Life in a Glasgow Slum
In 1707, Glasgow was a small town of 13,000 people. By 1804 the population had risen to over 70,000. Glasgow grew into a dirty, overcrowded city, as the rural poor and Highlanders were joined by the immigrants, who poured in from Ireland searching for a better life. Social historian Michael Donnelly's grandfather arrived in Glasgow from Ireland during the 1800s with no job, nowhere to live and only the clothes he stood up in. Michael describes how he found his first night of shelter as a single man in a 'lean' and graduated to a model lodging house.
In 1707, Glasgow was a small town of 13,000 people. By 1804 the population had risen to over 70,000. Glasgow grew into a dirty, overcrowded city, as the rural poor and Highlanders were joined by the immigrants, who poured in from Ireland searching for a better life. Social historian Michael Donnelly's grandfather arrived in Glasgow from Ireland during the 1800s with no job, nowhere to live and only the clothes he stood up in. Michael describes how he found his first night of shelter as a single man in a 'lean' and graduated to a model lodging house.
