Selection from Glasgow Characters 2 Peter Mackenzie

Lowrie Coulter was considered the wisest man in Glasgow. He also took a considerable degree of

pride is his appearance and was probably as vain as he was wise.

Wee Jamie Wallace was born in Ladywell Street in 1822. He occupied the troublesome if not very

lucrative post of officer of the Clydesdale Fruit Market, in Kent Street,

 the duties of which he satisfactorily discharged for at least twenty years.

William White was a diminutive, blind, street performer on the flute and flageolet and was well

known and much respected. Careful of the small sums he earned by his musical talent he was able

to maintain himself in what may be called respectable poverty and was a great favourite among

street patrons. He was taken unwell on Glasgow Green in September 1858 and died the same night

at his lodgings at 102 Saltmarket. His admirers provided for a decent interment and marked the

resting place of his body by a simple monumental stone which bears a representation of his

favourite musical instrument and the box in which he always carried it.

Coal Mary was a diminutive female whose beauty had been a good deal interfered with by the

ravages of smallpox and who had never handled a piece of soap in her 50 years or so. She was

destined to assist the Glaswegians in getting their coal properly transferred upstairs from the street

to the bunker-hole of the kitchen.

Samuel Hunter was the real founder of The Glasgow Herald newspaper. He was born in 1769 and

was educated for the medical profession. He served in Ireland as a surgeon and subsequently as

Captain in the North Lothian Fencibles, and thus took part in the campaign for the suppression of

the rebellion of '98. He was a man of wit and kindly nature, moderation, unbending integrity and

strong good sense which qualities he impressed upon the Journal under his charge. His jokes and

smart sayings were repeated at every table in Glasgow. With the exception of a temporary eclipse

during the Reform Bill of 1831-32 (when his effigy was several times burned at the Cross, and

when a "Stop-My Paper" crusade commenced) he was always popular with the people. He retired

from the editorship and proprietor of the Herald in 1837. He died in June 1839 and is buried at

Kilwinning Churchyard.

David Dale was a native of Stewarton but came to Glasgow at age 24 and stayed for 43 years. He

first commenced business in the High Street in a shop five doors north of the Cross, for which he

paid £5 rent - but thinking even this too much for him, he sub-let one half of this to a watchmaker

for 50 shillings. In these small premises he contrived to carry on a profitable and yearly increasing

business in French yarns, until he was appointed agent for the Royal Bank of Scotland. The

watchmaker's half of the shop was converted into a bank office at that time. Some time after this

and impressed with the value of Arkwrights Inventions, he set about erecting the cotton mills at

Lanark. He was remarkably successful in all his ventures which included dyeing Turkey red cloth,

and weaving. When he bade his last adieu to a city which his talents and industry had certainly

advanced, and which his philanthropy and religious example had improved, he was universally

lamented as one of the ablest merchants, best magistrates and most benevolent sons. He died on

17th March 1836 aged 86.