When did Glasgow get the Streecar?.....

[Scttsmpsn]

I am trying to dig up some information on my ancestory from Scotland and am looking for help.

I am trying to find out when Glasgow first got the Streetcar. Apparently there were 8 of them and were named after the 8 town councellor of which one was my great great grandfather. Last name was Summers/Sommers; not sure of the spelling.

Anyone have any good archive sites I can use? I tried google with no luck.

Cheers,

Scott

[nelmit]

I am trying to dig up some information on my ancestory from Scotland and am looking for help.

I am trying to find out when Glasgow first got the Streetcar. Apparently there were 8 of them and were named after the 8 town councellor of which one was my great great grandfather. Last name was Summers/Sommers; not sure of the spelling.

Anyone have any good archive sites I can use? I tried google with no luck.

Cheers,

Scott

Hello Scott,
They were called trams and my dad was a conductor on one when I was born.

According to this booket (taken from http://www.semple.biz/hobbies/booklist3.htm ) they started in 1927.

Memories of Glasgow's Tramways 1927 - 1962 by John Barrie
Light Railway Transport League (London Branch) First Published 1971
(This Copy is signed by John Barrie) Price 30p

This booklet contans 24 pages and 15 B/W photographs and give an account of The System in 1927, Rolling Stock, Routes, Operation, The 1930's, New Trams and the Empire Exhibition, Route Numbering, The war Years, Early Post War Years, The Declining Years, The Finale Years, Finale and Concusion. Excellent account of personal experiences and memories.

We also have a Museum of Transport in Glasgow. Someone there might be able to help. http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=7

You could also look around 'The Glasgow Story site - lots of pictures of old and newer types.
www.theglasgowstory.com
Regards,
Annette M

m

[AndrewP]

Further down the list of books at http://www.semple.biz/hobbies/booklist3.htm is:

A Century of Glasgow Tramways by Ian L Cormack MA (To commemorate the Inauguration of Tramways in Glasgow, 19th August 1872) Published 1972 The Scottish Tramway Museum Society

implying a starting date for the trams in 1872.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[Jack]

Hi Scott,
All i can add to Annette's findings is that after the Tramways Act of 1870, the routes in Glasgow opened on,

19 Aug 1872 (Glasgow Tramway & Omnibus Co. Lease rights 1871-1894)
1 Jul 1894 (Glasgow Corporation)

The Glasgow Council had exercised their rights in 1894 to take them over after strong public opinion in the preceding years.
--
Jack
ps. the above details taken from "Municipal Glasgow - Its Evolution & Enterprise".
(published by the Glasgow Corporation 1914 & also 1915)
Alas nothing about the tram names - it was mainly to do with the "business" side of things.

[JimM]

Andrew Menzies was an undertaker in Glasgow who went into the omnibus business around 1848
Later he would manage Glasgow's first tramway around 1872.
My gr gr grandfather was William Menzies (not related to Andrew) worked for Andrew Menzies as a saddler in the 1860's

http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/mlemen/mlemen064.htm


Jim

m

[CatrionaL]

Jim

Thank you so much for your post.

My Great Grandfather was a Carriage Hirer, Omnibus Proprieter and Funeral Undertaker in the Gorbals from 1877 till his death in 1909. I had often searched unsuccesfully the kind of information included in the site you mentionned. How I enjoyed reading about Andrew Menzies.

Best Wishes
Catriona

[nelmit]

..................

http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/mlemen/mlemen064.htm


Jim

Nice one Jim, really interesting.

Annette M

[rye470]

Hi Nelmut,

My dad was a tram driver too. My mum was his clippie. How romantic. Dad was still on the trams when my brother and I were born.

Christine.

[Scttsmpsn]

Thanks guys and girls...I will try to locate it based on that information!

Cheers,

Scott

[Scttsmpsn]

Well I tracked down my great great grandfather and the information I was looking for. He was a counsellor in Edinburgh when they got the Tram and there is a picture of him in the town council with it. I am looking at moving to Scotland in the next few months (if anyone needs an Oracle programmer / project leader of 7 years let me know...)

My grandfather told me our tartan was Royal Stewart...hold the phone...that is an English tartan. My uncle always joked that he heard we were theives once upon a time. Now I understand what he means. If we are Simpson's from England and I can trace 5 generations coming from Scotland than we must have been criminals kicked out of England? I am hoping that we came to our senses and moved on our own knowing full well were are Scottish.

Is this the case or am I actually English? Did the Scots move to England to get booted out again or are we English that moved to Scotland. Could the Simpson last name have originated in Scotland and England or if we go far far back were we always from Scotland?

Cheers,

Scott