Muir Street Burial Ground, Hamilton.

The former Burial Ground was located exactly behind a large stone wall next to Fore Row, just off Muir Street, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The site is now a large tarmac car park for the Library/Town House and is directly behind the building, accessed via a sharp right off Lower Auchingramont Road.

c.1858 Map Clipping Showing Burial Ground, Just Off Muir St Street, Hamilton,  South Lanarkshire,  Scotland.

The burial ground was the property of the First Relief Congregational Church (United Presbetarian) on the corner of Muir Street/Lower Auchingramont Road. The church was built and founded c.1776.

There is no evidence that the cemetery existed other than a plaque embedded into the stone wall at the now car park which reads;

John  Thomson

And

Ann Watson

The former burial ground area is circled  red in the overhead view photo below. The small red dot marks the location of the existing stone plaque embedded in the wall. A close-up snapshot is shown.

None of the other gravestones were preserved. There are no records for this burial ground other than an undated Lair/Plot Plan which gives the names of owners of the lairs from around 1823 until 1848 (Families called “Hamilton”) who were unrelated to the Dukes. There were 7 lairs owned by the Hamiltons in total, details of which are not complete;

All remains were removed and re-interred at Hamilton’s Bent Cemetery during February 1964. The memorial reads as follows;

In Remembrance

This Is The Place Of Rest

Of All Persons Buried

In Hamilton Relief Church

Burial Ground

Reinterred Here, February 1964.

Hamilton Historian   Terence (Terry) Murphy  at the Memorial Stone/Grave for the Muir St Burial Ground Reinterment at the Bent Cemetery.

The First Relief Congregational Church building was bought and converted into an Auction Mart at a later date by the Smellie Family. Extensions were also added through later years. No documentation for the church exists other than a privately owned Baptismal Record which is unattainable.

Smellie Auction Mart   (Former Church)  c. 2016.

Written by

Hamilton Historian

Terence (Terry) Murphy.

Ref. Muir Street Churchyard, Hamilton. RootsChat.com and Scotlands Places.Burial Ground (Muir Street,Hamilton).

Hamilton Town Centre’s Oldest Building.

The Low Parks Museum  c. 1950  (Without Rendering On Building).

The Low Parks Museum is the oldest building in the town centre of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire,  Scotland. It is a Grade A British Listed Building! Located at 129 Muir Street, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, which was the former Low Parks of the Duke Of Hamilton’s Estates. The building was originally known as “Portland” and was built in 1696. It was the private home of David Crawford, the secretary and lawyer to the 3rd Duke and Duchess of Hamilton.

Later in 1784 the 8th Duke of Hamilton purchased the building and it became a coaching inn called the “Hamilton Arms” Inn. The inn was an important stop for travellers visiting Hamilton Palace and the Falls Of The Clyde.

The building is in fact the oldest recorded pub in Hamilton and functioned  as an inn providing food, drink and accommodation for travellers up until 1835. When the Duke converted the building into his estate offices. It served this function until 1963. It was then purchased by the town council , who opened it as the first burgh museum in 1967.

The Low Parks Museum c. 2016 (with rendering).

The Low Parks Museum front view  c. 2016.

The second building to the rear of the right-hand side of the Museum is the former Hamilton Palace Riding School. It is also a Grade A British Listed Building! and was built in 1837 by Alexander Hamilton 10th Duke of Hamilton dubbed “El Magnifico”. During the 1920’s-1930’s the Riding School housed a gymnasium and regulation boxing ring and became “The Douglas And Clydesdale Amateur Boxing Club” and was founded by the Marquis of Douglas & Clydesdale who was the Duke of Hamilton’s son! Nicknamed “The Boxing Marquis” he was a keen skilled boxer at Oxford University. He later became the 14th Duke of Hamilton (Douglas Douglas-Hamilton). Since 1983 the former Riding School Building has served as a Regimental Museum and was acquired by the Scottish Rifles (Regimental Trustees of the Cameronians).

The Former Riding School for Hamilton Palace

now the Regimental Museum  c. 2016.

Cigarette manufacturer advertisement for the “Boxing Marquis” .

The Boxing Marquis with his Trainer Dick Smith.

The Boxing Marquis sparring with Eddie Eagan

(American Olympic Boxer 1903-1973).

Written by

Hamilton Historian.

Terence (Terry) Murphy.

Ref: Low Parks Museum/SLC Museums Website and Wikipedia.

