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THE HISTORY OF QUARTER, LANARKSHIRE  

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The Village of Quarter or as it was known in the mid 19th century Darngaber





OS MAP OF QUARTER 1896                           OS MAP OF QUARTER 1914

THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTERS

THE QUARTER BOOK


> > THE HISTORY OF QUARTER IN LANARKSHIRE



        THE VILLAGE OF QUARTER LIES ON THE EASTERN HILL SIDE OF THE CLYDE
VALLEY, GIVING, ON A CLEAR DAY, SOME BREATHTAKING VIEWS OVER THE CLYDE VALLEY TO
THE CAMPSIES AND THE PENTLAND HILLS IN THE EAST.
       IN THE EARLIEST RECORDS QUARTER, AS WE KNOW IT NOW, WAS CALLED DARNGABER.
DARN GABER MEANS "THE HOUSE BETWEEN THE WATERS" AND SINCE THE NAME CAME FROM THE
NEARBY CASTLE OF DARNGABER, IT WAS THE CASTLE THAT WAS BETWEEN THE WATERS, OR AS
SOME HAVE UNKINDLY SUPPOSED "THE HIDING PLACE OF THE GOATS". THE NAME DARNGABER
HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN DARNGABER GARDENS AND DARNGABER ROAD, WHICH LEADS TO
DARNGABER FARM. THE NAME QUARTER IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE COME FROM AN OLD DIVISION
OF THE DUCAL ESTATE.
       LOW QUARTER IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE OLDEST MINING VILLAGES IN SCOTLAND.
THE COAL WAS WROUGHT BY MEANS OF A MINE ENTERING FROM THE BANKS OF THE RIVER
AVON. OLD WOODEN SHOVELS AND PICKAXES HAVE BEEN FOUND THERE, RELICS OF WHICH ARE
STILL PRESERVED IN THE MUSEUM TODAY.
       COAL HAS PLAYED A MAJOR PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMISE OF QUARTER. IN
THE EARLY 1800'S COAL WAS EXTRACTED AROUND THE QUARTER DISTRICT MAINLY FOR
DOMESTIC USE IN AND AROUND HAMILTON. THE COLLIERS WERE HOUSED IN WHAT WERE THE
REMAINS OF THE OLD FARM STEADINGS AT QUARTER. THE DEMAND IN SUMMER WAS LIMITED
AND IN THIS SEASON THEY HAD TO TURN THEIR ATTENTIONS TO "COUNTRY WORK" SUCH AS
WORKING IN STONE QUARRIES, LIMEWORKS AND WITH THE FARMERS AT HAYTIME AND
HARVEST. BEING ECONOMICAL AND THRIFTY THEY WERE MOSTLY ALL "BEIN AND
WELL-TO-DO". A NUMBER OF THE MINERS KEPT COWS FOR THE USE OF THE FAMILY AND ALL
OF THEM HAD A PIG. OUTPUT ALSO DROPPED SHARPLY IN EARLY JANUARY DUE NO DOUBT TO
THE OVERIMBIDING OF JOHN DUNLOP'S "LIQUID FIRE".
       IN 1825 MR. MATTHEW WALKER TOOK OVER AS MANAGER OF QUARTER COLLIERY
WORKING FOR THE DUKE OF HAMILTON AND IN 1854, WHEN BLACKBAND IRONSTONE WAS
DISCOVERED AT QUARTER, THE MINERAL FIELD WAS LET TO THE MESSRS. COLIN DUNLOP OF
CLYDE IRONWORKS. AT THIS TIME IN QUARTER THERE WAS ALSO A BRICK AND TILE WORK,
ALSO MANAGED BY MR. WALKER AND WITH MR. ALEXANDER DUNN AS SUPERINTENDENT IN 1850
AND THE BOGHEAD LIMEWORKS, GIVING LIMEKILNBURN IT'S NAME.
       THE NEW STYLE OF INTENSIVE MINING CREATED A DIFFERENT WORKING
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MINER AND OWNER. THE MINERS NOW HAD TO SPEND ALL THEIR TIME
MINING RATHER THAN THE MORE CASUAL APPROACH OF THE PAST. WITH THE IRONWORKS
HAVING FIVE FURNACES IN OPERATION THEY REQUIRED FAR MORE COAL AND SO THE MINING
POPULATION SOARED. DUNLOP & CO BUILT MINER'S ROWS IN DARNGABER ROW, WHICH LATER
BECAME LIMEKILNBURN ROAD, STORE ROW AND FURNACE ROW. THE HOUSES CONSISTED OF ONE
