Did bonnie price charlie really take coatbridge

[skauwt]

i wonder if anyone can verify for me if bonnie price Charlie did take coatbridge in the September of 45 as this site suggests (bear in mind it was the only site with the mentioning of coatbridge and charlie i found with the information to show folk )
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache...&ct=clnk&gl=uk


now i have read about it once or twice but Ive never heard anything of it in the Carnegie town library itself (The library was officially opened on 7th June 1906 by Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in person.)or off anyone who live here for that matter

i`ll be the first to admit my history of Charlie isn't great but with having family living family here in the 1820s and possibly before its something id love to know for sure whether he did have dealings with this auld town on his march west

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

He sure enough did... his easy taking of the town is often referred to as "The Canter of Coatbridge".

[Jimmy]

As a person born and bred in nearby Bellshill, why would Charlie want Coatbridge?

[gilmore]

.....

[skauwt]

As a person born and bred in nearby Bellshill, why would Charlie want Coatbridge?

you must remember that coatbridge didn't exist as a whole town pre 1950s it was made up of small parish's like whifflet, shawhead, kirkshaws and so on ...the old turnpike road (Glasgow to Edinburgh) cross`s through coatbridge you'll know about bathgate trongate and these places well these where the toll booths... back in there day id assume each one would have a few soldiers to keep watch (i could be wrong)
and with coatbridge being on more or less level ground before the airdrie plateau which can rise some 300 ft it would have a must to have a army stationed on a important trade road as highwaymen and robbers where common over Central Scotland
if you've ever seen those images of my views from my flat you'll realize the strategic point of dunbeth hill it can see most of the strathclyde Vally rather easily you can see a clear view of the campsie fell also you make out the hills south of ben lomond a important route for any highlander wanting to go to Glasgow also the moors behind airdrie and bear in mind airdire a big town in its own right back then
so again that would've been a reason to have a troop stationed near
the grange where Charlie took is near currently drumpellier (it was dunpelder pre1800s)park not far from the old crannog loch site(indicating that folk have lived in coatbridge for over 3000 years so it cant be that bad ) and the drumpellier housing estate again extremely flat fields(wooded now) perfect for any small army to make camp
the toll road was another reason they built the monklands canal which was britains only canal to make a profit sadly its been filled up and piped its now more or less the m8 into glasgow so i guess in some aspects the canal still exists
bellhill (or Belziehill or Balziehill) as it was known back then was just a farm with varied types of herding land for cattle and sheep



heres a old road map of central Scotland http://www.oldroadsofscotland.com/ro...lasgowhigh.jpg

http://www.oldroadsofscotland.com/Roy%20main.htm




i want folk to bear in mind i may not live in the highlands or lowlands but us folk in the central belt are just as connected(in connection i mean home town and possible ancestry ) to these Scottish events as any other "highland an "lowland " area and with the likes of crannogs in coatbridge its a good indicator that this town has a fair bit of history and not just a collection of coalminer and ironstone deposits



ps bear in mind im nooo historian i merely type what at this time believe to be the right information if anyone should know better regarding what Ive wrote them please do as any correction to my mental history of this town would be greatly received ...but must have anything better than wikipedia as a source

[Jimmy]

Sorry, I was being flippant, i did not realise until I read your post that the Coatbridge area was som strategic, thanks for that info.
my folks came from Glenboig, the other side of the 'brig and my knowledge of the 'brig was of its industrial past although Summerlee is a great place to visit.
I can imagine the view from Dunbeth Hill
thanks, Jim

[skauwt]

Sorry, I was being flippant, i did not realise until I read your post that the Coatbridge area was som strategic, thanks for that info.
my folks came from Glenboig, the other side of the 'brig and my knowledge of the 'brig was of its industrial past although Summerlee is a great place to visit.
I can imagine the view from Dunbeth Hill
thanks, Jim

even the roman army seen its importance as a strategic point during there campaigns before buidling the Antonie wall