Dalserf Parish Housing

See also 1910 Housing reports

Summerlee Iron Company, Larkhall

This property consists of 24 one-apartment and 12 two-apartment houses, all of which are, in our opinion, scarcely habitable. There are neither sculleries, wash-houses, coal-houses, nor drying-greens. Water is supplied by stand-pipes, and the dirty water is carried off by an open gutter along the front of the houses. The rent of single-apartment houses is 1s. 6d. per week, and double-apartment houses 1s. 9d. per week, taxes being included in both cases. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Frame Buildings, Percy Street, Larkhall.

This tenement of one-apartment back-to-back houses was built in 1910 by a local tradesman. It is two storeys in height with four houses on each floor—all of which are entered from the back yard. Each house has a kitchen with two bed-recesses, a water-closet, and a sink. The ground-floor houses have a zinc ventilating tube in the thickness of the floor joists which runs through the tenement from back to front, with a ventilator in the ceiling of the roof opening directly into it. The upper houses have a similar ventilator in the ceiling of the room which is connected with a Boyles Ventilator on the roof.

I visited each house and found that in half the number of houses the tenants had covered the ventilators with brown paper because of the draught these caused, with the result that the atmosphere was decidedly stuffy. In the other houses I found that the ventilators caused a strong down draught.

The occupants of all these houses were miners, and the rent was £7 per annum plus rates.

I visited a tenement of houses in Larkhall that had been recently converted from two-roomed houses into one-roomed back-to-back houses by building up the door between the rooms. These were squalid and without cross-ventilation. The tenants in the front houses had to walk round the end of the tenement for the use of the water-closets and sinks that were in the back houses. I am of opinion that the houses originally could not command a higher rent than £9 10s., but I am informed that after reconversion a combined rent of £12 5s. was obtained for the two houses.[Evidence presented by John Wilson to Royal Commission, 29th April 1913]

Burnhead Rows, Larkhall

Burnhead Rows, Larkhall, have been pulled down and new property has now been erected in their place. [1905 Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer]

Bog Colliery Rows, Dalserf

These houses are owned by Hamilton, McCulloch & Company, and consist of 16 two-apartment houses, 1 of one apartment, and 1 of three apartments. The whole property is, in our opinion, in a most unsatisfactory condition, the outhouses, such as they are, being filthy. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Ashgill Rows, Dalserf (Brand & Company)

There had been 32 single-apartment houses in this property, but some of these, have been so rearranged as to form two apartments. Rent for a single house is 1s. 10d., and for a double house 2s. 6d. per week. There are only three washhouses for the whole property. There are coal-cellars for all the houses ; but the closet accommodation is beyond description. The water supply is one stand well for the whole place. An open channel carries off the dirty water, and was stagnant when we saw the place. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Dalserf (A Russell & Company)

This property consists of 40 two-apartment houses. It is rather a mean type of house, and the sanitation is wretched. The old common dry privy with open midden; no sinks or sculleries ; a dilapidated old washhouse to accommodate every twelve families; open channel for dirty water in front of row; middens emptied at long intervals; water served by means of stand-wells. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Spence's Rows, High Shawsburn

There are 9 one-apartment houses rented at 1s. 9d. per week, and 16 two-apartment houses at 2s. 3d. per week. There are no washhouses, no coal-cellars, and no sculleries. Dust-bins are in use, but closets are in a very unsatisfactory condition. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Dunlop Place, Red Row (Brand & Company)

There are forty single houses rented at 1s. 9d. weekly, and twenty double houses rented at .3s. 6d. weekly in this property. There are no sculleries. There is only one washhouse to eight tenants. There are coal-cellars for all the houses; but there are only six dry-closets for all the houses. Dust-bins are in use ; and the closets are in a very bad condition. Refuse water is carried off by an open channel. The water is supplied from stand-wells. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Barr's Rows, Dalserf

There are 16 two-apartment houses in this property, rented at 3s. 3d. per week. There are no sculleries. There is one washhouse for four tenants. Dust-bins are in use - two for the whole row. There is no water in the houses, that being supplied by two stands for the whole property. Scavenging is done very irregularly. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Woodside, Dalserf (Hutchison Coal Company)

This property consists of 22 one-apartment houses and 2 two-apartment houses. The rent is 6s. 6d. weekly, but includes a supply of coal. Everything here is very unsatisfactory, and we are of opinion that these houses ought not to be in use. At the time of our visit some new closets, with midden and closet combined, had been erected; but even when new were a revolting arrangement. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]

Sturgeon's Rows, Netherburn

There are 13 single-apartment houses in this property, the rent being 2s. 2d. per week. There are sculleries, which are in a very bad condition. Dust-bins are in use; but the closet arrangement is simply disgraceful. Scavenging is very irregular. There is no water in the houses, water being supplied from stand-pipes in front of the rows. The whole place is very unsatisfactory. [Evidence presented to Royal Commission, 25th March 1914]