Mass Cholera Grave & Memorial Stone In Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

During the Mid 19th Century there were three Cholera Outbreaks in the Town of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. From July to November 1832, 63 individuals who were mostly females that were living in poor conditions fell ill and died from the disease! The hospital in Hamilton (near the Barracks) and other expenses that incurred cost the Parish upwards of L.600.

c. 1858 Map Clipping Showing The Location Of The Cholera Mass Grave Near The Old Parish Church Circled In Red.

Present Day Google Earth/Satellite View of The Cholera Mass Grave Location Circled In White.

There is a Mass Grave and Memorial Stone in Memory of the Victims of the 1832 Disaster in which the people died. The stone is in the grounds of Hamilton Bowling Club and just outside the Old Parish Churchyard Wall. Since the Hamilton Bowling Club aquired the land c. 1841, the Memorial Stone has been moved twice from it’s original location/postion. It now sits in the exact grounds of the club, next to the left of the Club House.

Hamilton Bowling Club On Strathmore Road,  Hamilton,  South Lanarkshire,  Scotland.

The Cholera Mass Grave Memorial Stone which sits in the left corner of Hamilton Bowling Club.

The inscription reads as follows;

This    Stone

Marks    The    Graves

Of

Many    Poor

Who

Died  Of   Cholera

In

1832

Written By

Hamilton Historian

Terence  ( Terry )  Murphy.

Ref: Hamilton Old Parish Church pdf.

Good Duchess Anne.

Anne Hamilton, the 3rd Duchess of Hamilton was born on the 6th January c. 1631 and died on the 17th October c. 1716.  She was responsible for rebuilding Hamilton Palace and contributing to the re-development of the town of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The Duchess was born at Whitehall Palace in London. She was the Daughter of the 1st Duke of Hamilton; Sir James Hamilton and his Wife; Lady Margaret (or Mary) Fielding. The Duke was one of King Charles I’s Advisors.  Anne’s Mother Lady Margaret, who was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Henrietta-Maria and Queen-Consort of King Charles I died when Anne was only six years old!  So, her Father sent her to Hamilton Palace to be raised by his Mother.  During the Wars of Three Kingdoms, Anne had reached the age of 18 and it was around this time her father Sir James Hamilton (the 1st Duke of Hamilton) was executed c. 1649.  His titles/estates were left to William,  Earl of Lanark who was his younger brother.

William, Earl of Lanark ( 2nd Duke ) died during c. 1657 due to wounds he sustained at the Battle of Worcester.  In his will he stated that his estates should be left to Anne Hamilton and that she should become the Duchess of Hamilton in her own right!  She was also made Marchioness of Clydesdale, Countess of Arran, Lanark and Cambridge and The Lady Aven, Innerdale, Machanside and Polmont.  By age 20 she was one of the most wealthy and powerful women in Scotland.  She even had a distant claim to the throne of Scotland. Titles and property meant nothing during the early years of being a Duchess.  Because many of the estates she inherited were confiscated due to debts that incurred from the war her Father and Uncle died in.  Her male relative “The Earl of Abercorn” had also disputed her inheritance of the Hamilton Title around the same time.

Anne married William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk  (who was Catholic) at Corstorphine Kirk c. 1656.  They successfully cleared her debts and reclaimed the estates and also managed to establish her rights to the title “3rd Duchess of Hamilton”.  King Charles II made Anne’s Husband William Douglas “The Duke of Hamilton”,  for Life. The Duke and Duchess had 13 children together. They also began developing Hamilton Palace which widely became recognised as the most largest private residence in the Western Hemisphere.

The 3rd Duke of Hamilton,  William Douglas died in c. 1694.  Duchess Anne continued to re-develop and improve Hamilton Palace and the Town of Hamilton.  She had a New Grammar School, Hospital (Later “Alms House”), Woolen Factory and Spinning School built.  In later years she became an opponent of the 1707 Act of Union.  In c. 1716  she died aged 85 and was originally buried at Hamilton’s Old Collegiate Church (next to Hamilton Palace at the Low Parks). The reinterment of her remains is not documented! But I have my own theory about this, Please refer to my other history article titled: ” Hamilton’s Holy Grail: The Douglas-Hamilton Bloodline & Possible Graves Site.”.  Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of  Hamilton will  forever be  remembered  as; ” Good Duchess Anne “!

Written by

Hamilton Historian.

Terence (Terry) Murphy.

Ref. Anne Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton]Wikipedia.