RUTHERGLEN LORE Story of an Eight Hundred Year - Old Royal Burgh TOLD BY W. ROSS SHEARER 1126 1926 PRINTED Under the auspices of the Ru'glonians' Society BY ALEXANDER GARDNER, PAISLEY 1922 RUTHERGLEN LORE CO •< o o . — *£733w 0 fD CO o w< to p • h-J en c O ~"J £ <<: ocn P o •—a JO t^- H !3 h-' I ^ to re I i 09 CO LONDON SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & Co., LTD. PRINTED IIV ALEXANDER GARDNER, PAISLEY To The Memory of THESE TWAIN (5.H.14. :: £<#.#. 1917 FOREWORD BY Pitiacus of Mitylene we are advised to " Seize time by the forelock." In view, therefore, of the approaching- Octo-Centenary (1926) of our Royal Burgh's foundation, we venture to hope these Ruther- glen Lore gleanings will at least be found informative, and so inspire those who may trouble to peruse them with a desire to foster the Patriotism and Citizenship they bespeak, which is the surest safeguard against the violation of those rights and privileges so long and so happily enjoyed as a free and independent community. Many changes have taken place since the Rev. David Ure wrote his History of Ridherglen and East Kilbride (1793), but up to the present no attempt has been made to bring that book up to date. Why Rutherglen should lack the attentions of a common chronicler for so extended a period seems to us a standing reproach on the avowed perspicacity of her citizens ; hence, our attempt to deal with Burghal affairs can hardly be considered premature. Besides, the reader is reminded that our aim, first and vii. FOREWORD last, is neither historical nor antiquarian research, but rather an humble endeavour to piece together a few scattered fragments of local knowledge, and to express in simple and homely language the feelings that animate us in regard to the ever-changing aspect of our birth-place, of which (with the exception of one or two landmarks) only Memory's tablet and a few photographic reproductions evidence the former existence. & *fe*Mfr&m VIII. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOR invaluable assistance revising proofs, the author desires to tender his sincere thanks to Mr. JAMES Y. MACKIE, teacher of shorthand, and also to Mr. GEO. GRAY, Town Clerk, and Mr. DAVID HORN, late headmaster, Sir John Stirling Maxwell Academy, Shawlands, for numerous favours. The pen and brush drawings are from sketches by the author, and all the photographs are from negatives taken by himself, with the exception of one illustration each loaned by the following, to whom grateful acknowledgment is herewith made :—Miss MARY SHAW, Mr. ERNEST DALZIEL, Mr. ABRAHAM BURNS, MR. LEANOER MORRISON, Ex-Bailie THOMAS YOUNG, and the Directors of the Ru'glonians' Society^ CONTENTS I'll AFTER PAGE INTRODUCTION, ------ I I.—(a) SITUATION AND BOUNDARY ; (b) EARLY BEGINNINGS; (C) THE PLACE-NAME, RUTHERGLEN, - - - 8 II.—(a) KINGS REUTHER AND DAVID I.; (b) THE RUTHERGLEN CHARTERS, - - - l8 III.—PRE-REFORMATION CHURCH AND STEEPLE,- 30 IV.—(a) THE CLYDE AND HARBOUR; (b) UPPER NAVIGATION AND '-TAMMY SEATII'S," - 41 V.—(A) PRE-HLSTORIC RUTHERGLEN ; {!>) ANTI­ QUITIES, - - - - - - SI VI.—HISTORIC INCIDENTS— (a) Siege and Destruction of Rutherglen Castle, 73 (b) Mary Queen of Scots and Rutherglen, - 75 VII.—OUTSTANDING EVENTS, 83 VIII.—RUTHERGLEN FAIRS AND CUSTOMS, - - 93 IX.—ANCIENT CUSTOMS— (a) Sour-Cake Baking, Ru'glen Ream, etc., - 107 (b) Redding the Marches, - - - - 112 X.