Before there was a Jamaica Street there was open countryside, then a cart track, and around 1730 a bottle works was started up close to the river. Jamaica Street was opened in 1763 at a time when the rum and sugar trade with the island of Jamaica in the West Indies was flourishing. Some of the earliest buildings on the street were warehouses where imported goods could be stored before they were distributed further afield. In 1772, a bridge across the river was completed, connecting the foot of Jamaica Street with the Barony of the Gorbals on the opposite bank. The bridge was initially referred to as the “Bonny Brig” or the New Bridge, to distinguish it from the older Stockwell or Glasgow Bridge to the east of it. Later, Jamaica Street would become a centre for the drapery trade and in 1856, the first iron-framed building in the country and possibly in all of Europe, was constructed on the street and it would house Gardner’s furniture warehouse.
The horse-drawn carts are tail-gating and even running two-abreast in this early 20th Century scene at the foot of Jamaica Street. Traffic is light so there is plenty of room to give the horses their head. The Broomielaw and Paisley’s outfitters are on the left. Car number 914 coming towards the camera and bound for Langside is one of 80 Gloucester-built tramcars in service with the fleet that had been ordered in order to ensure that enough vehicles would be available to service the city in time for the International Exhibition. ( Postcard published by Raphael Tuck & Sons in their “Town & City” series. )
In this photograph, taken between 1911 and 1914, a policeman on point duty has temporarily halted car 584 en route to Halfway while he waves traffic across from the Broomielaw to Great Clyde Street. Paisley’s General Outfitters is established on the Broomielaw Corner and next door is the Grand Colosseum Warehouse which had formerly been Walter Wilson & Co’s department store. On the Clyde Street corner, James Brown advertises chairs, cabinets, piano stools, blinds and sunshades made at the Newfield factory in Dalmarnock. ( E. A. Schwerdtfeger & Co., London E.C. )
A long line of tramcars has just crossed over the Clyde at Glasgow Bridge and is headed up Jamaica Street into town. The tram at the rear is bound for Springburn and is just about to pass Paisley’s. The traffic policeman on the corner is now equipped with large white gauntlets and motorized vehicles are in evidence, including a Cooperative Society lorry on the Broomielaw. Note the very ornate lamp standard outside the off-licence on the Clyde Street corner. ( J. & M. Caledonia Series )
Horse-drawn trams of the Glasgow Tramway and Omnibus Company were in service when George Washington Wilson took this photo of Jamaica Street. The Company cars, as they were termed, first entered service on August 19, 1872 on track owned by Glasgow Corporation. In 1875, route colour coding was introduced and is present on the trams seen in the photo. The Company’s lease ended on June 30, 1894 whereupon horse-drawn trams owned and operated by Glasgow Corporation entered service. The property on the left of the photo is undergoing extensive renovation and multiple signs are posted advertising Paisley’s sale, so they may already have moved into part of the premises that they were to occupy for over 80 years. Next door is the Glasgow Colosseum founded by Walter Wilson who was the sole partner for eighteen years and established branches in London and Edinburgh. Born in the Gorbals, he had started out in business making ladies hats and selling them at wholesale prices. There are several signs drawing attention to the Colosseum including a very large awning outside the main entrance. It should be noted that virtually all of the people in the scene are male. The frequency of gas lights would provide very little illumination after dark.
Unless otherwise stated, the photographs are from the author’s collection.
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Is it possible to find any history of the Paisley company? We understand an ancestor was connected with the company in the 1800s.
Paisley’s, the Glasgow tailor and outfitter, was a fixture at the corner of Jamaica Street and the Broomielaw from around 1880 until 1979 and was well known for supplying uniforms, particularly school uniforms. After the store closed, it lay empty for a while until it was acquired by Sir Hugh Fraser and converted into the headquarters of his short-lived Sir Hugh store chain. Then in 1989, it was announced that a new company, Clydebank Merchant Developers Ltd, was to redevelop the building and turn it into an office complex. The plan was to restore the façade and provide about 72,000 sq.ft. of office space. However, with the ensuing recession, things did not go according to plan and in 1993 the buildings were demolished in their entirety.
A 2016 calendar of Old Glasgow ( Flame Tree Publishing ) shows this corner with horse trams having just turned into Jamaica St. from the Broomielaw. The tracks leading on to Jamaica Bridge have been severed, presumably for the widening of the Bridge in the late 1890’s. The trams for the south side were temporarily diverted until the newly widened bridge was completed. Am I correct in this assumption? Great photos, thank you.
