Friday 20th August 1819
Friday, August 20 after breakfast we drove round the town & inspected the principal buildings, the chief of which are the Cathedral a high Church a very fine old structure it was saved by its inhabitants during the time of the reformation the Lunatic Asylum a fine building & well adapted for the purpose the Infirmary Bank Marble show Rooms Roman Catholic Chapel, Baths & ??Coin?? Houses in St George’s Square there is lately erected a fine new monument to Sir John Moore the houses in Glasgow are in general 5 stories high and being all of stone have a fine appearance. The town is
very large and populous and the streets very wide
OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:
Glasgow Cathedral, also called the High Kirk of Glasgow or St Kentigern's or St Mungo's Cathedral, is the oldest cathedral on mainland Scotland. It is one of the few Scottish medieval churches (and the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland) to have survived the Reformation not unroofed. The tomb of St Mungo is in the lower crypt.
Circa 1800: Cathedral Church of Glasgow. Engraving by W. Byrne and S. Middiman after T. Hearne. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SECathChGlasgow16.jpg
2007: St. Mungo's Cathedral, Glasgow, Scotland by Michael Hanselmann. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glasgowcathedral.jpg
Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy gives an account of the kirk. The University of Glasgow originated in classes held within the precinct of the Cathedral. William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow was primarily responsible for the foundation of the University around the year 1451. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Cathedral
2007: Photo of the western end of Glasgow Cathedral (St Mungo's), by Julesn84 and published under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glasgow-cathedral-may-2007.jpg
1896: Glasgow Cathedral, the Nave, Chromolithograph. https://www.collectorsprints.com/1760/antiqueprint/glasgowcathedralthenave
Circa 1860: Glasgow Cathedral (Front), Engraving published by Banks & Co. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEGlasgowCath.JPG
2015: Glasgow Cathedral's choir by Colin/Wikimedia Commons and published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glasgow_Cathedral_-_Choir.jpg
“Glasgow Lunatic Asylum” opened in 1814 in the Cowcaddens area of Glasgow. In 1931 the name changed to Glasgow Royal Mental Hospital, until 1963 when it was renamed Gartnavel Royal Hospital. It Closed as a working hospital a few years ago. Parts of the building are still used by the NHS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gartnavel_Royal_Hospital
2008: Old Gartnavel Royal by Lynn M Reid. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by Lynn M Reid and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Gartnavel_Royal._-_geograph.org.uk_-_740805.jpg
Glasgow Royal Infirmary’s Royal Charter was obtained in 1791 granting the Crown-owned land to the hospital. The infirmary was built beside Glasgow Cathedral on land that held the ruins of the Bishop's Castle, which dated from at least the 13th century but had been allowed to fall into disrepair. George Jardine, Professor of Logic, was appointed the first manager in January 1793. Designed by Robert and James Adam, the original Royal Infirmary building was opened in December 1794.
1804: Glasgow Infirmary drawn by John Claude Nattes (1765–1839), etching by James Fittler, from the collection of the National Library of Scotland, available from the National Library of Scotland under the sequence number or Shelfmark ID J.134.f. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or less. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scotia_Depicta_-_Glasgow_Infirmary_-Plate-.jpg
2011: The Medical Block of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary as seen, looking northwards, on High Street, by Editorflipsyde, the copyright holder of this work, published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GRI_Medical_Wing.jpg
It had five floors (one underground) holding eight wards (giving the hospital just over a hundred beds) and a circular operating room on the fourth floor with a glazed dome ceiling. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Royal_Infirmary
Royal Bank of Scotland opened in Glasgow, being its first-ever branch beyond its Edinburgh base. Under its agent, the merchant and philanthropist David Dale, the bank in Glasgow soon exceeded the business volume of the Royal Bank elsewhere and to reflect its status the bank moved from the area of Glasgow Cross by buying over Cunninghame`s mansion in 1817 and operating from it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Exchange_Square
circa 1889: The Royal Exchange, Queen Street, Glasgow. Chromolithograph published in “Souvenir of Scotland: its Cities, Lakes, and Mountains.” https://www.mapsandantiqueprints.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/p-1599-483-545.jpg
2008: Royal Exchange Square by Colin Smith. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by Colin Smith and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Exchange_Square_-_geograph.org.uk_-_887977.jpg
Marble Show Rooms were not found
Roman Catholic Church of St. Andrew was completed in 1816, and designed by James Gillespie Graham (1776–1855), formally re-introducing the Roman Catholic presence to Glasgow.
