couldn't find any old records
of an incident around that time ............
I found out about the Templeton Building
through your website. I had been looking for an
answer to a message in my Gran's bible which
gave her sympathy for the Greenhead Incident in
1889. She was only 13 and must have been a
survivor.
Thank you for solving a mystery for me. |
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Extract from
guestbook May 2003, May Sutherland, Hamilton,
Canada. Age:
61-70
I was looking through the pictures of
Glasgow Green especially Templeton's building. My
Mother often told us the story of that particular
wall. My Grandmother was a weaver at the time
of the other disaster in the year 1900. The
girls were getting ready for a dance (at that time
they had to work 'till 6 o'clock every night
except Sunday, day of rest, anyway, she was in the
ladies' room getting her dress on (she sang with
the band), when fire broke out.
The girls naturally went frantic and as the only
window without bars was in the ladies room, they
all made a dash for it as the doors were all
locked, waiting for their boss to let them out (he
had been good enough to let them stay late, rather
than go home to get themselves ready & waste
time). The doors had been locked to keep the girls
from bringing in their boyfriends to wait for
them.
My Grandmother was one of the "lucky ones" to get
out through the window. after almost choking to
death with the smoke. She died 4
weeks later as a result of that smoke, aged
32, leaving 3 children with my Grandfather. Just
after she got out of the building the inside collapsed with the
weight of the looms & most of the girls were
killed.
The wall is a memoriam to the girls. If
you look at the top, on the roof, you'll see a
statue of a girl, wearing a dance dress and
carrying a bunch of flowers in one arm and her
right arm at her side holding her dance shoes.
Unfortunately, not too many people know about this
and I've often thought of writing to tell you. I'm
sure a lot of people will be interested in this
story.
When I applied for a job in Templeton's in
Templeton St. in 1951 I was asked if I had a
relative who worked there. When I told them about
my Grandmother they checked the records & I
got started without a problem. I worked in the
Laboratory, way up in the attic. I couldn't have
been nearer her memoriam if I had planned it
I love this website, thanks for giving me
the opportunity to tell my tale. A wee bit
of Glasgow trivia. awrabest. |
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Glasgow
Green - Greenhead
Street
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.Large additions were made in
the 1920's and 30's. The last wing facing the
Green
was designed in 1936.
Carpet production ceased in the 1970's and the
'A' listed building was adapted
for use as a business centre
and been converted into offices and smaller
workspaces..
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| Templeton
workers from 1948
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