THIS property is on the left bank of the Clyde, a short way west from Govan, and extends to about twelve acres.
Towards the end of last century it belonged to James Spreull, who was many years City Chamberlain. He was the second son of John Shortridge, one of the magistrates of Glasgow, and changed his surname from the following circumstance, - An old lady, Miss Margaret Spreull, daughter of John Spreull, the famous "Bass John," merchant and apothecary in Glasgow, was proprietress of an antique edifice on the north side of Trongate, between what are now Hutcheson and Glassford Streets, consisting of two storeys, with gable end, and "corby steps," facing the Trongate, like the ancient range still lingering near Saltmarket. A large garden extended behind. This lady executed an entail of the antique house and garden, in favour of James Shortridge, above referred to, and certain other heirs, on condition that he and they should take her surname of Spreull. She died in 1784, and James Shortridge having succeeded as heir of entail, took the surname prescribed by the deed. He afterwards demolished the old edifice, and built on the site, and on part of the garden, the large and elegant tenement so well known for more than half a century as "Spreull's Land," which, when in its prime, was the residence of many citizens of note.
As already said, Mr. Spreull was proprietor of the lands of Linthouse, on which there was a small villa. Over fifty years ago, he sold the property to Mr. Robert Watson, banker in Glasgow. This gentleman was the second son of Mr. David Watson of Stobcross, who was also a banker. After the death of the latter, his two eldest sons carried on the business of bankers many years under the well known firm of James and Robert Watson, and on the death of the eldest, a third brother, Mr. Gilbert Watson, Writer to the Signet, was assumed as a partner in the banking-house, but without any change in the old firm. Messrs. Watsons transacted a large business. The bank was in the Trongate, and latterly in Virginia Street, west side near the bottom. (1)
Mr. Robert Watson built the edifice of Linthouse, represented in the photograph, about 1820, and resided there many years. After 1832 the property was sold to Mr. Michael Rowand, the well known cashier of the Ship Bank. He died there, 17th January 1858, at the age of 86. Linthouse was afterwards sold by his representatives to Mr. Steven, who has cut down the fine old trees and made the place into a shipbuilding yard, the Mansion House itself being turned into offices connected therewith.
The Spreulls are one of our oldest west country families, and have been much connected with Glasgow.
From 1292 to 1297 almost all the heads of the principal families in Scotland swore fealty to King Edward I., of England, and in the list of those who did so, in the document called the "Ragman Roll," we find the name of Walter Spreull. This Walter was the seneschal of the old Earls of Lennox, and early in the fourteenth century he had a grant from Malcolm, the then Earl, of the lands of "Dalchorne" and "Dalmore" (Dalquhern and Dalmuir) in Dumbartonshire. The Spreulls soon afterwards possessed the lands of Coudoun in Renfrewshire, which they retained till 1622, when they were sold by James Spreull who died without issue. Besides Dalquhern, Dalmure, and Cowden, which belonged to the head of the house, cadets of the family held Blochairn, in Lanarkshire; Castlehill, in Renfrewshire; and Milnton, in Dumbartonshire.
James, the last of Cowden, had a brother, John, who was Town Clerk of Glasgow in 1646 and afterwards.
Town Clerk Spreull was a great politician and no admirer of the Stewart Kings, and after the Restoration, his conduct having given great umbrage to the authorities, he was deposed in 1661 from his office by the magistrates, on the ground that he was one of those who "hes shoun themselves disaffected to His Majesties Government." It was also proved that "the said Mr. Johne had lykwayes verie oft and divers tymes compeired against the saidis Magistrates and Counsell of this burgh, in the Publict Meitings and Counsells of the lait Vsurpers." Besides the loss of his office he suffered a good deal in other ways, and late in life, he wrote a book, entitled "The Lord's dealings with me." The Town Clerk had a daughter, Ann, born in 1643, who married her cousin, James Spreull.
