A Glasgow perspective: three times a lady

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A trio of trios for you today. In the first set we are back at Partick Burgh Hall, the roof of which featured in my first SquarePerspectives post. On the face of the building are these three lovely ladies representing Justice, Mercy and Truth.

Mercy
Truth

Several libraries in Glasgow have female figures with books and children on their roofs. These three are at Maryhill, Woodside and Govanhill.

Maryhill
Woodside
Govanhill

The last trio is just outside Glasgow, spotted after the distance we could go to exercise was relaxed a bit. We discovered Jessie by accident when walking a trail near Lennoxtown. Later investigation showed that this was one of three sculptures by Jaqueline Donachie commemorating women in health and medicine who have associations with East Dunbartonshire – through education, working life or residence. We decided to seek out the other two: Elsie in Westerton and Irene in Kirkintilloch. The names don’t refer to any specific individual but represent first names that appeared frequently in Jacqueline’s research, and are a nod to just how many uncommemorated women there are. Obviously my inner women’s history nerd was very excited by this!

Jessie by Jacqueline Donachie
Elsie and Irene by Jacqueline Donachie

I’m linking to Becky’s SquarePerspectives challenge with occasional posts on the new perspectives on Glasgow that our lockdown walks have given us. We have been looking at everything in so much more detail and are often amazed at what we spot!

Today’s title is from the Commodores’ 1978 hit. Don’t be alarmed, there’s no sound till the singing starts. Take it away, Lionel!

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  1. Pingback: East Dunbartonshire: Trails + Tales – The Glasgow Gallivanter

  2. The museum I work at (built 1904) has a roundel on the side depicting a woman reading, I guess because we’re attached to a library, though it’s not as good as Justice, Mercy, and Truth. If I were a Jessie, I’d definitely want a photo next to that sculpture, but I am most decidedly a Jessica, and I don’t want to encourage anyone to start calling me Jessie by posing with it. Only my grandparents were allowed to do that!

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  3. Why are women often shown bare-breasted..That one lady up top seemed to have gone to great difficulty dressing herself except for the top half…hahahaaa. Maybe it represents mother..Freud would have a field day. I often wonder why Justice is shown blind, not here, but in many cases…it’s true but just wondering

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  8. Thanks to bloggers like you I’ve learned so much about the unrecognized role of women in history. Quite frankly, I find these statues of just first names to represent many women rather emotional.

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  9. Well, you wouldn’t think I grew up around Glasgow judging by how much I learn from your posts! My favourite sculpture is the lady with the books and children. Irene is in an area I know well (or used to) and I would probably have cycled past her site quite regularly back in the day on my way to visit a friend.
    When I was growing up, quite often people would be confused with my name and Aileen, Eileen and Irene. I can’t see the confusion myself as they are clearly all quite different names! 😀

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    • He he, if you’re like me you probably didn’t notice much about your surroundings growing up. Too many other things to be interested in! I can’t see the confusion either in the four names. I have friends with each name and I think they just don’t get given any more. I like the good, solid traditional names. Too many today sound made up.

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      • I know I wasn’t at all interested in my wider surroundings when I was growing up. My parents would take us off to admire the hills, lochs and views and I had no interest! I’d much rather be reading my book than admiring the view. Now, of course, I love admiring views! 😀 I mainly like traditional names too – I imagine in years to come, though, the fanciful names that are around now will have become normal. 😦

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  10. Another interesting take on a Glasgow I don’t know. My only knowledge of Maryhill is what I’ve gleaned from the old Taggart series many years ago when it seemed the Maryhill Police Station was mentioned at least twice in every episode.

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    • Indeed! Except it was never the actual Maryhill Police Station, a number of other buildings having played it over the years. Just about everywhere in Glasgow has been a Taggart location – as just about every Scottish actor has had a part in it at some point.

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  11. Aw Annabel, one of my favourite songs thank you. Thanks also for sharing such an interesting post. My late mother’s uncle Francis lived In Maryhill when he worked as a conductor on the trams during his short stay in Glasgow many years ago.
    Hope you are keeping well , all ok here in Lancashire so far. 🙂

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  12. Hi Anabel – what delightful statues to see … and the ‘names’ – those library ones are special – there should be a board advising people to look up … while the reliefs – look amazing too. I enjoyed those huge name sculptures and to read how they came about. Names – I give up with them … can’t keep up … but lots of ‘fashion’ changes!!! Thanks for showing these to us – all the best Hilary

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    • Thanks Hilary, the board is a great idea! I think yours is another name that I know well via my contemporaries, but you don’t hear of children being called it now. Anabel, I don’t think, has ever been fashionable judging by the number of times in my life I’ve had to explain it.

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  15. The Commodores, Anabel. I had to look up who first sang the song. Elsie and Irene are names we do not hear often anymore. My sister is an “Elsie.” I have a cousin “Irene.” No Jessie’s in my family. Oh, as I read to the end, I see you have the video. Many people have covered this classic, beauty. An interesting post!

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  16. The Irene and the Jessies that I have known were Scottish. I have only ever known to Elsies – one was English (Durham) and the other is Australian ( Adelaide). Lennoxtown is interesting and I do like your taste in music — so far :o)

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  18. Your posts so often set me off thinking. Today: is it the case that — at least until recently — male forms in statues are more likely to be “real” people commemorated while female figures are more likely embodiments of ideas/virtues/etc?

    And: is the prevalence of certain first names regional as well as temporal? I have a couple of Jessies in my (very Fife / East Coast) family tree, and all the Elsies and Irenes I’ve ever met have had roots in Scotland’s West. A wee Scotland’s People project for me.

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    • Yes, you’re right, we have only 4 named women in Glasgow, but many idealised female forms. Muses or representing concepts as you say. I think there’s something in your name theory, but there’s lots of overlap. Elsie is more universal than just scottish (think Elsie Tanner on Coronation Street). Jessie is coming back – there are a couple of singers named Jessie or Jess and I know one or two youngish ones (they may or may not actually be Jessicas, but they go by Jessie). I always thought of Irene as an old person’s name because the only one I knew was a friend of my Mum’s. Then when we came to Scotland I met a few of my own age or younger. Of course, by definition they will now be old women too!

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