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iiiiiiiiiL 3 iifia olasobss ? UNIVERSITY OF CUELPH 0\ The Library RESTRD DA S90.N38 P74 NONCIRC Pride, David, 1340-1914. history of the parish of Nei 1 ston \ J Date due 9 '.- '' )&y t- " , /) . , i r- f A HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF NEILSTON. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/historyofparishoOOprid /j (&f~<-^ih~v *^<~-^C^ A HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF NEILSTON. BY DAVID PRIDE, M.D., J.P. <H3itf) a 9@ap ano ^etienteen Illustrations. PAISLEY: ALEXANDER GARDNER, publisher bg appointment to tbe late <&ueen Victoria. 1910. tin, little book, God send thee good passage, And specially let this be thy prayrc Unto them all that thee will read or hear. Where thou art wrong, after their help to call, Thee to correct in any part or all." — Chattel•/•. THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF GUEI PH PKEFACE. The many and great changes that have taken place in the parish of Neilston in recent years have been such as to render the information contained in the different historical accounts now extant very mis- leading, and in many particulars quite incorrect. The public works described as flourishing at the time the accounts were written, have in many instances now ceased to exist altogether, and new forms of labour and enterprise, in which the parish has taken a forward part, are altogether unrecorded. Properties have changed hands, noble and illus- trious proprietors, once large holders of land, have ceased to be possessors in the parish where they at one period flourished, and industries unheard of at the date of the latest of the former records, have brought new men and new business into prominence ; whilst by the union of several small hamlets, unimportant places a few years ago, what was lately the town, now the Burgh, of Barrhead, has become a busy centre of industry and influence ; and the spread of various railway systems throughout the parish has brought the whole community into closer touch with the outside world and its affairs. For these and other reasons, the writer has thought good, whilst not neglecting or leaving unconsidered the landmarks of the past, to put on record, however imperfectly, the following statements bearing upon the conditions of the parish as they present themselves at this date. The objects aimed at have been to trace succinctly the origin of the present parish and its people from the earliest periods to the times ; to describe the progress and advancement that have been made socially, politically, and economically, and, with the changes, to indicate the vast improvements everywhere visible in these respects. — vi. PREFACE. It has also been the writer's aim, as far as is compatible with the character of the hook, to consider the Archaeology and Antiquities of the parish, and preserve some record of such of the ancient mansions a^ are fast passing away under the corroding influences of time and neglect. In connection with the earlier of these studies, an endeavour has been made to tract' the origin—or "whence?"—of the numerous Place-Namee that have come down through the ages to us attached t>> the great, though familiar, outstanding landmarks of the parish a record, in short. <>f things old and new as affecting the parish and the community. To friends from whom the writer has received help and guidance, he desires to express his grateful thanks, and though, for the most part, he has refrained from adding foot-notes of the several works consulted, yet lie gladly acknowledges both the authors and the works he has been indebted to for valuable information, and from which he has frequently made extracts, and without which, in short, the book could not have been written. In closing this record of an ancient parish, there comes the forceful presentiment that its rural conditions are silently, but surely, undergoing change. Public opinion, which quite recently was little more than in embryo, is now so rapidly expanding, that, ere many decades pass, the simple customs, frugal habits, and kindly manners that characterised the earlier and more primitive people, will have largely passed away, giving place to more strenuous and exacting conditions. For good, or otherwise, many things are contributing to this end, and nothing will stay it, even were it desirable to do so. No one is more sensible than the writer of a certain want of sequence or continuity in the work. But this was to some extent almost unavoid- able from the fact that it was written at spare intervals as opportunity presented during the arduous practice of a country professional life. PREFACE. vu. Subjoined is a list of the works which have been referred to, and which represent the literature of the subject. Crawford's History of Renfrewshire. Pitcaim's Trials, Scotland. Church's Early Britain. Isaac Taylor's Names and Places. Munro's Story of the British Race. ( 'a/dwell Papers. Cochran-Patrick's Mediaeval Scotland. Eglinton Papers. Hume's History of England. M'Phail's " Levern Valley," Trans. Geo/. Mackay's History of Scotland. Society. