Friends of Provan Hall

01/02/2023

Mary Hislop Somerville Gossman , D.A

Mary Hislop MacDonald (nee Gossman) was born in Glasgow on 11th September 1911 to Richard Gossman (a journeyman joiner) and Mary Jane Gossman (nee Somerville). An artist and writer living in Glasgow, Mary signed her work 'Mary Hislop Somerville Gossman' or 'Mary Somerville Gossman' until her marriage to Andrew MacDonald in 1968, thereafter signing as 'Mary MacDonald (Mrs)'.

Mary Gossman who owned a small art shop in Torrance arranged art exhibitions in aid of war charities during the Second World War, raising over £62 for the Red Cross, Central War Fund and St Dunstan's (later known as Blind Veterans UK).

Mary went with her mum to visit her friend Mary Holmes who was the domestic servant and her husband who was the gardener at Provanhall House in 1934 and painted this picture which she has granted for it to be returned to Provanhall House. Mary fell in love with the house and visited it on occasions to which she later wrote stories from Mary Holmes time at Provanhall.

Mary did many paintings/ Sketches, which some were donated to the Glasgow Women’s Library.

She also wrote articles which were printed. Two of these articles were ‘Timeless Christmas Card’, which was donated to the Glasgow Women’s Library and a short article for Stonehouse ‘An old word for Holy in German ‘Heiligt’’

Would be great to see the painting returned and hung in the newly restored Provanhall House as stated by Mary H.S. Gossman!

01/02/2023

Mary Holmes, Housekeeper to the Mather brothers and passionate preserver of Provanhall

Mary was born Mary Muir on 23 April 1894. She was born at 36 Hayfield St, Gorbals, Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Her parents were John Muir and Janet Graham. Mary had 6 brothers and 4 sisters. At the time that she was born, her father was employed as a Carter.
He also worked as a farm worker and ploughman. He worked in a number of different places but for many years worked for Professor McCall, founder of the Veterinary College of Blairtummock,land which was very near to Provan Hall and where he met William Mather through a shared love of horses.

Mary was living with her parents on a farm at West Greenrig, Slamannan. William Reston visited the Muirs at the farm in autumn 1919, and 2 weeks later Reston Mather wrote to Mary asking her to come to work at Provanhall as their elderly housekeeper had died.

The winter of 1919 was the start of Mary’s Provanhall journey. A journey which did not end until she left Provanhall in 1955. Mary’s older sister Margaret had tried to persuade Mary not to go to Provanhall as she thought it was too large a job for such a young girl.

Mary’s role was housekeeper to William and Reston Mather until they both died in 1934. After both Mather brothers died, she took over as caretaker of Provanhall along with her husband Adam Holmes. Mary had grown very close to the Mather brothers and was very fond of them both.

Mary was well known to visitors for the teas she provided at Provanhall when she was the caretaker.

Mary met Adam Holmes a talc miller to trade and they married on 18 Nov 1933, Glasgow. Adam moved into Provanhall along with Mary. Adam died at Provanhall in 1954.

Adam and Mary had one son , also named Adam, who was born in 1934. Sadly he died at the age of three weeks on 13 February 1934. He is buried in the Mather plot in Sandymount graveyard along with William and Reston Mather.

In 1920 Mary’s brother John who resided in Canada and was in the 1st Canadians was seriously injured in battle in France. He decided to come home to Scotland.

A year later both Mary’s parents were ageing and her father infirm. Mr Henderson, Provanhall gardner had died and his cottage at Provanhall was vacant, so Mary persuaded her parents and her brother John to move into the cottage along with their dog Paddy. They resided at Provanhall cottage until they all died in 1931.

Mary got to meet many visitors to Provanhall. In the time of William and Reston she got to meet visitors such as Cunninghame Graham, George Houston, Sir D.Y Cameron ( related to the Mathers), Ref. Dr. Norman McLeod, George Eyre Todd , cousin Dr. George Ritchie Mather, Princaple of the Royal Infirmary, who wrote the “Two Great Scotsmen”, the Wylies of Garthamlock, the Bairds of Gartsherry and Dr. Hill B.L. of Barlanark House.

