Old Photograph Mission Coast Home Nineyard Street Saltcoats Scotland

Old photograph of the Mission Coast Home on Nineyard Street in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Scotland. The Mission Coast Home was the work of James Smith who was an active campaigner for moral and religious welfare among the poorer people of Saltcoats in the mid 1800s before he moved to Glasgow in 1853 to take up work as a temperance agent. Two years later he was appointed a church missionary in one of the poorest and most densely populated areas of the city; and as he moved among the people he became convinced of the need for some means of providing them with change of air from the slums, especially those in failing health. With the support of a group of patrons, Mr Smith had the idea of providing free rooms at the seaside, with the beneficiaries paying their own train fares and food bills; although, it quickly became evident that in most cases the people were too poor to pay the costs of food and fares, so these were also provided. Many of those who benefited later repaid what they could afford, in gratitude. Knowing Saltcoats, Mr Smith chose that town for his new venture. His father had died when Mr Smith was young, and the boy was taken under the care of Mr Bryden, a tailor and draper of Saltcoats, whose apprentice he later became. He formed a lifelong friendship with Mr Bryden's son, William, who succeeded to the drapery business, and was equally concerned in the success of the Homes. In May of 1866, Mr Smith rented an upstairs room and kitchen in Kyleshill, Saltcoats, for the accommodation of six poor people at a time, and in the six months until October of that year, 156 persons took advantage of a seaside convalescence. The Glasgow and South Western Railway allowed the poor visitors to the Home to travel at half price. Two years later the Home consisted of eight apartments capable of accommodating thirty persons, and ten years after the scheme started, a thousand persons annually were enjoying the facilities. The building erected and opened at the end of August 1874, consisted of a two storey building containing a large dining room capable of seating 200, and twelve bedrooms. This extension made it possible for ninety persons to be in residence at once. Mr Smith retired from his mission work in 1870 and came to reside in the Home at Saltcoats, where he died in 1881.



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