JOHNSTONE, a village, rather a manufacturing
town, and a quoad sacra parish (for a time), in the parish of Abbey
in Paisley, Upper ward of the county of Renfrew,
3^ miles (W. by S.) from Paisley; containing, in
1841, .58'24 inhabitants. This place, which, about si.xty
or seventy years since, consisted merely of a few scattered
cottages, is pleasantly situated on the river Black
Cart, over which is a bridge, from which it derived its
former name. It is indebted for its rise, and subsequent
rapid increase, to the introduction of the manufacture of
cotton-yarn, and to the encouragement given by its spirited
proprietor Mr. Houston, who granted leases of
land for the erection of dwelling-houses, and for the
works which have been since opened. The increase of
the place both in population and manufacturing importance
has been unrivalled in the history of any other
place in Scotland. In I'Sl, when the lands were first
leased, it contained only ten inhabitants: in 179'2, the
number had augmented to 1434; in 1811, to 364*; and
in 1831, to .56l7. The town is regularly built, consisting
of Houston-square, nearly in the centre; a spacious
market-place; and numerous handsome streets intersecting
each other at right angles. The houses are of
stone, and to each is attached an adequate portion of
garden ground; the inhabitants are amply supplied with
water, and the streets are well lighted with gas. Assembly-
rooms have been erected; a lodge of freemasons has
been instituted: circulating libraries are kept by the
various booksellers; a post-office with two daily deliveries
has been established; and in almost every respect
the town may be said to be improving. It contains an
old-established library, and there is a mechanics' institution,
with a library attached; but these institutions
are not well supported. Johnstone Castle, in the vicinity,
the seat of the Houston family, is a large and handsome
structure in the modern castellated style, surrounded by luxuriant wood.
The popijlation are chiefly employed in the cotton
trade, for which mills have been erected in the town and
immediate vicinity. According to a statement made
some years ago, the mills contained in the aggregate
90,000 spindles; two of them were propelled by water,
and the others by steam-power. The capital employed
in their erection, and in keeping them in operation, was
estimated at £135,000; and they afforded employment
to more than 2500 persons. At the present time, there
are fifteen cotton-mills in active operation. A flax-mill,
a very substantial fireproof building, has been erected,
in which flax is spun into yarn, and dyed; and an old
cotton-mill has been converted into a shawl-weaving
factory. There are si.x manufactories of machinery, to
one of which a foundry is attached; there are also a
very extensive iron-foundry, and a brass-foundry of less
dimensions: boiler-making has of late been commenced
in one of the machine shops. In this flourishing town
are likewise a saw-mill, a cooperage, and a shop for turning
operations. Numerous collieries and lime-works are
carried on in the neighbourhood. Branches of the Union
Bank of Scotland and the City of Glasgow Bank have
been established. There are numerous excellent shops
in the town, which is well stocked with every kind of
provisions; and fairs are annually held on the Thursday
after the second Monday in July, and the last Thursday
in December, for cattle. Great facility of communication
is afforded by the Glasgow and Ayr railway, which
passes by Johnstone, and has a handsome station here.
The Glasgow, Paisley, and Ardrossan canal, commencing
at Port-Eglinton, near Glasgow, is completed only to
this place, a distance of eleven miles free of lockage.
It is twenty-eight feet broad at the top, fourteen at the
bottom, and four feet and a half in depth; and cost
nearly £100,000. The navigation was opened in 1811,
and light iron passage-boats were established in 1831;
but by a recent arrangement with the Ayrshire and the
Greenock Railway Companies, the conveyance of passengers
is to be discontinued for twenty-one years, and
the traffic confined to heavy goods, of which 6s,063 tons
were carried in the year ending 30th Sept. 1844. The
canal terminates in a basin at one extremity of the town,
and adjoining the wharf is a yard for landing the
stone from the Nitshill quarry. The magistrates hold a
petty-session in the assembly-rooms on the first Friday
in every month. A church was erected here in 1793,
at a cost of £1400; it contains 995 sittings, and is a
handsome octagonal edifice, with a very light and elegant
spire, built in imitation of the spire of Lincoln designed
by Sir Christopher Wren, but on a smaller scale. This
church forms a strikingly interesting object as seen from
the road to Paisley, and gives to the town a very pleasing
appearance. Ecclesiastically the place is in the presbytery
of Paisley, synod of Glasgow and Ayr, and the patronage
is vested in the Congregation; the stipend of
the minister is £150, arising from seat-rents and collections,
and part of the amount is secured by bond. Besides
the church, or chapel of ease, there are two places
of worship for the United Presbyterian Synod, and one,
a fine building with a small tower, for the Free Church.
A body of Methodists, and another sect called Latter-
Day Saints, occupy halls where they have public worship
regularly on Sundays; and a charity school has
been established, which is upheld by the voluntary subscriptions
of the inhabitants.