After the death of the last Lairds of Provanhall, William and Reston Mather, Mary who had loved Provanhall had conceived the idea of turning Provanhall into a tea room. At this time the house was badly needing restoration. Mary contacted members of the Old Glasgow Club in which Miss Dreda Boyd, author of the "Scarlet Clock" was a member. They raised funds and Provanhall was resorted back to its former glory in 1936.

Visitors to Provanhall tea room signed the visitors book and some of these visitors included T.C.F. Brotchie, Miss Dreda Boyd, author of the "Scarlet Clock" the Rev. Neville Davidson, and his wife, Mrs. Margaret Davidson, of the Glasgow Cathedral, Sir John and Lady Stirling Maxwell who wrote "Shrines of Scotland" with Provan hall on the cover, Dr. Violet Robertson visited in 1940 and Mary Gossman on 25 April 1935.

Mary finally left Provanhall in 1955. She passed away at the age of 78 in Wishaw Hospital, Lanarkshire.

26/01/2023

Provan Hall at night!

18/01/2023

Photos from Phoenix Community Centre's post

12/01/2023

Provanhall

* Ordnance Survey Name Books Lanarkshire OS Name Books, 1858-1861 Lanarkshire volume 52 OS1/21/52/23

Estate Map R. Mathers,

Occupier I.G. Morison, Craigend S. Hill Esqr Barlanark

This is at present used as a Farm Steading. It was formerly the Manor House of the Barony of Provan, the Heritable jurisdiction of which, is said to be still in the power of the Corporation of Glasgow, who annually nominate a Baillie whose principal duties now consist in regulating the Town's Mills & the water used for them, from Frankfield & Hogganfield Lochs. The exact date of this house, & when, or by whom it was first occupied, cannot be obtained without referring to various Documents & Titles in the hands of the Town Clerk of Glasgow & in the Hunterian Museum of the University. The houses forming the west part of the Steading are evidently old, the walls being nearly three feet thick. The dwelling house on the south, fronting the garden is not very remarkable in the inside or outside, owing to modern alterations & improvements. The house north of the dwelling is now used as a stable, the roofs of the lower floor are ached & the floor above them of the upper story is flagged, Both houses are two stories high. There is a small Courtyard enclosed, between the houses, by a wall similar in thickness to those of the houses. The wall connecting the west end of the houses is plain, & about 20 feet high. The east wall is the same height, but has Portholes on each side of an Arched Gateway, which is about the centre. There are steps on the inner side leading up to the Portholes. On the outer side, immediately over the gate, on the Arch, there was a triangular stone about 2ft 6in, long each side, It bears the emblems of a rose at each angle, & in the middle there are initials "R. H" in italic capitals,with the date "1647" between. It now lies on the top of the wall, having fallen out of its place, over the Archway, about two years ago. There is a very old Yew Tree between the east end of the stable & one of the outer offices. The garden in front / south of the dwelling, is terraced, having steps in the centre of each. In Historical Accounts of the Barony of Provan there is no mention made of the "Hall" The oldest of which there is any writing, as stated by L. Hill Esqr. connected with the "Hall" or "Barony of Provan" is a Bull of Pope Adrian 6th who reigned from January 1522 until Sept. 1523. This Bull, along with a modern copy, were presented by L. Hill Esqr. to the Hunterian Museum, where they may be seen at present. In "Clelland's Annals of Glasgow", there is no mention made VII - 6 Trace 4

