83 Years Ago Today. Founder Moses McNeil.
On the 9th April 1938 our Founder Moses McNeil passed at Townend Hospital Dumbarton.Moses had been visiting a friend in Dumbarton and became unwell.He was the grand age of 82.
Moses was born on the 29th October 1855 at Belmore House which today is part of the Faslane Naval Base.His father John was from Comrie in Perthshire and mother Jane Bain from Downpatrick in Ulster.
He was a natural athlete,powerful and of stocky build,it was said that he was also known for his pace.In the Ibrox trophy room today is a cup won by Moses for a half-mile race at the Garelochead Athletic Sports on 1 January 1876,it’s the oldest Trophy that the Club has.
Moses played for the club he helped form for ten years,playing in the 1877 and 1879 Scottish Cup Finals.He was also a member of the first Rangers side to lift a trophy,the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup in 1879.
He was the first Ranger to play for his country when Scotland defeated Wales 4-0 at Hamilton Crescent in Partick in 1876.
Moses led a nomadic lifestyle mainly due to his 20 year employment with the company Langs whose name was synonymous with the famous brand of whisky.Their premises,which Moses worked from,was at 70 Union Street in Glasgow.During his time in Glasgow Moses lived at 169 Berkeley Street and 333 Dumbarton RoadThese locations are among many others that we visit during the Founders Trail.
We have a wonderful newspaper report which details Moses and his friend,team-mate and fellow Founder Tom Vallance attending the 1905 Scotish Cup Final as supporters.
Only 9 months after Moses passed Rangers would set their record attendance at Ibrox Park of 118,000.It’s a comforting thought that our Founder was sitting in his Rosneath cottage while the Club that he’d help form and nurture were now one of the biggest in the World.
Moses spent the last few years of his life living with his sister Isabella in Clynder at Craig Cottage.She died in 1935, to be followed by her brother, the last of the siblings,in 1938.
They lie together with their sister Elizabeth and Isabella’s husband Duncan Gray in the lovely churchyard at Rosneath.But sadly for the man who gave Rangers their name his own wasn’t inscribed on the family headstone.This was because Moses was the last family member in the Rosneath area to pass and no one was left to have his name added.
The late great Sandy Jardine was a supporter of our Founders project and had expressed a wish to have a plaque with Moses name on it placed at the churchyard at Rosneath,this is a project that we completed on Sandy’s behalf on Sunday 28th June 2015.Our Restoration team cleaned Moses stone and placed an engraved plaque which was purchased after funds were raised via the worldwide Rangers support.
Today as we celebrate our 55th title we remember Founder Moses McNeil.
Moses full story can be read here in our book. All books purchased are posted out by ourselves within 24 hours.
