IT was the surprise film of the year, hitting pay dirt at the box office and delighting audiences.

But did you know one of the real-life stars of The Greatest Showman has a mystery connection to Glasgow?

Local viewers would have spotted that the Swedish opera singer who bewitches Hugh Jackman's character shares a name with an area of the city.

Jenny Lind was the most feted singer of her generation, dubbed the Swedish Nightingale and revered by her famous peers such as the author Hans Christian Andersen and the composer Mendelssohn.

At one performance in London she was said to have been so impressive that Queen Victoria threw a bouquet at her feet.

She was also committed to charity work, giving away vast sums of money.

Born in Stockholm, Jenny Lind lived in Germany as an adult before moving to England in 1855 and saying there until her death, aged 67, in 1887.

So it is curious that Glasgow has a small community named for her.

Sitting near the border with East Renfrewshire, Jenny Lind the place was once part of Sir John Stirling Maxwell's Pollok Estate.

A minute of the District Committee of Renfrew in April 1919 shows that Sir John had come to an agreement with the local authority to allow houses to be built "south of Jenny Lind."

This was a farmhouse at the junction of Nitshill Road and what is known now as Thornliebank Road, shown and named on the 1913 Ordnance Survey.

A similar building on the same site but not named is shown on the 1860 to 1865 edition.

So the name of the area presumably comes from the farmhouse - but that still doesn't tell us what connection Jenny had to Glasgow.

It is believed the opera singer may have stayed a night in the area, which is now home to Arden Avenue, Arden Place, Nitshill Road and Stewarton Road.

The city's archives at The Mitchell Library throw up few clues, although there is a letter from the Principal Archivist to a Dr Wilfred Taylor dated June 23, 1978, on the subject.

It reads: "The Jenny Lind housing scheme at Thornliebank was built by the District Committee of the First or Upper District of the County of Renfrew under the 1919 Housing Act.

"It consists of 84 houses (48 three apartments and 36 four apartments) and is listed as being Amenity Group 'C' standard, which is good mainstream council housing in contrast to the Thornliebank scheme immediately adjacent, Amenity 'E', and built by the Glasgow Corporation as a housing scheme for slum clearance under the 1930 and 1935 Housing Acts.

"Work began on the Jenny Lind scheme in 1919 and would appear to be completed by June 1923.

"No official opening has been recorded and indeed it seems to have been let out piecemeal as houses were completed."

Glasgow is far from unique. There is a Jenny Lind Island in Canada, a Jenny Lind Creek in Australia, at least 10 Jenny Lind streets in America.

Ships, trains, a hospital and pubs have all been named in her honour.

If anyone can shed more light on Jenny Lind's connection to Glasgow then we'd love to hear about it.

Email catriona.stewart@heraldandtimes.co.uk