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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: jimmyspike on Monday 07 November 22 17:38 GMT (UK)
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Anyone know where the Knowetop Quarries, owned by the King family, were situated..
.obvious answer is Knowetop i know :-\ :-\ :-\
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Modern map shows Knowetop http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS7555
https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/lanarkshire-os-name-books-1858-1861/lanarkshire-volume-21/44 says that it was formally Knowhead but the local residents called it Knowetop.
It's also marked on https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=55.78299&lon=-3.98476&layers=168&b=1&marker=55.77675,-3.98645 but no quarry is shown.
Have you seen http://www.lanarkshirefhs.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=380.0 ?
Does that help, or is it stuff you already know?
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thanks for reply Forfarian, already looked out old maps etc but can't find quarries marked anywhere.
i'm wondering if they were outside Knowetop area of Motherwell
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I wonder if it could be the bit north of Knowehead on this map https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=55.78369&lon=-3.98173&layers=5&b=1&marker=55.77675,-3.98645 - there's a pond that might indicate a quarry, and a house called Quarryhowe, and a line that looks like an escarpment that might have to do with quarrying?
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It's also marked on
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=55.78299&lon=-3.98476&layers=168&b=1&marker=55.77675,-3.98645 but no quarry is shown.
This map does in fact show the quarry. If you look at where it says Knowetop, go south to the football ground, then east, through Fir Park, you come to the quarry.
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This map does in fact show the quarry. If you look at where it says Knowetop, go south to the football ground, then east, through Fir Park, you come to the quarry.
The problem is that the quarry there isn't shown on the earlier six-inch map, so is it the one that Jimmy Spike's King family owned in the 1850s, or is it a later quarry?
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I think it is the same one. See the following snippets.
Motherwell Times 10-9-1909:
Offers were opened for the widening of Wind-
mill Street at Knowetop Quarry, and remit-
ted to the Burgh Surveyor to check and accept
the lowest.
Motherwell Times 2-9-1921:
Speaking about the late "Granny Tamson" -
Her husband, the late Thomas Thomson,
was quarry foreman to the late Mr King,
when Knowetop Quarry was in operation.
Motherwell Times 3-2-1939:
John Park telling the Rotary Club about his boyhood in Motherwell -
Knowetop quarry was an adventurous
hunting ground for youngsters in those days,
not only for the peculiar terrain it pro-
vided, but because of the picturesque work-
men who were employed there, men who
used a forceful and colourful dialect. When
the main road was being constructed part
of the quarry was bridged over to carry the
road: a splendid A.R.P. shelter for anyone
who can find it.
Motherwell Times 14-6-1929 - William Law recalls his youth -
He remembers
when "Homey" King was killed at Knowe-
top Quarry. The latter was a member of
the well-known King family, who have
been intimately concerned in the growth
and expansion of the town. [he describes his elaborate funeral]
Motherwell Times 30-7-1954:
The first treasurer was a
son of Mr James King who
owned Knowetop and other
quarries in the neighbourhood.
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Exactly where the National Tyre place is on Windmillhill St, next to the empty Taggarts garage.
(That's without looking at a wheeny auld maps!)
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Modern map shows Knowetop http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS7555
https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/lanarkshire-os-name-books-1858-1861/lanarkshire-volume-21/44 says that it was formally Knowhead but the local residents called it Knowetop.
It's also marked on https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=55.78299&lon=-3.98476&layers=168&b=1&marker=55.77675,-3.98645 but no quarry is shown.
Have you seen http://www.lanarkshirefhs.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=380.0 ?
Does that help, or is it stuff you already know?
The quarry was to the right of the word "Knowhead", the lodge on this map was just recently demolished and a fast-food drive-through built on the site! That is the corner of Windmillhill Street/Knowtop Avenue. A little further along the main road (W/hill St) is the number 284. The quarry was just below that number.
As for the query on the LFHS webpage, James King senior (married to Catherine Clark) had not one, but two "by-names". He was known as Homie King, a nickname he acquired, it was said, from his courting of Miss Clark, who lived at the Home Farm in the parish of Hamilton and his frequent visits to that place before his marriage. His more popular by-name was Cork King. It appears that Cork was applied to anyone who was the boss, especially is the business that King was involved in (in a very large way) that of mason.
All this family of King's are buried in Dalziel old parish burial ground (mistakenly called St Patrick's burial ground) near the river Clyde. On Cork's tombstone there is the inscription "James (Homie) King, railway contractor, quarrymaster and builder, died 8th March 1855. ..................
There is a large family plot with at least 4 headstones but James' brother "Moleskin" King is buried at the opposite side of the burial ground.
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Jimmyspike, you will recognise the houses in this picture, you passed them often enough going to the Neuk. The big modern DWP building sits there now and, as I have already said, the National Tyre Co is where the quarry was. I didn't know King was killed at this quarry, I never thought I'd learn something from a North Lodge man ;D ;D ;D Will we see you and Jack on the 26th?
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thanks for all replies to my query..
was sure the quarries were in Knowetop area but needed a bit of confirmation as to where exactly
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Jimmyspike, you will reco ;D ;D ;D ;Dgnise the houses in this picture, you passed them often enough going to the Neuk. The big modern DWP building sits there now and, as I have already said, the National Tyre Co is where the quarry was. I didn't know King was killed at this quarry, I never thought I'd learn something from a North Lodge man ;D ;D ;D Will we see you and Jack on the 26th?
think Jack n myself will be there ...
and you should know Jim that a DaisyPark man is worth 10 of the North Lodges ;D ;D ;D ;D
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think Jack n myself will be there ...
and you should know Jim that a DaisyPark man is worth 10 of the North Lodges ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Absolutely!