APARTMENT TERRACED BUNGALOWS, HAVING NO RUNNING WATER AND NO INSIDE TOILETS.
DOMESTIC WATER WAS DRAWN FROM A COMMUNAL WELL AND THE OUTSIDE TOILETS WERE OF
THE DRY TYPE WITH THE BOTHIES CONTAINING THE TOILETS HAVING NO DOORS ATTACHED TO
THEM. DUNLOP ALSO PROVIDED A COMPANY STORE, WITH VOUCHERS GIVEN TO THE WORKERS
WHICH THEY HAD TO SPEND IN THE STORE. THE MINERS ALSO HAD A PUBLIC HOUSE CALLED
THE BULLY INN AND THERE WERE TWO SCHOOLS IN THE VILLAGE BY 1858.
       IN 1696 THE CHURCH OF HAMILTON ERECTED THE FIRST SCHOOL IN THE VILLAGE OF
DARNGABER AND IN 1841 HAMILTON COUNCIL HAD RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LOCAL
EDUCATION WHICH REPUTEDLY HAD 45 SCHOLARS. WITH THE ARRIVAL OF COLIN DUNLOP'S
COMPANY IN AROUND 1855 THE POPULATION ROSE FROM 299 TO 853 IN 1861, AND A SCHOOL
WAS SETUP SOMETIME AFTER 1860 AND BEFORE 1873 BY COLIN DUNLOP. THE MAIN SCHOOL
WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD FROM WHERE THE PRESENT SCHOOL IS AND THE
OTHER, WHICH WAS A PRIVATE SCHOOL WAS AT THE ENTRANCE TO DARNGABER ROAD. IN
1890'S A POST OFFICE WAS OPENED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF DARNGABER ROAD FROM THE
SCHOOL AND IN 1910 THE DUCHESS NINA INSTITUTE WAS OPENED BY THE DUKE AND DUCHESS
OF HAMILTON.
       IN 1884 THE VILLAGE HAD ITS OWN CHURCH BUILT OF LOCAL STONE AND A FEW
YEARS LATER THE MANSE WAS PROVIDED ALONG SIDE THE CHURCH. THE REV. GEORGE BLAIR
BEING THE FIRST MINISTER. THERE WAS ALSO A GOSPEL HALL AT ONE TIME IN THE
VILLAGE SITED AT WHERE THE FOOT PATH TO DARNGABER GARDENS NOW STANDS. THE
VILLAGE ALSO HAD ITS OWN POLICE FORCE CONSISTING OF TWO CONSTABLES AND LATER
WITH TWO POLICE DOGS. THE ORIGINAL SITE FOR THE POLICE STATION WAS AT THE
ENTRANCE TO DARNGABER ROAD. THEY MOVED INTO THE OLD SCHOOL WHICH USED TO BE ON
THAT SITE. BY THE 1890'S THE POLICE STATION HAD MOVED TO OPPOSITE THE CHURCH AND
CONSISTED OF TWO POLICE HOUSES WITH THE CELLS BEHIND. THE POLICE STATION WAS
STILL THERE UP UNTIL ABOUT 1976.
       WITH THE DECLINE IN COAL RESERVES AT QUARTER THE MINING COMPANY SLOWLY
MOVED OUT LEAVING THE USUAL INDUSTRIAL MESS BEHIND AND IT WAS UP TO THE COUNCIL
TO DO THE BEST THEY COULD. THERE PLAN WAS TO DEMOLISH ALL THE MINERS ROWS AND
BUILD NEW HOUSES IN CASTLE WYND. NOT ALL THE VILLAGERS GOT HOUSES IN QUARTER
SOME HAD TO MOVE TO EDDLEWOOD. IN 1965 THE MINERS ROWS HAD GONE AND NEW
BUNGALOWS WERE BEING BUILT, HOWEVER THEY WERE OF A STANDARD AND PRICE WHICH WAS
OUTWITH THE SCOPE OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. A NEW BREED OF WORKER MOVED IN CALLED
COMMUTERS MAINLY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WORK LEFT IN AND AROUND QUARTER. PEOPLE
TRAVEL ALL OVER CENTRAL SCOTLAND FROM HERE, AS IT IS FAIRLY EASY TO CONNECT TO
THE MAJOR ROAD SYSTEM IN THE CENTRAL BELT. GONE IS THE INSTITUTE THE LARGE SHOPS
AND BUSY PUBLIC HOUSE WHICH ARE NO LONGER SUPPORTED BY A LARGE NUMBERS OF
WORKING MEN. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GENERATE A NEW SPIRIT OF BELONGING WHICH
WAS ENJOYED BY THE MINING COMMUNITY, HOWEVER WITH THE HELP OF THE NEW AND OLD
LOCALS PULLING TOGETHER SUCH COMMUNITY SPIRIT CAN AGAIN BE ACHIEVED.


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