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William Dunn Square
This handsome Square, William Dunn Square, with its beautifully designed parterres and elegant retaining walls, was gifted to his native town in 1894: by Wm. Dunn, Esq.,M.P. for the constituency (now Sir Wm. Dunn, Bart.). The ground is laid off according to a competitive plan secured by Mr James Donald, architect, Paisley; the whole work…
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The Westend Cross
The Wesetend Cross is a corner dear to the born Paslonian. The present buildings were erected some years ago on the site of the old “Coffin En’,” and are at once ornamental and, by virtue of the clock, extremely useful. It is on the highway to Johnstone on the west,…
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Walter Fitz Alan & Paisley Abbey’s Foundation
Renfrewshire’s place in Scottish History begins in the early medieval period when the newly crowned King of Scotland, David I, granted lands in the county to Walter Fitz Alan in the mid 12th Century and appointed him as the hereditary High Steward of Scotland. Little was Walter to know that…
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There was a jovial beggar
I’ve just been reading the THE DIARY AND GENERAL EXPENDITURE BOOK OF WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM OF CRAIGENDS, Commissioner to the Convention of Estates and Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire which was kept between 1673 and 1680. The time period falls directly into the Covenanting time period, which was also subjected to…
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The Bargarran Witchcraft Case 1696
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…
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The Situation of Paisley Abbey
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…
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Robert Tannahill – A Paisley Poet
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…
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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 was born on the estate of Thos. Todd, Esq. in the state of…
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