The Early Annals of Greenock. Byby Archibald Brown Author of “Memorials of Argyllshire”

Archibald Brown – The Early Annals of Greenock – Published 1905 This download text is provided by the McLean Museum and Art Gallery, Greenock - © 2009 The Early Annals of Greenock. byby Archibald Brown author of “Memorials of Argyllshire” Greenock Telegraph printing works, Sugarhouse Lane. 1905 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Greenock: Its Name and Place. CHAPTER II. The Early Heirs of Greenock. Section 1.—The Galbraiths of Greenock. 2.—The Crawfurds of Loudoun and their titles to Easter Greenock. 3.—Charter to Crawfurds of Easter Greenock. 4-—Ratification of Easter Greenock to Crawfurd of Kilbirney. 5.—Sale of Easter Greenock by Lady Crawfurd to Crawfurd of Carsburn and Sir John Shaw of Wester Greenock. CHAPTER III. The Old Landmarks of Easter Greenock. Section 1.—The Old Castle. 2.—Crawfurdsdyke and Harbour. CHAPTER IV. The Celebrities of Easter Greenock. Section 1.—John Spreull. 2.—The Watts. 3.—Jean Adam. 4-—Neil Dougal. CHAPTER V. The Genealogy of the Shaws of Wester Greenock and Sauchie. CHAPTER VI. The rule of the Shaws during the Barony and Charters. CHAPTER VII. The Causes of the Rise and Progress of the Town of Greenock. Section 1.—The Herring Trade. 2.—Greenock's Trade Connection with Glasgow. CHAPTER VIII. The Celts or Gaelic-speaking People in General, and the Highlanders of Greenock in Particular. Section 1.—Enquiry as to their Origin. 2.—Gaelic Speech in West of Scotland. 3.—Feudalism Introduced. 4.—Origin and Effects of the Highland Clan system. 5.—Highland Migration to Greenock. 6.—Natives of Greenock in 1792. CHAPTER IX. Appendices. Arms of Greenock. Cross of Greenock. Town Council. Police Court and Jail. Drums, Bells, and Clocks. First Supply of Water. Early Church Accommodation. Post Office. The Fairs. Shipbuilding. West Harbour. Old Dry Dock. Tar Pots. Beacon Lights. Sand Bank. Whale Trade. Press Gang. Early Feus. Clauses in Old Feus. Feudal Obligations and Imposts. Ornaments and Dates on Old Buildings. Thatched and Slated Houses. Brewing and Vending Houses. Sugar and its Preparation for the Consumer. NOTE. The following notes upon the antiquities of the town and its people had to be gathered from various sources not easily attainable, some of which had been referred to by previous writers. One of the objects of this work was to glean incidents overlooked by others in the early annals of the town. In undertaking this self-imposed labour of love, it was foreign to my intention to attempt writing the history of my adopted town up to the present date—I leave that task to abler hands. The materials for its modern history are always at hand, and may be culled from the Superior's title deeds, Town Council reports, Acts of Parliament, and other local documents, which are full of detail. A. B. Dedicated To the memory of John Scott, Esq., C.B., OF HALKSHILL. THE author is aware that in dedicating his work to a gentleman who has passed away from amongst us, he is doing a rather unusual thing, but he is sure the following explanation will justify his action in the eyes of his readers. During his lifetime Mr. Scott took a deep interest in the progress of this book, and not only read the proofs, but, out of his wide knowledge of the past history of Greenock, made many valuable suggestions and additions, which are incorporated in the text. Not only so, but he accepted the dedication of the work, and it is a matter of profound regret to the author that lie did not manage to get it printed during Mr. Scott's lifetime. He feels, therefore, that he is justified in sending out this little book, which tells something of the history of old Greenock, inscribed with the name of one who did so much for his native town, and to whom the author is deeply obliged. A. B. THE EARLY ANNALS OF GREENOCK. CHAPTER I. GREENOCK: ITS NAME AND PLACE. The Bay of Greenock, from which the town derives its name Grianaig — Sunny Bay — extends from Garvel Point on the east to Whitefarland or Fort Matilda on the west. The origin of the name has of late been a fertile theme for imaginative people. In the year 1769 a flowery writer, whose assumed name was “Clitander,” says:— “I came to a flourishing seaport town (Greenock), which takes its name from the monarch of the woods, joined to the colour of nature's carpet” (Semple); others, in other words, derive the name from a famous green oak tree that once nourished on the beach in the middle bay; whilst others go further afield and find it in some sunny knoll, “Grian- chnoc,” in the neighbourhood. All these derivations are fanciful, and will not stand scrutiny. The oak is not an ever green, for the half of the year it is leafless; and where is this special sunny knoll, for the bay is surrounded with knolls ? The name