Greenock Torpedo Factory Club
The town of Woolwich, known for it's Royal Arsenal, has been producing torpedos and artillery since 1872.
During this period war never seemed far away and the demand for ammunition was greater than ever,
Although work in the industry was dangerous, the Arsenal was still considered a 'renowned centre of excellence' in mechanical engineering, with state of the art technology, and cutting edge techniques being employed by noteworthy engineers of the day.
The workers of the Dial Square workshops even formed a football club [1886] which you may know today as Arsenal F.C.
Patrick Boylan. born in Greenock in 1876, was one of many talented footballers enticed to play for the team, with one catch: only factory workers could play! He was given a job at the arsenal 1896. But it wouldn't be long before he found himself travelling home, and he'd have company . . .
In 1908 the Admiralty announced that they would be constructing a new Torpedo Factory in Greenock, on the shore of the River Clyde directly across from Loch Long where they planned on testing their product because of its "sheltered position, great depth of water, and comparative freedom from traffic."
The fact that the land was owned by Sir Hugh Shaw Stewart, who had desired to keep the west end free of industrial development, did not deter the Admiralty who informed him, in no uncertain terns, that they could take his land compulsorily through an act of parliament.
HE was assured however, that their presence "would neither be dangerous nor become in any way a nuisance to the inhabitants."
By 1910, when the plant officially opened, 700 workers and their families had arrived from Woolwich, relocating to oversee the running of the operation.
The subsequent years saw a massive population increase in Greenock, creating a need for additional housing.
in 1914, a complaint was heard, by the Local Government, that adequate measures had not been taken to home the imported workforce.
Appalled at what was considered acceptable housing in Scotland, they wrote to express their dissatisfaction
at the lack of consideration for their English ideals. In their opinion the "Scotch" homes lacked natural light and private grounds, and the bedrooms were too small (although the they did concur that the reception rooms were larger in Scotland).
The admiralty felt obliged to comply with their requests, building the "Woolwich Arsenal", and "English Houses" in the vicinity of the factory at Fort Matilda.
There were also sublets available for those without families, although many chose to settle, marrying locals and laying down roots.
Richard Clifford arrived in Greenock in 1910, residing in Fort Matilda with other unmarried Torpedo Factory workers like himself. The following year he met his wife to be, Marion Ferguson. They married on 8th September 1911, and children soon followed.
It wasn't long before news travelled of the employment opportunities available at the new factory, and soon many other immigrants began to arrive, looking for work.
This influx of newcomers - known locally as 'English Invaders" and "Sassenachs" - evoked a wave of xenophobia among the locals, breeding curiosity & suspicion.
This reaction adopted by many of the locals forced the ostracised "outsiders" to form their own community in order to ease the transition, and the torpedo factory club was born.