David
Hi David,
Thank you for your inquiry and I have now seen the calendar photograph to which you refer, showing the break in the tram lines leading to Glasgow/Jamaica Bridge. Between 1895 and 1899, the bridge was widened and the arches expanded to accommodate larger ships. In the calendar photograph, tramcars are shown being hauled up and down Jamaica Street and the lines continue round into Great Clyde Street in the right foreground. However, when I checked the Ordnance Survey map of the area, dated 1896, there are no tram lines showing in Great Clyde Street, so they may have been laid as part of a diversionary route. It would certainly make sense to divert services to and from the south side while Glasgow Bridge was being widened. If I find out any further information, I will certainly let you know.
Best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
My grandfather’s kilt from Paisley has been passed down. I am trying to get information because it is in really good condition but it needs to be cleaned and I want to know if that’s even possible. He came to America in the early 30’s when he was 11…wearing the kilt. It is a kilt, vest, jacket and sash.
Joy
The site where Paisley’s once stood is now occupied by the Jury’s Inn Hotel.
Arthur
Hi Joy,
Thank you for your inquiry. It is possible that your grandfather’s kilt was made by Houston’s of Paisley, a 4th generation family firm of kilt makers, having been established in 1909. They have a website at http://www.kiltmakers.com and can be contacted by phone from the USA and Canada at 01144 141 889 4879. Hopefully, they can give you the very best information.
Best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I have been researching the life of Walter Wilson, founder of the Grand Colosseum Warehouse which had formerly been Walter Wilson & Co’s department store and would be interested in corresponding with a descendant of the Wilson family. Looking forward to any advice or suggestions. Thanks.
Richard
Hi Richard,
I’m posting your request in case readers might have some suggestions. I’m not presently in Glasgow but you could also try contacting the staff at the Mitchell Library there to see if they could point you in the right direction with respect to public records. Also, have you tried those ancestry searches?
Best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I have recently acquired a top hat that has ‘PAISLEYS LIMITED’ Jamaica street, and Broomielaw, Glasgow which I have researched to get to this post. I was wondering if you could tell me more about it. It’s in good condition and I wanted to know how much it is worth?
Kind regards and thanks
Lauren
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for your inquiry. I have done some checking and there are several sales of top hats recorded on the website of McTears Auctioneers and Valuers of Glasgow if you conduct a search of their past auctions. Prices realized depended upon the condition of the hat, the manufacturer, the materials used, and the nature and quality of the carrying case, if one was present with the hat. I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I wonder if Margaret Campbell and I share an ancestor or whether it’s two unrelated connections to Paisley’s Store? I was told that our Thomson family had an ownership at one point – like Margaret I’d like to hear the early history of how/who started the business? Or perhaps there was something there before it was Paisley’s? Is there a way to get in touch with Margaret Campbell?
Alan
Hi Chris,
I seem to remember a furniture shop in the early-mid 1970’s at the corner of Jamaica Street where McDonalds is now located. Granted I was only wee at the time, but I seem to recollect it had a fountain and a waterfall in it. No one else seems to remember this shop, so I’m hoping you can tell me if this shop existed, or if I’m mixing it up with somewhere else.
John.
Hi John,
I am not aware of this shop but I will post your question in case someone recognizes it.
Best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris
Re John Clark’s post, there was a furniture shop which I think was possible called Gardeners where Wetherspoons is now located on the corner of Jamaica Street and Midland street. It certainly had an old fashioned and interesting interior and possibly a fountain.
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Thank you for sharing this information.
Best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris, and Patrick.
Thank you both for validating my sanity.
Hi Chris,
I have a piece of furniture with the following posted inside:
Gardner & Son LTD
House Furnishers
36 Jamaica Street
Glasgow
Established 1832
I would love any further information on this.
Thank you.
Nancy
Hello all,
I like to do a bit of research into our past and I came across the following article not long after reading the above regarding Gardners of Jamaica Street and thought I would share.
http://www.glasgowwestaddress.co.uk/1888_Book/Gardner_A_&_Son.htm
Cheers,
Mark
Hi Chris,
I would like to use an image of the busy Jamaica Street of the late 19th Century for the book “Bajo el ojo del águila” (Under the eagle’s eye), the writing of which I completed recently. The print is in sepia and has the inscription “Jamaica Street Glasgow 11.616 GWW”. The book is about the life and times of William D. Murray, a Glaswegian (1848 – 1909). The story goes from Glasgow to Workington, Cumberland, then to the ends of the earth, Antofagasta, Chile, and beyond, Oruro, Bolivia. However, I do not know who gives permissions and conditions of use.
Thank you in advance,
Miguel
Hi Miguel,
Thank you very much for your inquiry and congratulations on completing the writing of your book. I have the postcard in question in my archive and you are welcome to refer to this website as the source of your discovery. The original photograph was taken by George Washington Wilson (GWW) or an individual employed by him.
With best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
Do you have any further information regarding the sugar and rum trade and the warehouses that stored the trade goods from the West Indies?
