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  • 21 High Street Paisley in 1880’s

    21 High Street Paisley in 1880’s

    See the history around you! This image shows Thomas Graham’s shop at No 21 (where No 31 is today), High Street with Thomas standing at the front door and presumably a staff member behind him. Thomas was an Outfitter and his window dispay of hats and stiff collars can be clearly seen in the…

  • Paisley Territorial Drill Hall

    Paisley Territorial Drill Hall

    With the demise of the Facade of the second Territorial Drill Hall on Paisley High Street in the last few weeks, this may be a good time to remember the original Drill Hall that sat on the site before 1896. I’m not sure when first Drill Hall was constructed, but by 1896 it is…

  • History Cafe Booking Form 15th Feb 2025 10am

    History Cafe Booking Form 15th Feb 2025 10am

    This event is now fully booked Join us on the 15th February 2025 at 10am in Blend Coffee Lounge at Paisley Arts Centre for our first in-person history Cafe of 2025. Get a drink from Blend, and then let us talk Paisley & Renfrewshire Heritage!  There is no set topic, so come prepared to…

  • Dark deeds in Bargarran, Erskine & Paisley in 1697

    Dark deeds in Bargarran, Erskine & Paisley in 1697

    Over the last few weeks, Paisley has been talking about the disappearance of the Bargarran witch hunt commemorative horseshoe, part of the Tondo designed by the Kings Sculptor and Buddie, Alexander Stoddart. In the past the Bargarran witches have been blamed for dark times in Paisley when the horseshoe has previously disappeared, such as…

  • “Royal Victoria”

    “Royal Victoria”

    Paisley in March 1838 On the 1st of March 1838 Messers Barr and McNab of the Abercorn Foundry launched the first ever steamer built on the white Cart. This iron boat was 38.1 meters in length a breadth of 4.27 meters and a depth of 2.84 meters. The hull weighed 45 tons. The Royal…

  • Names of the witches (in Scotland) 1658 – Welcome Library

    Names of the witches (in Scotland) 1658 – Welcome Library

    The Welcome Library has published a fascinating book from 1658 to c1662 with a list of witches named in Scotland.   The original manuscript list is written by several hands but also contains a later transcript. The original document is endorsed: ‘Names of the witches. 1658’.  There is one short section on Renfrewshire. The document…

  • The “Newshot”, Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley 1943

    The “Newshot”, Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley 1943

    Today if you mention Paisley ship building to residents or visitors they are very surprised.  Paisley’s shipbuilding heritage has a long history, from building canal boats at Saucel to numerous shipyards on the White Cart. Fleming & Ferguson has its origins in 1885 when William Y Fleming bought over the Phoenix shipyard of H…

  • County Square, Paisley

    County Square, Paisley

    Paisley’s 19th century County Buildings & Jail, sat between county Square and the River White Cart. They replaced Paisley Tollbooth which sat at the corner of the High Street and Moss Street. In turn, The County of Renfrew decided that their space in the buildings was too small and in 1887 they decided to…

  • Peter Burnet – “Black Peter”

    Peter Burnet – “Black Peter”

    From the New Paisley Repository No.4 Saturday, January, 15th. 1853 SONG.      To the Air – ” CAPTAIN PATON.” Composed after reading the life of Peter Burnet, commonly known in Paisley by “BLACK PETER.” Peter Burnet – “Black Peter” was born on the estate of Thos. Todd, Esq. in the state of Virginia,…

  • Centuries-old mystery of Paisley Abbey’s medieval drain revealed

    Centuries-old mystery of Paisley Abbey’s medieval drain revealed

    From 2019: We are a bit behind when it comes to adding news and research to the website just now, but here is the story of the discovery a few weeks ago of the outlet of the Paisley Abbey Drain and most likely part of the old river wall as well. We already knew…

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