Grianaig, doubtless, was originally a descriptive term given to the bay by the early Gaelic inhabitants of the locality. Highlanders always pronounce both syllables, Grian and aig distinctly—the suffix aig being the noun, the prefix Grian the adjective qualifying same. Bays, with qualifying terms, are frequently found about the river Clyde and its tributaries—such as Grianaig, sunny bay; Maolaig, bald bay; Gouraig, goat bay; Gearraig, short bay; Stialaig, stripe of a bay; Askaig, shelter bay; Drisaig, briar bay; Cloanaig, squint bay; Camaig, crooked bay; and many others. Among the Celtic names of the sun Grian is the chief where the Gaelic language is spoken; but this title for the sun was not confined to the Celts, the Greeks called it Granaois, and the Eomans Grannus. Aig (bay) is referred to in ancient poetry. In an old Gaelic couplet, describing the comeliness and purity of Saint Modan, he is compared to a pure tuft of foam, driven from the stream of ships to an eddying bay— “Maodhan maiseach fo'n caoin cruth, Mar cheaa aig o shruth nan long.” The name Grianaig is specially appropriate to this bay, as the sun strikes on it from early dawn till the shades of the evening. Many of the prominent place names in the locality are pure Gaelic terms, such as Achmugtan, Achaneich, Achaleum, Achandarich, Achmead, Binnein, Cnoc-nair, Corlich, Craigs, Darndaff, Drumban, Drumbae, Drumfrochar, Finnart, Lurg, Strone, Spangach, etc.; and many place names were recently turned into English, for instance, Eavenscraig, in the parish of Inverkip, has its correlative in Creagnamfiach in the Abbey parish of Paisley, the latter having retained its original name. Not only is the name of the bay pure Gaelic, but the two extreme ends and the middle are of Gaelic derivation. Garvel Point derives its name—Gharbh-bheul, rough mouth— from the fringe of black rocks at the mouth of the channel passing it in its original condition. Whitefarland, at the other extremity, is from the Gaelic word Foirichean, or white cape. Near Pirn Mill in Arran is Whitefarland, which Dr. Cameron, in his topography of Arran, terms “the white promontory or cape.” This place the natives of Arran speak of in the possessive case as “an fhoirchean,” which they soften down to “an aoiriun.” In Timothy Font's map of 1600, published by Bleau in 1662, it is printed “Row na heren”. In West Kintyre, opposite the island of Gigha, is Rudh-na-h-aoirinn. There are also aoirins or Erins, east and west of Tarbert, Loch Fyne. In all cases—in Greenock, Arran, Kintyre and Tarbert — these are invariably extreme white gravelly points or capes jutting out into the sea. Delling, in the east of Greenock, is another Gaelic term. Delling is composed of two words—Dail a field, and Lunn a wave—in the genitive case, the field of the waves. The old name of Kirn, near Dunoon, was Dailuing, which the natives called Dailluine. Many other names might be mentioned indicating recent changes, and showing that when the Gaelic ceased to be a spoken language it was extensively retained in place names. We have seen that Greenock extends from Garvel Point to Whitefarland. Within this semi-circle were three smaller bays—the first, on the west, was called the Bay of Quick or Uig. I have not seen any special cause for this definition, and presume it should have been uig, lone, or lonely bay. The second was called in latter times Sir John's Little Bay. It commenced at the mouth of the West or Finnart Burn and ended about the present Customhouse. This bay afterwards embraced Scott's old building yard, now Caird & Co.'s, and the West Harbour. The third, called Saint Laurence Bay, extended from the present new dry dock and ended at Garvel Point. Several prominent rocks or land marks were situated along the shore. “The Meikle stone,” to which ships were fastened, was situated in the present space between the Mid and the tar pots at the foot of Cross-shore Street. The was east of the Customhouse, and the Murray's or Mairichean at the foot of Virginia Street. From time immemorial Greenock was famous for its safe anchorages. In 1164, when Somerled, Thane of Argyle, sailed from the west to do battle with King Malcolm IV., he moored his 160 galleys in the Bay of Greenock, landed his troops there, and marched them overland to Renfrew, where he was basely assassinated by the connivance of one of his friends. His followers retreated to Greenock, where they rejoined their ships and returned to Argyle. (“Memorials of Argyleshire,” pp. 172-175.) Referring to this incident the rambling Pennant says— “That Somerled, Thane of Argyle, raised a banditti in Ireland, which was landed in the Bay of Saint Laurence to oppose Canmore, King of Scotland,” which would be about a century before the event took place.

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