Mrs Agnes Toward (nee Reid)
The Reid family resided in the rural areas of Stirlingshire, specifically in the parishes of Larbert and Dunipace. Her father, David Reid, was born in Larbert, Stirlingshire in 1823, while her mother, Helen Rhind, was born in Edinburgh in 1845 and passed away in 1908 in Glasgow. She had three siblings: James, William, and Helen. Unfortunately, William passed away at the age of 10 and Helen at the same age in 1866 due to Tuberculosis. In addition to being a loving father, David Reid was also a travelling merchant, engaging in various occupations such as potato merchant, grocer, and warehouseman. Eventually, he settled with his wife and children in Glasgow during the 1850s.
Miss Reid and Mr William Toward were married on 29 April 1884, at 4pm in the Bath Hotel in Glasgow following a traditional Victorian courtship. We hold their wedding invitation in our archive.
Mr Toward, a travelling merchant, often sent letters to Miss. Reid from various hotels across the country. During that era, it was common for weddings to be held in hotels rather than churches or registry offices. Although we we don‘t know how they first met, their correspondence suggests a successful match!
… You know I am very fond of you Agnes dear and I must give vent to my feelings by expressing them in so many words altho’ words seem very inadequate … Well I can hardly realise that you have promised to be my wife. I thought I should have had to wait a long time before it came to that.”
At the time of their marriage, Mr Toward was around 40 years old, while Miss Reid was 26. This age gap was typical as many men needed to work for a considerable period before being able to support a wife and household. Mr and Mrs Toward likely got engaged in October 1883 and were married by April the following year. In a letter to the future Mrs Toward regarding their engagement, William wrote: ‘If you are agreeable I don’t think we need wait a very long time ... I should have the two or three hundred pounds I spoke of by the month of March or April.’
During the late Victorian era, middle-class marriages were anticipated to be based on companionship, with the idea of marrying for love being an ideal to strive for. Mr Toward and Mrs Toward seemed to embody this ideal, as their courtship letters revealed a deep sense of personal attachment.
Mr and Mrs Toward had three daughters, two of whom passed away in infancy. This made the mid-1880s a sad period for Mrs Toward.
On 10 May 1885, Helen Thomson Toward, their daughter, was born but tragically succumbed to whooping cough just six weeks later.
Then, on 19 September 1886, Agnes Toward was born at the same address. It‘s important to note that before 1915, midwives did not receive professional training. The majority of births before 1914 occurred at home, with 95% of them being home births. Given this information, we can confidently assume that Agnes was born at 153 Renfrew Street, where her parents lived.
Jane Toward, their third daughter, was born on 10 May 1888.
Sadly, on 4 August 1889 William Toward, Mrs Toward‘s husband, passed away. The address listed at the time of his passing was 94 Hill Street. This left Mrs Toward as a widow with two young daughters, Agnes and Jane. The introduction of the Married Women‘s Property Act in 1881 allowed Victorian middle-class women to possess their own property and assets, a significant advancement for both married women and widows. As a widow, Mrs Toward enjoyed a certain level of independence, as she possessed the skill of dressmaking to support herself and her family.
Tragedy struck again on 21 November 1891 when Jane Toward died of tuberculosis aged two years and six months.
Therefore, Agnes and her mother were with each other for most of her life as Mrs Toward never remarried, contributing to their close relationship.
… my dearie please be quite happy and enjoy yourself for Mama’s sake and grow big and ... strong … from your own Mama xxxxxxxx”
Mrs Toward had a thriving dressmaking business with shops on different streets at different times. To supplement her income, she received assistance from organisations like the Glasgow Benevolent Society and Hutchesons’ Hospital. It was common for women like Mrs Toward to be entrepreneurs during that time. In fact, between 1851 and 1911, women owned around 27–30% of all businesses. Women particularly dominated the clothing manufacturing and personal services sectors. In many households, the wife ran a business while the husband worked as a wage labourer, a common arrangement for laundresses and dressmakers. As a single mother, Mrs Toward had to continue working since there was no formal social security system.
