Glassford Street


Glassford Street is a major thoroughfare in the city of Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The street runs north from the junction of Argyle Street and Trongate through the Merchant City until it meets Ingram Street.

History

Originally this was on the grounds of house of John Glassford; a noted Tobacco Lord. The street was opened in 1793 and originally named Great Glassford Street. Glassford's house, known as the Shawfield Mansion, was removed in 1792 to build the street.
At the time of its opening the street now known as South Frederick Street, to the south of George Square, was known as Little Glassford Street; hence the original Great Glassford Street differentiation. Great Glassford Street was still being used in an advertisment of 1802.
As the new name of South Frederick Street became known instead of Little Glassford Street, there was no need for the differentiation of Great Glassford Street. The street simply became known as Glassford Street.

Controversy

Many of the Tobacco Lords profited from the use of slaves to pick their tobacco crop. As part of the Black Lives Matter campaign in 2020, many of Glasgow's streets in the Merchant City area - named after the Tobacco Lords - were unofficially renamed by anti-racism protesters.
The protesters placed alternative street names celebrating prominent black men and women alongside the official street names. Glassford Street was alternatively named Fred Hampton Street, celebrating the Black Panther activist.