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Roger
Brown (1877 - 1957)
Born
1877, Glasgow, Scotland
Died 1957, Glasgow, Scotland
Rodger was the first born of
Mary and Dugald on January 16 1877 at 35 Hill Street, Glasgow. Photographs
of him in 1898 and 1899 show him as a very attractive young man. Rodger
had many professions in his early years, ranging from Engineer's
Machineman and furniture packer to a steelworker, which he spent the most
time at. It is believed he walked 9 miles to the steel works every day and
9 miles back. Rodger was known to have been very mild mannered with never
a bad word to say about anyone.
Rodger married Mary Niblock,
4 years his senior on July 13 1899. Both were recorded as living at 393
South York Street, Glasgow prior to the wedding. Mary was the first born
to Henry Niblock and Agnes Niblock (m.s. Jeffrey) on March 13 1873 in
Glasgow. Mary had at least 8 brothers and sisters.
Rodger and Mary had seven
children Agnes (circa 1900), Donald (circa 1902), Mary (circa 1904), Harry
(circa 1906), Christine (Tina) (circa 1908), Elizabeth (Beth) (26/5/1911)
and Roger (After 1911)
Agnes, their eldest daughter
died aged 21 from suspected meningitis. Tina died aged 30.
Not much is known of their
life before 1911 when Beth was born. Despite previously living in
Rutherglen, the family was still seen as outsiders when they moved to a
tenement at 71 Stonelaw Road, Rutherglen.
Robert (Bob) was born to
Beth in March 1936 and was mostly brought up by Rodger and Mary while Beth
worked.
In 1949 Rodger and Mary's
Golden Jubilee was held and members of the family attended from all from
all over Scotland and England. A brother and sister of Rodger were known
to have attended.
Life in the tenement, even
without all the children must have been hard. By 1950, Beth slept in the
only bedroom, her son Bob slept in the sitting room and in the kitchen
Rodger and Mary. The beds were located in recesses in the walls of the
kitchen and sitting room. Bob remembered electricity being connected just
after the war in around 1947. Bob promptly joined the Royal Air Force in
1952, aged 17.
After a long life Rodger
died of a heart attack at home on June 28 1957, three years after Mary had
died of cancer. Rodger was buried in Rutherglen cemetery.
Beth continued to live at 71
Stonelaw Road on her own until the early 1970's and today the tenement
still exists.
Thanks
to Neil Brown for this
contribution
Sources Last
updated 08/01/04
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