RUTHERGLEN, a parish and burgh and market-town, in the Lower ward of the
county of Lanark, '2 miles (S. S. E.) from Glasgow; containing
6513 inhabitants, of whom 5623 are in the burgh. This place is
popularly supposed to have derived its name from Reutherus, King of Scotland,
the fifth in descent from Fergus L, founder of the
Scottish monarchy, and who,
after a retirement of some years, during which time he
greatly augmented and concentrated his forces, made a
successful attack upon the Britons, from whom he wrested
a considerable portion of his territories, of which they
had gained possession. From the reign of this supposed
monarch, about two centuries before the Christian era,
little is recorded of the history of the place till the year
1126, when the inhabitants obtained from David L a
charter conferring upon the town the privileges of a royal
burgh. It appears to have been at that time superior in
importance as a place of trade to Glasgow, and to have
included within its limits the ecclesiastical demesnes of
that city till the year 1226, when Alexander IL granted
to the Bishop of Glasgow a charter of exemption from
certain services due to the corporation of Rutherglen.
From this period its trade and consequent prosperity
continued to decline, and that of Glasgow to increase,
till in 1692 the business was almost wholly transferred
to the latter place, which has since been progressively
advancing in population and wealth. Rutherglen Castle
was remarkable for its strength, and in 1306 was seized
by Edward L, King of England, whp had taken upon
him to arbitrate between Bruce and Baliol, then competitors
for the Scottish crown. It was retaken by Bruce
in 1313, and continued a fortress of importance, till
after the battle of Langside, when it was burned by the
Regent of Scotland. The building was however afterwards
repaired and enlarged, and became the seat of the
Hamiltons, of Elistoun: on their decline it was suffered
to fall into decay; and it has by subsequent dilapidations
been levelled with the ground. Daring the disturbances
in the reign of Charles I., considerable excitement
prevailed in this place; and on the celebration of
the return of Charles II. to the throne, a party of the
inhabitants, in resentment of the severities practised on
the Covenanters, committed some excesses, which appear
to have originated the battle of Bothwell-Bridge.
The TOWN is pleasantly situated on the river Clyde,
over which is a stone bridge of five arches, communicating
with the suburbs of Glasgow on the opposite shore,
and towards the erection of which the inhabitants contributed
£1000, in consideration of its being toll-free.
Further up the river, a bridge of timber was erected a
short time ago, in connexion with a new line of road
from the collieries in the parish, facilitating the conveyance
of the produce to Glasgow. Rutherglen consists
chiefly of one spacious street extending in a direction
from east to west, regularly formed, and well paved, and
of a smaller range of buildings parallel with the former,
and called the Back-row; from both which diverge several
lanes leading to the principal farms in the parish.
Towards the east are vestiges of ancient foundations,
giving rise to the supposition that the town was once
of greater size than it is at present. Formerly the trade
consisted, to a considerable extent, in the supply of salmon
for the French ports, in exchange for which brandy
was received; but this branch of traffic has declined in
consc(|uence of the construction of a weir lower down
the river, which interrupts the navigation above the
bridge of Glasgow. The principal trade at present is in
coal, from the several miues in the parish; in cotton
spinning, weaving, and printing; and the weaving of
muslins for the Glasgow manufacturers. In 1845 an
act of parliament was passed for the construttitm of the
Clydesdale Junction railway, from the termination of the
Pollock and Govan railway at Rutherglen to Hamilton,
and to the Wishaw and Coltness railway at Motherwell;
making use, in its course, of part of the Pollock and
Govan railway, a line that was formed for the purpose
of connecting certain coal-fields on the south-east of Glasgow
with that city. Here is a station of the Clydesdale
Junction railway: the line is amalgamated with the Caledonian,
and presents great facility of intercourse. The
market is on Saturday. Fairs are held on the first Friday
after March 11th, the first Friday after May 4th, the first
Tuesday after June 4th, the first Friday after July 25th,
and the first Friday after August 25th; the Wednesday
before the first Friday in November, and on that Friday;
and the first Friday after November 25th. The Belton
fair in May, and the St. Luke's in November, are the
largest and most numerously attended.