2018: Front view of the St Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow, by Michal Klajban. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Front_view_of_the_St_Andrew%27s_Cathedral,_Glasgow,_Scotland_16.jpg
The continuing hostility to the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland was evident during the construction of the church: work completed during the day was torn down by saboteurs at night, delaying completion and eventually guards had to be placed on the building site to protect the construction works. However, congregations of other Christian denominations in the city donated money for the completion of the project in a gesture of ecumenism in light of the difficulties faced in construction.
2012: Glasgow, Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Interior, by Michael Beckwith with changes by Rabanus Flavus. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Andrews_RC_Cathedral_Glasgow_Interior.jpg
The church building is relatively modest in scale, without a steeple or bell tower. This was due primarily to continuing restrictions on the prominence of Catholic places of worship under the Relief Act of 1791, that were not ultimately repealed until the later Catholic Relief Act of 1829. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew%27s_Cathedral,_Glasgow
Baths were not found
George Square is named after King George III, a statue of whom was originally intended to occupy the centre of the square, but the turmoil and anxiety caused to the city's Tobacco Lords and trade in general by the War of American Independence in 1775 and eventual British defeat in 1783, had created mixed feelings over his rule and nothing was done. The centre spot was used instead to commemorate Sir Walter Scott, which, incidentally, was the first ever monument dedicated to him.
Between 1787 and the 1820s, the square was developed and lined with Georgian terraced townhouses of three storeys, some becoming hotels on the north and west sides.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Square
Sir John Moore (1761-1809). Born in Glasgow, he entered the 51st Regiment of Foot in 1776 as an ensign, became a Captain-Lieutenant in the Duke of Hamilton's Regiment fighting in the American War of Independence (1776-83). Afterwards became a member of Parliament. He is chiefly remembered for his leadership and death during the British army's retreat from Corunna in the Peninsular War (1809-10). A public subscription fund for the monument was instigated within a few days of the news of Moore's death reaching Glasgow in 1809. The following year a pamphlet was published advocating the erection of a statue in George Square. Several ideas as to the form of the monument were considered as was the likelihood of local opposition to the siting of the statue in the square. However, such considerations were nothing compared to the controversy which raged between the Town Council and Moore's brother over the choice of sculptor. After a protracted exchange of correspondence in which Moore insisted that Nollekens be appointed on the basis of his monument to Sir John Moore in Westminster Abbey, the Town Council duly awarded the commission to Flaxman.
Sir John Moore by Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830), painting given to the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1898, Accession number NPG 1128. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or less. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sir_John_Moore_by_Sir_Thomas_Lawrence.jpg
The statue was cast from French canons captured during the Peninsular War. The sword has been missing from Moore's left hand since c.1980 https://www.pmsa.org.uk/pmsa-database/2374/ See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Moore_(British_Army_officer)
Can you help us?
Transcription problems: As untrained transcribers we sometimes experience problems interpreting some of Lucy’s writing. We have a problem deciphering a section today:
Roman Catholic Chapel, Baths & ??Coin?? Houses in St George’s Square Not sure about what we have interpreted as “Coin” - Help please!
Marble Show Rooms & Baths were not found. What was Lucy referring to by “Marble show rooms? Where were the Baths?
Old Regency Prints, Pictures an Coaching maps: Do you have access to any prints or pictures showing what town and country would have looked like when Lucy travelled through? Any illustrations of what she would have seen in 1819 will enliven our research.
New Pictures: Do you have any modern pictures of the streets, buildings, gardens and views that would enable us to see the changes that two centuries have wrought?