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In the year 1696, the 11yr old daughter of John Shaw, the Laird of Bargarran, fell victim to one of the most well remembered cases of ‘demonic possession’ in Scottish History. It resulted in a large number of locals being implicated as her tormentors concluding with 7 people being put to death in Paisley…

Let us recall the beautiful situation and surroundings of the abbey in the palmy days of the Abbots. The river Cart then ran clear and sparkling between green wooded banks. The monastic buildings: the great Gatehouse built by Abbot Tervas, about 9 meters north-west from the north-west turret of the Abbey, “a great pend…

THE TANNAHILL STATUE In the Abbey Churchyard, opposite the main entrance to the Clark Town Hall. Robert Tannahill, son of a Paisley weaver, and himself trained to follow his father’s calling, was one of Scotland’s sweetest native minstrels. Indeed, he takes rank with Lady Carolina Nairne -with whose genius his had much in common…

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 was born on the estate of Thos. Todd, Esq. in the state of Virginia, in the year…

This (in 1896) will soon be another addition to the educational institutions of the town, and, like most of the other institutions, is indebted to the liberality of her citizens for its existence. By the will of the late Peter Brough, £300 yearly was allocated for establishing a Science Lectureship. The trustees, however, instead…

From its central and commanding situation on Oakshawhead, as well as from its great architectural beauty, this Institution must be reckoned among the three or four most notable of Paisley’s public buildings. The fund of about £20,000, from which it was erected, was bequeathed by the late John Neilson, Esq. of Nethercommon, in 1839.…

From 1896 – Ionic in style, with a tetrastyla portico and wings, this fine building was gifted to the town by the late Sir Peter Coats of Woodside. Originally £15,000 was expended on the structure, which was handed by the donor to the town, on condition that the Free Library Act was adopted. It…

The Old Infirmary in Bridge Street, built in 1850, occupies the site of a Hospital founded in 1784, and is now (in 1896) used as a Dispensary and Hospital. The site of the Old Infirmary is now long gone, occupied by a small carpark between Bridge Street and Mill Street. The New Royal Alexandria…