The tragic story of one of Paisley’s most cold-blooded killings is being explored in a new book which hopes to shine a spotlight on the horror of domestic violence.
In February 1924, the town was left reeling following the brutal murder of a young mum at the hands of her estranged partner.
Maggie Gallacher had been staying at her mother’s house in Incle Street when her abusive husband John Gallacher used an open razor to slit her throat as she turned her back to him to soothe her crying baby.
The horrific crime shook the community, and the subsequent arrest and trial of John Gallacher thrust Paisley into the epicentre of a country-wide debate on the death penalty.
Now, former Paisley Daily Express journalist Jeff Holmes – who first discovered the case as a reporter at the paper – is releasing his new book, 16 Incle Street, which delves deep into the infamous story.
He told the Express: “I first became aware of this story when I was working as a reporter for the Paisley Daily Express.
“I contributed a Saturday ‘nostalgia’ column and included a snippet of this story in the column one week.
“I got a call from a friend of mine, Stuart, who told me the story was about his family.
“Time stood still for a moment, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
“It had caught my attention and so I started to research the story further and the more I looked into it, the more it intrigued me.
“At the time of the case, the death penalty was a hot topic in the UK, and for a few months, Paisley was the epicentre of that debate.”
The book is set during a time when there was an epidemic of domestic violence in Renfrewshire, with so many cases filling up the sheriff court that it was considered ‘normal’.
Today, one in four women are still affected by domestic abuse – leading to two women being murdered every week – prompting Jeff to use his book to shine a light on the important issue.
All of the profits made from 16 Incle Street will be donated to Renfrewshire Women’s Aid, which Jeff has hailed for their invaluable work supporting women for almost 40 years.
Jeff added: “At every twist and turn of my research lurked the hideous spectre of domestic abuse, and the unbelievable truth that at that time it was almost normalised.
“It was so prevalent in Paisley that it failed to raise more than an eyebrow when someone was convicted – which was an everyday occurrence.
“If this book achieves nothing more, I would love it to shine a light on the continuing struggle that many women and children face day to day at the hands of monsters.
“One in four women can ‘expect’ to be a victim of domestic abuse in their lives, which I just found to be utterly shocking.
“Women need to feel that they will be safe if they summon up the courage to leave violent partners.
“I knew that the right thing to do would be to donate all of the profits to Renfrewshire Women’s Aid, whose staff do such vital work to help women in the area.”
The book is out now, with a number of shops in Paisley stocking the heartbreaking tale.
One person who was very keen to read it was Jeff’s friend, Stuart McMillan – who is the grandson of Maggie’s sister Isabella.
Isabella was the one who looked after Maggie’s children following the murder of their mother.
Stuart was shocked when he first read the nostalgia column in the Paisley Daily Express, coming to the realisation it was about his own family.
He recalled: “When I first heard about this it was a real eye-opener. My gran Isabella never spoke about that night, probably because it had been such a dreadful experience for her and her family.
“I was very close to my cousin Dorothy’s dad. His name was Tom, and he was the baby that was being held by his mother when the attack happened.
“Tom was an absolute gentleman and I had so much time for him.
“I called him my Uncle Tom and any time I was privileged enough to be in his company he was always immaculately turned out. He was a very smart and intelligent man, and I loved nothing more than sitting listening to his stories.
“Again, he never spoke about what went on that night at 16 Incle Street, but now I completely understand because it must have been very painful.
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