Black Bull Close

Rope Walk Lane and Black Bull Close were part of the Bay Area that was cleared with the help of the Lithgow family.

You can see the area on this photogrpah , just beside the mill building making it's way towards the town centre.

The Black Bull Close photograph has been widely reproduced. Did you notice the lady to the left holding the little girl? Many a wean has a dress that style today.The little kid at the front and some of the others have no shoes on their feet.
This photograph is also reproduced at the Gallery of photos at Newark Castle.

The resturant and other buildings that are to the front of this picture were taken down and the Birkmyre's built a store for use by the Rope Works.

The close took it's name from an "Inn" that stood at the corner of the Lane.

Jamieson's East end Tavern and McLaughlins Resturant.

The Old Bay Area

Many of the houses in King Street and Scarlow Street had "half" numbers this is the back close that many of the dwellings were entered from.

King Street

The back close was used for many things including hanging out the washing!

The picture to the right is no:41 1/2 King Street and the one to the left shows 42/44 King Street

Both of these photographs show the back entrance to the propertys. The pictures were detailed as 13 Scarlow Street.

Scarlow Street

Both of these photographs show the address of 19 Balfour Street.

The front entrance and the back close of Balfour Street.

No: 19 Balfour Street

This is the back court to Argowan Street which was more commonly known as "Rodger's Court"

Rodger's Court

The boundaries of Port Glasgow were Clune Brae on the East and Devol Burn on the West, but under a Police Act, 1865, the western boundary was extended to the centre of Boundary Street. The portion of land between the Glen Bridge and Boundary Street was known as the Extended Boundary and householders in that area paid part of their local rates to Greenock. What was even more embarrassing for Portonians born in that area was that their birth certificates showed they resided in Port Glasgow, Greenock.
This unfortunate state of affairs continued well
into the 1890's. The photo shows Ardgowan Street
at the Glen, with the policeman standing approximately
where the burn passed under what was then the
main road.In the centre of the picture are the
offices and entrancegate of the Port Glasgow and
Newark Sailcloth Co. founded in 1843.
The late bailie Robert Rodger carried on a
grocer's and baker's business on either side
of the close at 14 Ardgowan Street known as
Rodger's Close. The small houses behind that
stretched towards the river, were known as Rodger's court.

This page last modified on Wednesday, March 05, 2003

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