Ancestry UK

Dalziel Poorhouse, Motherwell, Lanarkshire

[Records] [Bibliography] [Links]

Prior to 1904, Dalziel was a member of the Motherwell (formerly Cambusnethan) Combination. It then left the Combination and in 1904-5 erected its own poorhouse at a site to the south-west of Motherwell where McIntosh Way now stands. Opened in April 1905, the poorhouse was the last institution to be built under Scotland's 1845 Poor Law Act.

The new building was designed by local architect Alexander Cullen and built at a cost of £19,326 18s 6d. It accommodated up to 117 inmates comprised four separate blocks — a main poorhouse building and smaller buildings which included an infirmary, workshops, and children's accommodation. The site location and layout are shown on the 1914 map below.

Dalziel site, 1914

After 1930, the poorhouse was taken over by the parish council became known as Airbles House Poor Law Institution. The hospital facilities were then operated separately under the name of Airbles Hospital.

In 1948, Airbles House was renamed Avon Lodge and served as an old people's home until its closure in 1978. The poorhouse buildings no longer exist and the site is now occupied by a leafy housing development.

Dalziel former poorhouse site from the north-east, 2001.
© Peter Higginbotham.

Records

Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.

  • North Lanarkshire Archives, North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre, High Road, Motherwell ML1 3HU. Holdings include: Dalziel Council Parish Council minute books of Poorhouse Committee (1905-30); Correspondence between Burgh and Dalziel Parish Council re. Belgian refugees, poorhouse cottages and assistance to old age pensioners.

Bibliography

  • Government and Social Conditions in Scotland 1845-1919 by Ian Levitt (1988, Scottish History Society)

Links

  • None.

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