BLANTYRE

blantyre, the chief town of the nyasaland protectorate, british central africa. it is situated about 3000 ft. above the sea in the shire highlands 300 m. by river and rail n.n.w. of the chinde mouth of the zambezi. pop. about 6000 natives and 100 whites. it is the headquarters of the principal trading firms and missionary societies in the protectorate. it is also a station on the african trans-continental telegraph line. the chief building is the church of scotland church, a fine red brick building, a mixture of norman and byzantine styles, with lofty turrets and white domes. it stands in a large open space and is approached by an avenue of cypresses and eucalyptus. the church was built entirely by native labour. blantyre was founded in 1876 by scottish missionaries, and is named after the birthplace of david livingstone. blantyre (gaelic, "the warm retreat"), a parish of lanarkshire, scotland. pop. (1901) 14,145. the parish lies a few miles south-east of glasgow, and contains high blantyre (pop. 2521), blantyre works (or low blantyre), stonefield and several villages. the whole district is rich in coal, the mining of which is extensively carried on. blantyre works (pop. 1683) was the birthplace of david livingstone (1813-1873) and his brother charles (1821-1873), who as lads were both employed as piecers in a local cotton-mill. the scanty remains of blantyre priory, founded towards the close of the 13th century, stand on the left bank of the clyde, almost opposite the beautiful ruins of bothwell castle. high blantyre and blantyre works are connected with glasgow by the caledonian railway. stonefield (pop. 7288), the most populous place in the parish, entirely occupied with mining, lies between high blantyre and blantyre works, calderwood castle on rotten calder water, near high blantyre, is situated amid picturesque scenery.