Of the "Hall", He merely says "The City acquired the Lands, Lordship, & Barony of Provan, from Sir Robert Hamilton of Silverton Hall, in 1652", - Five years later than the date on the Coat of Arms, & it is considered by the authorities that the initials are those of Sir R. Hamilton. In "Brown's History of Glasgow, Paisley, Greenock, & Port Glasgow", it is stated that, "The City acquired, in 1662, the Lands, Lordship, & Barony of Provan, from Sir R. Hamilton of Silverton Hill, & as Lords of the Manor, they annually nominate a gentleman of the neighborhood, Baillie of Provan, with all the powers of a Baron Baillie." There is a difference of 10 years between this & Clelland's, "There was a Charter granted by King Charles II, in 1669, in favour of the Magistrates of Glasgow, for the Barony of Provan, sold to them in 1652 by Sir R. Hamilton of Silverton Hill", And according to the same authority, "In the year 1729, the Magistrates & Council sold the Lands of Provan, consisting of 2012 acres, to Robert Lang & others, at the price of 64495£. 12s. Scots, being 5374£. 8s. 8d. sterling, besides a yearly a feu duty of 103£. 8s. sterling", Clellands Annals of Glasgow. Provan Hall is now the property (with the exception of the feu duty, on superiority) of Mrs Reston Mathers, who now occupies it. Her Grandfather - a Mr Buchanan purchased it, but at what particular date is not known, without referring to the Title Deeds.

07/01/2023

Did you know….

….The prebend of Barlanark of Provand is recorded from the early fourteenth century and it pertained to Glasgow Cathedral. Its documented use for hunting and fishing is not incompatible with farming. The first records of a Lord of Provand [dominus de Provand] are from 1470. Mr Andrew Stewart was prebend in 1500 but before 1505 William Baillie, doctor of medicine and canon of Glasgow was prebend and in 1507 the lordship of Provand was in the hands of William Baillie, brother of Baillie of Carfin. The Baillies and their kin the Hamiltons of Goslington, held it from then to the 1660s. So, during the course of the sixteenth century, Provand is transformed from an ecclesiastical lordship associated with Glasgow cathedral to a secular lordship in private, heritable ownership.

05/01/2023

Did you know…….

……In the 16th century people often drank ale or beer as their daily drink. Young children drank milk.

Water at that time was often too dirty to drink. People only drank it if it came from a pure source.

Housewives/ servants were expected to brew their own beer although it was also sold commercially. In the 16th century beer was not just a drink it was also food. It contained valuable nutrients.

In 16th century Scotland whisky was a popular drink.

Table beer was around this time typically less than 1% alcohol by volume as It was common for workers who engaged in laborious tasks to drink more than ten imperial pints (5.7 litres) of small beer a day to quench their thirst.

28/12/2022

On this day 28 December 1847 a love story began - Elizabeth Buchanan and Reston Mather married at Budhill, Shetleston.

Elizabeth resided at Budhill, presumably with her sister Mary who was married to Robert Mather, Restons brother. Mary and Robert resided at Budhill Farm.

Reston resided at Provanhall, which he would have rented at the time as Elizabeth and Mary Buchanan owned Provanhall.

Reston was a farmer of 100 acres.

28/12/2022

Hope you all have had a merry Christmas and good wishes for the New Year

06/12/2022

Memorandum in the Buchanan/ Mather box in the Mitchell library. Thought it was strange to see cashew nuts!

Memorandum 1 July 1774

6 Geese
4 Turkey
6 Ducks
6 Hogs
6 Bottles of M. Wine
4 doz of portes
1 foot of clay sugar
1 Jug of old rum
6 eggs
1 bag of coffee
1 bag of cashew nuts

06/12/2022

On this day Dr John Buchanan died on 6 December 1809 at Provanhall House at the age of 82 years old.

He was buried in a crypt at the Glasgow Cathedral.

John Buchanan was born on 14 November 1727 in Buchanan, Stirlingshire, to Mary Scot and George Buchanan.

Dr John Buchanan was a member of the Buchanan Society.

He was a ships surgeon and sometimes from the lands of Jamaica.

He had two natural sons with Elizabeth McFarland on April 16, 1776. Sadly one died. The other was name John, which Provanhall was passed to after the death of his father.

1781 to 1787 Dr John Buchanan Resided at Chritchehall, Drymen, which was the Buchanan family home. Previously from Gartincaber.

1788 Dr John Buchanan Bought Provan hall mansion house. He paid £2,900 for the Hall Mailing of Provan with Cunshliebog at Martinmas

1788 & 1789 Dr John Buchanan Resided at Thomas Buchanan, Senior Merchant house in Trongate , Glasgow.