During Mrs Toward’s working hours, her mother helped care for Agnes and even took her on holidays to Largs and Millport. Additionally, Agnes’ two paternal aunts also assisted in looking after her from time to time. This meant that Agnes grew up surrounded by a supportive group of women who played a significant role in her upbringing.
In 1911, Mrs Toward and Agnes relocated to 145 Buccleuch Street (the Tenement House), near the newly opened Mitchell Library. By May 1912, she decided to close the last of her draper’s shops but continued to see clients privately from her home. Agnes started working as a shorthand typist in 1914, supporting her mother financially. The Rent Act was approved in 1915 and Mrs Toward occasionally took in lodgers for extra income.
Mrs Toward passed away on 26 May 1939, at 145 Buccleuch Street aged 81. Throughout her life, she saw many changes in Glasgow and the way that people lived and worked in the city, including the development of the Subway, the Glasgow School of Art and University of Glasgow Gilmore Hill buildings being built, two international exhibitions, and two world wars. She was an independent woman, working and looking after her family in a time of continuous change. Letters of condolence to Agnes Toward illustrate the close relationship she and her mother had right until the end of her mother’s life. Agnes kept many of her mother’s objects, not just her own. Their close relationship over the years has been immortalised in the things Agnes lovingly kept for all those years; this makes the house Mrs Toward’s story as much as it is Agnes’.
Miss Agnes Toward
Agnes was born in a house on Renfrew Street in September 1886, just a stone’s throw away from the Tenement House.
Her father, William, who worked as a commercial traveller in metals, passed away when she was only three years old. Sadly, her two sisters also passed away in infancy, leaving Agnes and her mother alone.
Agnes was raised by her mother, who shared the same name and made a living as a dressmaker. They lived in different houses in the Garnethill district before settling at 145 Buccleuch Street (the Tenement House). Her maternal grandmother used to take care of young Agnes while her mother was at work.
She had a close bond with her mother, who owned a shop on 245 Sauchiehall Street near Mackintosh at the Willow.
In our collection, we have some of Agnes’ childhood letters, schoolwork and small plays that she enjoyed creating. Additionally, there are drawings on the back of her mother’s work papers and invoices.
Agnes’ thirst for knowledge led her to Garnethill Public School on Buccleuch Street, a building that still stands today, now converted into flats near the Tenement House. She then continued her education at Woodside Higher Grade School, now the Old School House (a pub) and The Stand comedy club. Her academic journey culminated at the Glasgow Athenaeum Commercial College, where she honed her skills as a shorthand typist.
Agnes’ love for writing was evident from a young age. She would pen letters to her mother, capturing her thoughts and experiences. Our archive holds a treasure trove of her childhood, from lists of Christmas gifts to her favourite pantomimes, and even her early drawings. As she matured, she began to keep copies of the letters she sent to her friends, a practice that mirrors our modern ‘sent’ folders. This habit provides us with a window into her life and thoughts, as expressed in her own words.
Agnes dedicated her entire career to working as a shorthand typist, forming strong bonds with colleagues and friends. She finally retired at the impressive age of 73!
Glasgow‘s rapid commercial growth in the late 1800s created a demand for office staff, a need that women largely filled. The introduction of the typewriter in the 1880s opened up new avenues for women, who were often considered to have the right temperament for office work. However, societal norms dictated that women were paid less than their male counterparts and were expected to leave their jobs upon marriage, a practice that persisted until after World War II.
Agnes‘ career spanned over five decades, during which she worked with two prominent Glasgow shipping companies. She started her journey with Miller & Richards in 1907, where she honed her skills as a shorthand typist. In 1914, she transitioned to Prentice, Service & Henderson, where she remained until her retirement in 1959.
In a letter to a friend in Canada in 1958, Agnes excitedly shared: ‘Did I tell you we now get Saturday off every fortnight? It is fine to have a long lie.’