The charter bestowed on the inhabitants by David I.
in 1 126 is recited by several grants of his successors
down to the reign of James VI., who in 1617 confirmed
all previous gifts, and clearly defined the boundaries
and the privileges of the burgh. By these charters the
government was vested in a provost, two bailies, a treasurer,
and a council of eleven, to which last an addition
of thirty others, to be elected by the council, was prescribed
by an act in I67O, all of them to vote in the election
of the magistrates. The town is now subject to
the provisions of the Municipal act, and the number of
councillors is eighteen: the provost and bailies are
chosen annually by the council; and the town-clerk is
appointed in the same manner, but holds his office for
life. The magistrates exercise both civil and criminal
jurisdiction; and during the last twenty or thirty years,
the average has been annually about fifty cases of the
former, and twenty of the latter. There are four incorporated
trades, the smiths, the wrights and masons, the
tailors, and the weavers; which have the privilege of
exacting a fee on the admission of a member. At the
Union the burgh was allowed to send one member to
the English parliament, in conjunction with Glasgow, Renfrew,
and Dumbarton; but on the passing of the Reform
act, Glasgow was separated from the number, being empowered
to return two members of its own, and Kilmarnock
and Port-Glasgow were added. The right of election
is vested in the persons occupying houses of the annual
value of £10; the number of voters is I66.
The PARISH extends about three miles along the
southern bank of the Clyde, and is something more
than a mile and a quarter in average breadth. Towards
the river the surface is generally level, forming plains of
great fertility; but in other parts is intersected with
hills and narrow glens. The soil is on the whole good,
and the system of agriculture improved; the lands are
chiefly arable, but there are some large dairies, and much
attention is paid to the breed of live stock. Considerable
progress has been made in draining and inclosing
the lands, which are divided among numerous proprietors,
whose handsome grounds add greatly to the scenery
and interest of the parish. Farme, the residence of Mr.
Farie, once the property of the Earls of Selkirk, and
subsequently of the Flemings, and the Hamiltons, is a
very ancient castle of much strength, the embattled
walls still remaining as a memorial of the baronial castles
of former times. It has been enlarged by its proprietor;
who has raised an embankment to preserve his land from
the inundation of the Clyde. Coal is abundant in the
parish, and eleven mines have been opened, of which
one is wrought by Mr. Farie on his estate at Farme,
two at Eastfield, one at Stonelaw, and one at Hamilton-
Farme; together they afford employment to more than
500 persons. Ironstone, in very small quantities, is
found in some of these mines; and there are also several
quarries of good freestone, in which nearly a hundred
persons are engaged. About '200 persons are employed
in printing cotton, for which there are two establishments,
one in the town and one at Shawfield; at which
latter place, also, is a bleachfield that became the property
of Messrs. Gowdie, who converted it into an
establishment for dyeing Turkey-red: it is now occupied
by Messrs. White as a chemical laboratory. A
cotton-mill was erected in 1800, which has been enlarged;
and on the lands of Farme are two extensive concerns
for dyeing Turkey-red. In addition to those employed
in the several works, about 300 of the inhabitants are
occupied in weaving muslin for the Glasgow manufacturers
at hand-looms in their own dwellings. The annual
value of real property in the parish is £21,'295.
Ecclesiastically this place is within the presbytery of
Glasgow, synod of Glasgow and Ayr, and in the patronage
of the corporation, the Kirk-Session, the heritors of
the parish, and the tenants of Shawfield. The minister's
stipend averages £280, with a manse, and a glebe valued
at £14 per annum. Rutherglen church was of great antiquity,
and prior to the year 1199 was given with the
churches of Cathcart and Mearns to the abbey of Paisley,
by Jocelyne, Bishop of Glasgow. It was connected with
some transactions of importance in Scottish history,
being the scene of a negotiation of peace between England
and Scotland, concluded within its walls in 1297,
and also the place in which Sir John Monteith entered
into a convention for betraying Sir William Wallace into
the power of the English. Of this building nothing remains
but the tower, near which is the present church,
erected in 1*94, in good repair, and adapted for a congregation
of 800 persons. There are likewise a Free
church and a United Presbyterian church, the latter
capable of receiving a congregation of 950. The burgh
school affords a useful education; the master, who is
appointed by the town-council, has a house and garden
rent-free, and a salary of £16. 13. 4. from the funds of
the burgh, in addition to the fees. There are Sabbath
schools, in which nearly 400 children are instructed;
and several benefit societies. Traces may be seen of a
tumulus at Gallowflat; it was anciently surrounded by
a ditch, and there was an ascent to the summit by
a paved road about six feet wide. Near it were found
two copper vessels, on the handles of which was inscribed
the word " Congallus ". A stone coffin was also
found in a tumulus on Hamilton-Farme, long since
levelhd with the ground. The cross of the burgh, ornamented
with sculptured devices, the most conspicuous of
which was one of our Saviour's riding upon an ass, was
demolished by a mob during the reign of Charles I.
Rutherglen gives the title of earl to the ducal family of
Hamilton.