Dr John Buchanan owned Lands of Chapple

Dr John Buchanan owned Spirit Merchant shop at 29 Gallowgate

1796 - 1801 owned a Stocking Shop in Glasgow

28/11/2022

(Re)writing History Creative Writing Group - Sharing of Work

(Re)writing History Creative Writing Group - Sharing of Work

Join us at Platform for an informal sharing of work produced by the Knights Theatre creative writing group

26/11/2022

On this day 26 November 1816, 206 years ago John Buchanan Esq, Provanhall and Janet Wilson, Thornton, East Kilbride married.

They both entered marriage on a pre-nuptial agreement.

21/11/2022

Looking for volunteers who are interested in keeping the memories of growing up and living in the Easterhouse area alive.

Volunteers from Memories Of Seven Lochs’ Communities: A People's History are looking to oral record memories of those that have experienced growing up in the area and the changes they experienced.

If you are interested please send a message to this page and we will get back in touch.

17/11/2022

Following the death of a further 11 swans at Hogganfield, updated advice is being posted around the park.

Please follow this advice carefully to limit the spread of avian flu as much as possible in the park & elsewhere in the city 👇

12/11/2022

At one time the lands of Provand was around 2000 acres. So much has changed over the years the house has stood there and mostly it would have been forestry or farmland until around the 1950’s when Easterhouse started to be built.

Would love to know and hear what it was like growing up in Easterhouse from the 1950’s. Do you have any memories of what it was like?

07/11/2022

We have an exciting paid internship opportunity at Provan Hall funded by Association of Independent Museums. Suitable for those interested in pursuing a career in education, community education or the heritage/cultural/arts sector. Check out our website for details: https://www.provanhall.org/join-our-team. Deadline for applications is 25th November.

29/10/2022

Extracts from the records of the Burgh of Glasgow 1668. In May we can see Provanhall House as a mansion house, which was in great decay.

The house over the centuries has certainly seen a number of times that it has been left to decay and thankfully been restored. Hopefully it will be standing proud for centuries to come.

The house is certainly meant to be here. One of Glasgows hidden secrets.

18 April 1668.

Warrandis, thesaurer.

Ordaines the thesaurer to have ane warrand for the sowme of twentie seavine pundis four shillings deburst be him to John Hall, chyrurgian, for the pryce of the medicamentis he applyed in curing of seavine poor persones who wer direct for curing to him be the magistratis, conforme to his compt given in theranent; and for the sowme of ane hundreth markis deburst be him to the laird of Silvertounhill for the pryce of certane moveables and utheris that wer bought from him, for the tounes use, standing in the mansioune hous of Provand; and for fyftie ane pund ten shillings deburst also be him to Mungow Mathie, quhilk was restand awand to him for coall and candle furnished to the guards.

2 May 1668.

Hous of Provane.

The magistratis and counsell being informed that the mansioune hous of Provand is in great decay, apoyntis therfor the deane of gild to sie to it and to the reparatioune therof; and recommendis to Peter Gemmill, lait baillie, to provyd ane coble for the use of the loch therof.

27/10/2022

How Provanhall changed through the years 1858, 1898 and 1935.

The photos of the terraced gardens in 1945 and a picture of the Yew tree that was said to be 100 years old in 1880. The picture of the yew tree was taken in 1901.

23/10/2022

Oh! How we miss a good Provy Halloween

23/10/2022

Folklore

Centuries ago apples were a special treat something that was reserved for special occasions. Bobbing for apples, sometimes called Ducking, has its beginnings in the 15th century. The modern day game involves a tub full of water and apples that people must retrieve ‘bob for’ with their mouths. Back in the Tudor era the game was played a little differently. Two pieces of wood were nailed together in the shape of a cross. Four apples would be tied to candles on each arm of the cross shape. The goal was the same, to catch the apples in your mouth, with hot wax being the penalty for slowness or inaccuracy. It would take a further 300 years before the hot wax and cross was replaced with a tub of cold water.

22/10/2022

The last major restoration to Provanhall was completed in 1936 - 86 years ago!

Two ladies Mary Holmes ( Nee Muir), who was the last lairds of Provanhall housekeeper for a number of years and Miss Dreda Boyd, author of the "Scarlet Clock" and member of the Old Glasgow Club got together and persuaded members of the Old Glasgow Club to raise funds to restore the old mansion house Provanhall.