Like many Glaswegians, Agnes enjoyed holidays to Clyde Coast resorts such as Kirn, Dunoon, and Largs. As time passed, she explored further destinations like Blackpool and the Isle of Man. Despite visiting Kent once, her heart remained loyal to Largs, her favourite resort.
During the war, Agnes‘ spirit remained undaunted. She was fortunate enough to go on holiday, but it wasn't without its challenges. Ration books and emergency cards had to be considered, and she even had to remember to bring a little jam or marmalade with her, a testament to her resourcefulness.
Agnes never got married. After her mother passed away in 1939, she continued to live alone in their house, holding onto many objects that provided insight into her preferences, such as her favourite perfume and food. These objects also shed light on her day-to-day life.
Living through a period of significant international change, from the height of the British Empire to the days of the Commonwealth, Agnes, like many Scots, knew numerous individuals who had emigrated in search of a better life. Fortunately, we have letters written by Agnes and her friends, which offer a glimpse into the ordinary lives of those who chose to move abroad.
Agnes occasionally decorated her house and installed electric lights in 1960 but made no other major changes.
In a letter to a friend in April 1935, Agnes wrote: ‘I have been thinking a little about putting in electric light – the cost, however, might be £25 ... I do get exasperated with the poor light in the kitchen in the winter, and am afraid I say quite nasty things when I go into presses, or the rooms without my torch.’
Agnes was a keen baker and kept many recipes, often written on a typewriter with annotations to suit her kitchen range, which you can still see in the house today.
Unfortunately, Agnes fell ill in 1965 and had to be admitted to the hospital, where she passed away in 1975. Despite leading an ordinary life, preserving her relatively unmodernised home and her collection of everyday objects provides an extraordinary glimpse into life in early 20th-century Glasgow.
Anna Davidson
The Tenement House‘s survival and collection are largely thanks to the lifestyle of Agnes Toward and the vision of Miss Anna Davidson.
In 1965, Agnes Toward was unable to care for herself and was admitted to the hospital, where she stayed until she passed away in 1975 at the age of 79. During her hospital stay, her lawyer continued to pay the rent for her flat. However, the landlords wanted to clear the flat to modernise and sell it after her death. Without any friends or family to handle her belongings, most of them would have been discarded. Fortunately, Agnes had included a set of chairs in her will, which she left to her church elder, Mr. Sam Davidson. Mr. Davidson, accompanied by his niece Anna, who stayed with him temporarily while attending a casting in Glasgow, visited the house to collect the chairs. Little did Anna know that this casual visit to assist her uncle would profoundly impact her life. Thanks to Anna‘s efforts, today, thousands of visitors from around the world come to Agnes‘ house to experience its history.
Driven by a deep sense of duty, Anna was appalled to learn of the impending dismantling of Miss Toward’s home. With unwavering determination, she convinced the owners to sell it to her, along with its precious contents. For seven years, Anna made the house her home, gradually uncovering the immense historical significance she had rescued from the brink of destruction. This period of her life was not just thrilling, but a testament to her unwavering commitment to preservation. She meticulously sorted through the abandoned items, unearthing countless treasures and weaving together the stories of the previous occupants through their documents and belongings.
Anna has fond memories of her time in the house, especially the weekends when she would don a boiler suit and immerse herself in cleaning. Each corner of the house held a surprise, from old boxes of chocolates to newspapers and even Victorian dresses. These discoveries were not just historical artifacts but windows into the lives of those who had lived there before. Anna also recalls with great joy the moment she learned of the Trust‘s interest in the property, a testament to her emotional attachment to the house.
When Anna Davidson left Glasgow in 1982, she decided to sell the house to the National Trust for Scotland, ensuring its preservation as a vital part of the nation‘s heritage.
Today, Anna is immensely grateful to the dedicated team of staff and volunteers who continue to help more people learn about Agnes‘ life and the vibrant history of Glasgow at the turn of the century.
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