This James Spreull, surgeon in Paisley, was the son of John Spreull, merchant there, and grandson of Thomas Spreull, brother of John the last laird but one of Cowden. His brother John Spreull, apothecary in Glasgow, is a well-known character. Like his cousin, the Town Clerk, he warmly espoused the side of the Covenanters. He was tried in 1681 for treason and rebellion, and for being concerned in the battle of Bothwell Bridge. He was acquitted on a verdict of not proven, but he was not released, and finally he was sent a prisoner to the Bass Rock, where he remained for about six years. He is known in local history by the name of "Bass John." Bass John was twice married, first to Isabella Clark, by whom he had a child who died an infant, and secondly to Margaret Wingate, by whom he had John, who died young; James, who was a Bailie of the city and died childless in 1769; Margaret, who ultimately succeeded to her father's property in the Trongate, and died in 1784 aged 84 years; and three other daughters.
James Spreull (Bass John's brother), who died in 1680, and Ann Spreull, his cousin and wife, who died in 1686, had an only child, Janet, born in 1675.
This Janet Spreull married James Shortridge, a member of a Glasgow family, and had a son, John, born in 1711. John Shortridge, as he grew up, was a public spirited character, and true to the hereditary Spreull dislike to the Stewart race, he was one of the gallant Glasgow Volunteers who fought and bled for the House of Hanover at the field of Falkirk in 1746. Several of the Glasgow regiment were killed, but Mr. Shortridge came home safe, and marrying in the same year Hannah Park was within twelve months, made the happy father of a daughter. In 1772 he was a Bailie of Glasgow, and he died in 1778. He had two sons, William, the eldest, who married Elizabeth Yuille of the Darleith family, and James, the younger, who married Margaret M'Call (see Belvidere); and two daughters, Janet, married John Smith of Craigend (see Craigend), and Hannah married James Black (see Craigmaddie).
Bailie John Shortridge at his death, in 1778, left the bulk of his property to his son William, who had by his wife, Elizabeth Yuille, 1) John, born 1786, married E. L. Deacon; 2) Amelia, married William R. Gibb, M.D.; 3) Hannah; 4) George, died 1854; 5) Margaret, married, in 1835, James Burns of G. & J. Burns, of Cunard Line fame, and afterwards of Kilmahew: she had an only child, John William Burns, now of Kilmahew, born 1837; and 6) William, died 1828. William Shortridge married secondly, in 1800, Mary Leitch and had a daughter, Christina, who married Gilbert Stewart Bruce.
Though the eldest son, William Shortridge, thus inherited his father's estate, the second son, James, was by no means forgotten, nor was the good and honoured name of Spreull to be allowed to pass into oblivion, for when Bailie John Shortridge and his cousin, Margaret Spreull, Bass John's only surviving daughter, were both in old age, she told him that when making provision for his family she wished him "to take care of Will and leave Jamie to me." The tenement, therefore, in the Trongate, which had been long in the family, and where her father had lived before her, was strictly entailed in favour of James, and it was provided that the possessor of it should always bear the name of Spreull. "Spreull's Land" is the only entail within the ancient burgh.
On the death of old Margaret Spreull, in 1784, James Shortridge succeeded in terms of this arrangement, and assumed the name of Spreull as mentioned in the notice above.
By his marriage with Margaret M'Call he had issue - 1) Margaret, who married, and died leaving a family; Helen, died unmarried; 3) John, late chamberlain of Glasgow, married M. A. Buchanan, and is dead as well as his whole family; 4) Hannah; 5) James, married, but died without issue; 6) Janet, died unmarried; 7) Samuel, died young; 8) Samuel, now the proprietor of "Spreull's Land;" 9) William, died young; 10) Sarah.
(1) When Messrs. Watson discontinued business in 1832, the Glasgow Union Bank, now the Union Bank of Scotland, purchased their banking premises, and removed thither. This bank commenced in 1829, as an east-end monetary establishment, in old Post Office Court, corner of Candleriggs and Trongate, east side, up one stair, and had, on their early notes, and long afterwards, the east-end symbol of the statue of King William at the cross. The change of name took place after certain private banks had amalgamated with "The Glasgow Union," the first of which was the Thistle Bank, east side of Virginia Street, where the City of Glasgow Bank now stands. This is the oldest banking site in Glasgow, a succession of banks having been constantly there since 1764, more than a century (see Mount Vernon).
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