LEVERN, a quoad sacra parish (for a time), in the
Upper ward of the county of Renfrew; comprising the
villages of Crossniill, Dovehill, Hurlet, and Nitshill; and
containing 2490 inhabitants. This parish consisted of
a south-eastern portion of the Abbey parish of Paisley,
an eastern part of Neilston, and a western part of
Eastwood parish; and the district was so called from
the river Levern, by which the lands are intersected.
It measured three miles in its greatest length, and two
miles and a half in its greatest breadth, comprising about
^275 acres. The parish was formed under an act of the
General Assembly in 1834. Levern is in the presbytery
of Paisley, synod of Glasgow and Ayr, and the patronage
is vested in the communicants: the stipend of the
minister is £84, derived from seat-rents and collections,
with a manse and garden valued at £20 a year. The
church was built in 1834, and opened for divine service
in 1835; and a session- house and two porches have
since been added; the whole completed at a cost of
£890: there are 66O sittings. The Roman Catholics
have also a place of worship.