I’m researching a family from Glasgow that began as early Guild Brethren (Maltmen) and eventually expanded into Jamaica. If not, are there resources you might suggest for further research.
Thank you so much.
Derek
Hi Derek,
Thank you for your inquiry. I don’t have any further information on the early development of Jamaica Street and the warehouses there, but I did a search and found some information on the people and those parts of Glasgow that had connections with the sugar and rum trade, for example, https://thewhiskymanual.uk/glasgow-rum-and-slavery/. You are probably aware of the attention directed in recent years to Glasgow’s involvement with the slave trade and in researching this you will probably find more information about the city’s sugar and rum trade with the West Indies.
With respect to the warehouses situated close to the river in which imported goods were stored, you might try to examine early street maps and drawings of Glasgow to see if such buildings are marked. You could begin by contacting the Mitchell Library in Glasgow and possibly the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. The staff there may also direct you to other archives containing such material. I hope this helps.
Best wishes in your endeavour.
Chris
Hi Chris,
When clearing out some documents of my dad’s recently I came across a couple of guides from Paisleys Ltd ~ Highland Dress An Authentic Guide and a revised Catalogue of Highland Costumes, dated 1931 with prices. Would these be of use / interest to anyone?
Joyce
Hi Chris,
I have bronze coin /token – marked on one side Paisleys Glasgow and on the other Paisleys The People’s Men’s Boy’s Tailor Broomielaw Corner. This was dug up in the garden of a previous house. Can you give me any information about this coin / token?
June
Hi Joyce,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the 1931 guides from Paisley’s. Did your father own a kilt? You might want to keep the guides as family heirlooms. If you decide to donate them, it might be worth contacting the Mitchell Library. They have a substantial collection of Glasgow memorabilia, much of it donated, that can be accessed for study and research purposes. Here is their contact information:
Glasgow Libraries:
The Mitchell,
North Street,
Glasgow G3 7DN
Phone: 0141 287 2910
Fax: 0141 287 2815
Email: archives@glasgowlife.org.uk
With best wishes,
Chris
Hi June,
Thank you very much for your inquiry. Just a few days before I received your message, Joyce had reported finding some 1931 guides on Highland Dress, also from Paisleys, and I suggested that she contact the Mitchell Library. They have a substantial collection of Glasgow memorabilia that can be accessed for study and research purposes. Hopefully they can help. Below is their contact information.
Glasgow Libraries:
The Mitchell,
North Street,
Glasgow G3 7DN
Phone: 0141 287 2910
Fax: 0141 287 2815
Email: archives@glasgowlife.org.uk
With best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I live in New Zealand (Scottish grandmother) and am writing a privately-commissioned history of the family of Captain William Power (1840-1887) whose son, also William Power (1873-1951), was an author and an early leader of the SNP (1940-42). The book is for close family only and won’t be a published work. William Power Sr had a partnership in the 1870s/1880s called Power & Wylie – Shipbrokers and Commission Merchants, based at 62 Jamaica St. Excuse my ignorance – but do the photos on your site cover that end of the street? If so, may I have permission to use the earliest one in the book.
Thanks, Peter Michel
Hi Peter,
Thank you very much for your inquiry and for sharing this information about your Scottish ancestors. I did a quick check of the 62 Jamaica Street address in the Post Office Annual Glasgow Directory for 1920/21 and Numbers 60-70 Jamaica Street were listed as the location for the Grand Colosseum Warehouse Company, which was just up from Paisley’s Outfitters on the West side of Jamaica Street, close to the river. Walter Wilson founded the Grand Colosseum in 1869 and would have been set up in the purpose-built iron-framed building by the 1870’s. The Colosseum is present in the first 5 photographs of the chapter, with the best view being in the fifth photograph. I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I joined the Merchant Navy with Houlder Brothers in 1971 and I recall travelling to Glasgow with my Mother to purchase all my required uniform and seagoing kit from Paisleys. I am making some historical notes now and wondered if you knew if any of the original archives for Paisleys may have been preserved, such as sales ledgers for the period?
Thank you.
Derek
The final photograph shows Grants Furniture Store in Jamaica Street. This was where I had my first job, in the accounts office around 1972. Wages £5.10.
Mary
Hello Mary,
Thank you for sharing this. I hope you enjoyed your experience working there.
With best wishes,
Chris
Hi Derek,
Many thanks for your message and for sharing your experience. I don’t know the whereabouts of Paisleys records but you might start by contacting the staff of the City of Glasgow’s Archives at the Mitchell Library, http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/ If this is not successful, you could try contacting the Archivist at the University of Glasgow, https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/archivespecialcollections/ Hopefully in the course of doing this research, you may obtain the information you are seeking, or at least some useful leads.
With best wishes,
Chris