—A LOOK BACKWARD, - - - - - 120 XI.—AN OLD RU'GLEN EXHIBITION, - - - 147 XII.—A CENTURY-OLD INSTITUTION - - - 159 CONTENTS (continued) CHAPTER PAGE XIII.—RUTHERGLEN SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS, 171 XIV.—THE POETRY OF RUTHERGLEN, - •83 XV.—BURNS AND WATERCOURSES OF RUTHER­ GLEN, ------- JO8 XVI.—OLD-TIME RUTHERGLEN, 229 XVII.—RUTHERGLEN AND THE GREAT WAR, - 2S3 Roll of Honour, - 261 MISCELLANEOUS FRAGMENTS— The Historian of Rutherglen, - - - 277 The Seal of the Burgh, - - - - 2S1 The Town Hall: Old and New, - - 2S5 Rutherglen and the Union of Parliaments, 1707, ------- J90 Rutlierglen's Covenanting Minister, - - 292 The Two Rutherglens: a Fraternising Cere­ mony, ------- 294 Rutherglen—A Place of Importance, - - 297 Rutherglen Parish Church : the last "Skailin'." 303 Churches, Missions, etc., - 306 Provosts of Rutherglen since id6, - - 318 Provost "Rab" Steele, - - - - 325 Ru'glonians1 Society, ----- 329 Public Library Progress, ... - 333 Industrial Rutherglen, - - - - 341 Provost, Magistrates, and Councillors of the , Royal Burgh of Rutherglen, 1921-1922, 347 Rutherglen Parish Council, - - - 348 Lanarkshire Constabulary, - 349 Municipal and Police Boundaries, - - 350 Masonic and Other Lodges, - - - 351 Literal Translation of Bruce Charter,- - 355 CONCLUSION, 356 INDEX, - 359 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Rutherglen a hundred years ago, Frontispiece Cathkin Braes, Facing page 2 Rutherglen, Australia—(1) Gold Mines; (2) Main Street (3) State Schools ; (1) Hon. J. A. Wallace, 3 IIii'glen's Famous Bruce Charter, 24 Pre-Reformation Church and Steeple, ... 32 Driddledirt Fair—from corner of Mill Street, ... 33 The Jini/al Burgh on its way to Rutherglen in 1855 43 Ru'glen Quay, 48 Launch of Isle of Arran, ... 49 Launch of the Clunis Ross, 49 In ye Olden Time—(1) St. Eloi; (2) The Bellman; (3) Font (1) Steeple Bell; (5) Old Kirk and Steeple; (6) St. Eloi (7) The Bellwoman, Granny M'Gregor, 64 Farme Castle, 6S Rutherglen Cross (removed in 1777) and Rutherglen in 1S60 70 Castlemilk, "I To Ransom Brace's Son, David II., 92 Ru'glen Fair (St. Luke's), ... 93 "Erchie"; King Street on a Fair Day," 102 Beltane Fair, ... J °3 Burgh Coat of Arms; Municipal Buildings; Burgh Officer !06 An Old-Time Custom—Baking Sour-Cakes, 107 The Fountain, II.) "The Tails"—now Greenbank Street, 114 Redding the Marches—the Oldest Stone, 115 The Ferry, 120 Main Street, from Manse Gate, about 1S93, ... 120 Queen Street in 1899, 121 A Kenspeckle Bit of Main Street, 126 Main Street, from the Grape Inn, about 1880, 127 Stonelaw Woods, 128 Stonelaw Woods, 129 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (continued) Public Park, Facing pa^t 129 Overtoun Park, IjO Stonelaw Farm, 130 Stonelaw Tower, 131 The Round House, ... '34 Burnside—once on a time, 134 Ku'glen's Old Meal Mill at Bankhead '35 Denholm's Hill, '.;8 New Wardlawhill, 139 Old Wardlawhill and Tontine, '39 The Great Flood—gth February, 1903 142 Some Familiar Corners—Evangelistic Institute Farme Cross; St. Coiumbkille's Church; "The Hole i' the Wa'."; Muir- bank House ; Shawfield Toll, U3 Mill Street 144 Characteristic Types of Old Ru'glonians, '45 In the Good Old Times at "Tammy Seath's," 146 " By Towlce o' Drum"—Erchie in Taigey's Raw, '47 "Robin's Spoot," 158 Public Library and Post Office, '59 A Corner in the Public Library, ... •59 Commercial Bank, West U. F. Church, Manse, and School (Summers's), 170 Rutherglen Schools '"' Smith's Square, 19a Ru'glen—from the Green Goats, ... '93 Old Burgh School, Chapel Street, '93 Burns and Watercourses of Rutherglen—(1) Eastfield Burn; (8) Springhall; (3) Garden City at Eastfield ; (t) Whitlaw Burn ; (5) Cathkiu Braes, the source of all the streams,... 