History

Renfrew - The Royal Burgh

Matthew Robertson Swan [1887-1952]

Tram Driver from Paisley

These lovely pictures and story have been given to me by Christine Normington, to describe her grandfather Matthew Robertson Swan. How often do we see these pictures in books yet never find out who the people are? Christine has now donated several copies of the tramcar photograph to various museums in Paisley and Glasgow. Here is her story.

Born September 30th, 1887, at 13 West Buchanan Street, Paisley, Scotland at 7:05, son of James and Janet SWAN, nee ROBERTSON, his father was a baker's journeyman. Matthew had 8 brothers and sisters. He was baptised at the age of 12 - my Nan always said in a swimming pool, but I'm not sure whether that was in Storie Street or whether (as a member of the Church of England) that was her way of describing total immersion to me as a child. I have not been able to discover which church he was baptised in, but I would guess possibly Canal Street, which no longer exists.

He was given a Bible for his birthday by a brother David in 1906, which may have been given to him at his baptism or possibly when he left Scotland.

He went to London where he met my Nan (Alice MARDELL) and they were married 25th March, 1911 at St. Paul's Church, Santley Street, Brixton. They had 2 daughters, Jean MacDonald (my mum) and Isabella Irvine. The photograph was taken during 1914 when Matthew took Alice and my mum to Paisley where Isabella was born. They had returned to Brixton by December of that year as my aunt [Isabella] was christened in St. Paul's in December and granddad joined the army as an ambulance man in January 1915. He was invalided out in 1917.

During the Blitz of 1940 Isabella was killed by an incendiary bomb that struck a gas main near the SWAN public house at Stockwell, where she had been working. It took 3 days to find her and granddad had to identify the pieces as his precious child. It was a trauma from which he and my Nan never recovered.

Granddad had several occupations during his life time including head waiter (he once waited table on King Edward VIII), Post Office worker and a Messenger in the Ministry of Works. In later life he suffered from Parkinson's Disease and prostate problems. He died in Lambeth Hospital, Landor Road, Brixton on 23rd March, 1952.

Below - Matthew at 12, with his wife Alice Mardell and first child Jean in 1913, as an ambulance man in WW1,

and with his wife and grand-daughter Margaret in London, 1947

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