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Edit. IX. Taylor's 'The Levern Delineated. Chalmers' Caledonia. Mitchell's History of the Highlands. Monteath's article " Neilston," in Sir Smith's Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire. John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Huxley's Physiography. Scotland. Metcalfe's History of County of Renfrew. Fleming's article " Neilston," in New Henderson's Norse Influence in Scotland. Statistical Account of Scot/and. Semple's Poll Tax Roll. Gazeteer of Scotland. And Mr. Taylor, ex-curator of Paisley Museum, who contributes the chapter on Botany. D. P. — — CONTENTS. PACK CHAPTER I.—Early History, 1 Dawn of history—origin of kingdom of Strathclyde—early races— river-drift and cave-men : description of, their relics, typical features, and habits the Iberian race : their origin, description, and racial relations —cromlechs of : : west the parish description of—the Gauls their arrival in our country ; description of—Bronze Age—crannogs and lake-dwellings—the Britons : their arrival on our shores ; Caesar's reference to them—Celts, Welsh, Picts—arrival of Scots from Ireland— Dalriada— the religion of the Britons —the Druids : their occult rites —question of racial absorption. CHAPTER II. Invasion by the Romans, - - 6 Invasion by the Romans under Caesar—Agricola's invasion of Scotland—the arrival of the Romans at the Cart, Paisley : the natives they found there, their character and customs—earth-dwellings —the withdrawal of the Romans ; their influence on the inhabitants—the kingdom of Strathclyde and its great rival, the kingdom of Northumbria—Strathclyde Britons Picts beyond the Clyde and Forth : their wars —predominance of Scots formation of Scotland— King David I. of Scotland— origin of the County of Renfrew—early reference to the men of the district of Neilston erection of Principality for the heir apparent, under the title of Prince and Steward of Scotland—title still retained by Prince of Wales CHAPTER III.—The Parish, ----- 13 Origin of the parish of Neilston— earliest notice of it—its connection with the Abbey of Paisley—Walter the great High Steward : his family history Robert Croc, or de Croc, Lord of Neilston—Henry de Nes, of Levern probable origin of name Neilston—situation, extent, boundaries, and general configuration of the parish— Mineralogy—precious stones and metals found in the parish. CHAPTER IV.—The Geology of the Parish, - - 20 Levern, Cowden, and Loch Libo valleys—Interglacial stratified beds in Cowden valley—Special glaciation on limestone formation west of the parish at Lugton—Topography of the parish, and views from hill-tops around Neilston. —— x. CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER \". The Rivers lnd Streams of the Parish, - 27 Situ;itii>n .iiui source pointed out, ami their courses carefully traced to their origin — the lochs and dams described, and the several spring wells from which the water-supply for Neilston was drawn, before the introduction of gravitation water, pointed out ami named, and an analysis of the principal of them given, including the Lady Well —the climate of the parish. CHAPTER VI. AGRICULTURE, 44 Agriculture : its beginnings ; condition on the arrival of the Romans ; under the Romans; in the time of St. Columba; in the reign of King David 1. ; under the tribesmen; and under the monks and abbeys —early laws relating to agriculture—military service — serfs and carles —the rela- tion of the Church to the land —rents in kind — Baron Officers' Courts dempster and birleyman —Succession cropping — rotation cropping —im- provements in eighteenth century — first reaping machine—wages in relation to farm work in eighteenth century—new developments in farming —the new milk trade, and sanitary and other improvements conseepjent on it — improved breeds of cattle and horses — the question of farm-servants — village life. CHAPTER VII.—The Town of Neilston, - 57 The antiquity of the town of Xeilston ; its situation, past and present trade —recent improvements in the town —land tenure and feus— peculiar feus — the feudal system—the early Church of Neilston; its gift to and connection with the Abbey of Paisley. CHAPTER VIII.—The Reformation Period, - - 65 The Reformation — Bull of Pope Clement IV. relating to churches generally, and Neilston church— Protestants petition Scotch Parliament regarding purity of worship, promotion of education, and relief of the poor—abolition papal jurisdiction in — arrival at of Scotland Queen Mary's Holyrood ; her influence in support of the older faitli —the position of Neilston church in 1572 —the expulsion of ministers from their charges and endeavour to impose the Episcopal Church upon the people—suspicion regarding Neil- ston —outrage in the manse, and heritors fined —Communion Hill, Neilston —the ancient church : its Gothic window, and vault ; its litigations ; the organ ; the memorial windows ; the churchyard —Church patronage —the manse — the United Free Church — the Roman Catholic Chapel —the several schools— Friendly Societies—Society for Charity— Agricultural Society —the halls —drainage of Neilston —Barrhead and Neilston races Uplawmoor—Shilford— Gateside.

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