Below is a background of how Mary Holmes came to live at Provanhall, which if she listened to her older sister who tried to persuade Mary that Provanhall was to much for a young girl to take on Mary’s journey in Provanhall would never have begun.

Mary was born Mary Muir on 23 April 1894. She was born at 36 Hayfield St, Gorbals, Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Her parents were John Muir and Janet Graham. Mary had 6 brothers and 4 sisters. At the time that she was born, her father was employed as a Carter.
He also worked as a farm worker and ploughman. He worked in a number of different places but for many years worked for Professor McCall, founder of the Veterinary College of Blairtummock,land which was very near to Provan Hall and where he met William Mather through a shared love of horses.

Mary was living with her parents on a farm at West Greenrig, Slamannan. William Reston visited the Muirs at the farm in autumn 1919, and 2 weeks later Reston Mather wrote to Mary asking her to come to work at Provanhall as their elderly housekeeper had died.

The winter of 1919 was the start of Mary’s Provanhall journey. A journey which did not end until she left Provanhall in 1955.

Mary’s role was housekeeper to William and Reston Mather until they both died in 1934. After both Mather brothers died, she took over as caretaker of Provanhall along with her husband Adam Holmes.

Mary was well known to visitors for the teas she provided at Provanhall when she was the caretaker.

Mary met Adam Holmes a talc miller to trade and they married on 18 Nov 1933, Glasgow. Adam moved into Provanhall along with Mary. Adam died at Provanhall in 1954.

Adam and Mary had one son , also named Adam, who was born in 1934. Sadly he died at the age of three weeks on 13 February 1934. He is buried in the Mather plot in Sandymount graveyard along with William and Reston Mather.

In 1920 Mary’s brother John who resided in Canada and was in the 1st Canadians was seriously injured in battle in France. He decided to come home to Scotland.

A year later both Mary’s parents were ageing and her father infirm. Mr Henderson, Provanhall gardner had died and his cottage at Provanhall was vacant, so Mary persuaded her parents and her brother John to move into the cottage along with their dog Paddy. They resided at Provanhall cottage until they all died in 1931.

Mary got to meet many visitors to Provanhall. In the time of William and Reston she got to meet visitors such as Cunninghame Graham, George Houston, Sir D.Y Cameron ( related to the Mathers), Ref. Dr. Norman McLeod, George Eyre Todd , cousin Dr. George Ritchie Mather, Princaple of the Royal Infirmary, who wrote the “Two Great Scotsmen”, the Wylies of Garthamlock, the Bairds of Gartsherry and Dr. Hill B.L. of Barlanark House.

After the death of the last Lairds of Provanhall, William and Reston Mather, Mary conceived the idea of turning Provanhall into a tea room. At this time the house was badly needing restoration. Mary contacted members of the Old Glasgow Club in which Miss Dreda Boyd, author of the "Scarlet Clock" was a member. They raised funds and Provanhall was resorted back to its former glory in 1936.

Visitors to Provanhall tea room signed the visitors book and some of these visitors included T.C.F. Brotchie, Miss Dreda Boyd, author of the "Scarlet Clock" the Rev. Neville Davidson, and his wife, Mrs. Margaret Davidson, of the Glasgow Cathedral, Sir John and Lady Stirling Maxwell who wrote "Shrines of Scotland" with Provan hall on the cover, Dr. Violet Robertson visited in 1940 and Mary Gossman on 25 April 1935.

Mary finally left Provanhall in 1955. She passed away at the age of 78 in Wishaw, Lanarkshire.

17/10/2022

Work with us

Work with us

Jobs with Provan Hall Community Trust

15/10/2022

Come along and join in if you can 😊

13/10/2022

Join us for a community litter pick at Provan Hall on Friday 21st October - drop in between 10 and 3 and help make Provan Hall and the Seven Lochs a better place! We will also be removing some of the fly tipping - thanks Glasgow City Council -Litter pickers and bags supplied.

Supported by

12/10/2022

We’re delighted to be working with and Knights Theatre on these creative writing workshops.

For booking and further information contact:
[email protected]