Lodge Riddrie Glasgow No.1340

 RIDDRIE

Riddrie is part of the Provan Ward of the City of Glasgow. We have not been able to obtain the boundaries of Riddrie from any printed page, so we cannot give chapter and verse; but let us walk the boundaries as we believe them to be.

Starting under the Cumbernauld Road Bridge over the Monkland canal, we go in a south-western direction along the canal bank, keeping the canal on our right hand till we come to the railway bridge over the canal. We now turn south and walk along the railway which is the boundary up to the bridge which carries Cumbernauld Road. We now turn north-east and the centre of Cumbernauld road is our boundary until we come to Rosemount House on the right hand side of the road. We turn east at the grounds of Rosemount and Carntyne. At the end of the Knowes we turn north until we come to the grounds of Barlinnie Prison, and from there to our starting point the limit of Barlinnie grounds is the line of the boundary

The ground within these bounds is Riddrie.

The name Riddrie is alleged to be derived from its ancient Gaelic name RADHARAIDH - pronounced RAY-DAH-RAY, so our Heilen' friend tells us - and the meaning is "Arable land not in tillage."

     It forms part of the lands of Provan, and the first mention we can trace is in the year 1562 when, on the 20th of April of that year, a Roman Catholic Cannon of Glasgow granted to his natural son, Thomas Baillie, a feu charter of "All and Haill the lands of Provand, namely Easter and Wester Cowhunchollie, Gartgraig, Bartlinnie, Blarquharne, Jermistoun, Balgray, Hogganfield, Ballornock, Milntoun, Riddrie, Rachesie, Craigend, Garthamlock, Cardowan, Gartsheugh and the wood called Gartwood" for £95 7s. od. Scots per annum. It is interesting to note how, as the years go by, the spelling of place names change.

Queen Mary, by a Charter under the Great Seal, dated 23rd June, 1565, confirmed the feu charter of 1562 by Cannon William to his son, Thomas Baillie; which again was confirmed by King James under the Great Seal, dated 22nd November, 1592.

After the death of the Cannon, Thomas transferred the feu to his brother, William Baillie, President of the College of Justice.

William Baillie had two sons and one daughter, but as both sons died without issue the estate passed to the daughter Elizabeth, who married Sir Robert Hamilton of Goslington in the Barony and Parish of Stonehouse. The founder of this family was a Sir James Hamilton, Knight, who first appears in an entail of the Hamilton Estate by James, second Lord Hamilton and first Earl of Arran, dated 17th January, 1512

The lands stayed in the possession of the Hamilton family until 3rd September, 1667 when Sir Robert Hamilton of Silvertonhill in the Parish of Hamilton, sold to "William Andersone, proveist, Robert Rae and Johne Andersone, baillies, Johne Walkinshaw, dean of gild, Johne Miller, deacon conveiner and Robert Scot, thesaurer, for themselves in name and behalf of remanent counsell of the said burgh of Glasgow and as representing the whole bodie and comountie of the samen for the soume of one hundredth and sex thousand merks Scots money (or £70,666 13s 4d. Scots, which is equal to £5,888 17s. 9d sterling) all and whole of the lands of Balanerk alias provand containing the particular lands after mentioned, viz. : - The lands of Easter Cunschlie, Wester Cunschlie, Gartgraig, Blairlume, Blairquhairen, Germistoun, Balgray, Hewgonfield, Ballornock, Mylnetoun, Ridderie, Rachesie, Craigend, Garthomlock, Cardowane and Garsheugh"

We do not know if these old city fathers visualised the beautiful housing scheme now built on the lands of Riddrie, but whether or not, the evidently got a very good bargain.

On the 3rd March, 1696, King Charles II, under the Great Seal, granted a Charter confirming to the Provost, Bailies, Dean of Guild, Treasurer and community of Glasgow the lands of Ballenerk or Provand. The Corporation feued the land out to various tenants and in 1723 we find the "lands of Riddrie offered in three portions of 72, 58 , and 30 acres respectively, all the tenants to have the privilege of the Riddrie Well at the Head of the Bean Road"

We have not been able to trace the site of this well.

Let us pass down the years and in 1910 we find the Glasgow Corporation building houses at the lower end of Riddrie. The first blocks were those lying between Dee Street and Gadie Street ; later the Grierson Street block was built behind the first block.

The first tramway car to run out to Riddrie was on 23rd March, 1903, the terminus then being at Lomax Street, and three years later, on 20th May, 1906, the terminus was moved out to Naver Street.

After the 1914 - 1918 war the Corporation started building the present housing scheme, as the houses gradually were occupied, a new community came into being.