20S Broomiebrae Well—Cathkin Braes, 209 " Butteryburn," 209 Spittal Farm, 210 Croftfoot Farm, 211 The Auld Quarry Knowes, 214 Bauldy Baird's, 214 West Houses, 2'5 The Old Mill at Westburn 215 Dixon's No. 5 Pit and "Jenny's Burn," 218 Ru'glen Toon End, 219 The Clyde at Ru'glen Brig eighty years ago 222 xiv. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (continued) Ru'glen on the Clyde, ... ... ... ... ... ... Facing page 223 Dalbeth on the Clyde, , 223 "The Pants,"... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ,, 228 Old Jail or Tolbooth 228 The Last Cow Fair,... ... ... ... ... ... ... ,. 229 Ru'glen 'Bus, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ,, 236 Ku'glen's Last Weaver—Harry Black, ... ... ... ... ,, 236 'Iins Ann's, . ... ... ... ... ... ... ,, 237 Arrival of the First Car, 2nd April, 1902, 240 Modern Rutherglen,... ... ... ... ... ... ... ,, 241 Look on this Picture— ... ... ... ... ... ,, 244 — And on this, ... ... ... ... ... ... ,, 245 Ron. or Hoxoi'H—155 Portrait Miniatures After page 276 The Last Rciting-place of a Brave Ru'glonian, ... ... ,, 276 Ku'glen in 1S62 Facing page 288 The Town Council at date of Queen Victoria's Jubilee , 2S9 Last Skailin" of the Auld Kirk (demolished in 1900), ... ,, 304 Interior of Old Parish Church, , 305 Mr. S. T, Baker's Bible Class thirty years ago, 314 St. Columbkille's Altar, ,, 315 Evangelistic Institute War Memorial, ... .. ... ... ,, 318 Parish Church, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ,, 319 Ru'glonians' Society—Inauguration Group, 1906, , 332 King Street Lane—Site of Public Library, ,, 333 " When will the time come when someone will gather all the scattered fragments of Rutherglen lore, and weave them into one volume which will be a treasure to every inhabitant of the Burgh, a book which would accompany him to whatever corner of the world he might go, and which would bring back to him, vividly, the auld Burgh, and make him feel, like the apostle, that he was ' a citizen of no mean city ' ? " —Rutherglen Reformer, 23rd March, 1919. RUTHERGLEN LORE INTRODUCTION "East or west, name's aye best."—Proverb. |EADER, if you are a native of Rutherglen, you will be able the more surely to plumb the depth of the writer's desire as expressed in the query on the foregoing page. But there are others besides himself who have a warm corner in their hearts for the " Auld Burgh," and for his own and their sakes he pleads that someone will gather the scattered fragments of its story and weave them together, that Ruglonians at home and abroad may ponder at will on the dear glad days beyond recall. For the past ten years at least, the present writer has constantly hoped for such a consummation; he went out of his way to invite several able authorities to give the subject of Rutherglen sympathetic consideration. After that lapse of time, one writer only has deemed it worth while to break the silence with a brochure of fifty odd pages.