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ISABELLA CLARK
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Isabella Clark was born in Rose Street Glasgow, May 1887. She was an only child.
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Isabella’s parents, Margaret Bogan and Robert Glen Ridley were chronic alcoholics. Margaret hailed from Donegall, Ireland born May 1865 and died September 1945 eighty years old. Robert, born in July 1862 at number 66 High St, Glasgow came from a family who travelled widely around the UK and Ireland working in various trades. Robert died destitute in a mens hostel August 1906 aged 40.
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Isabella Clark’s life was hard and turn she was a hard woman. Her first husband, Peter Gallacher, was killed in the first World War 12 September 1916, leaving her with two young children to look after. Margaret Gallacher was six at the time and Peter Gallacher only three.
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To provide for her family she worked in the ‘Bolt Work’ in the East End of Glasgow where she met her second husband, James Clark.
James became a father to Margaret and Peter before they had three children of their own. James Clark came first in 1921, then Isabella Clark was born 1923 though she lived only 20 days. Finally John Clark, was born in 1927.
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They were very poor. In 1927 Isabella and James saw Margaret age 17, Peter 15, James age 6 and John a baby share a two room and kitchen. To make matters worse they housed a lodger to make ends meet. Peter ran away the following year and she did not see him until he surprised her with a visit 18 years later during WW2.
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Isabella’s reputation for being a hard woman came in part from becoming a money lender. She was very deaf from her forties onwards and at age 70 lost a leg to gangrene. Nevertheless she he was a big softie to her grandchildren.
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She died in April 1976.
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