The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby sjclancy » Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:41 pm

you're very welcome, in fact anyone is, to attend - you dont even have to join up lectures are open to the public :)
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby HollowHorn » Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:57 pm

Excellent news, on both counts. :D

This Canal will not only be of very considerable advantage to the agricultural and commercial interests of the western counties of Scotland, but will afford to Government facilities for the transport of troops from Glasgow to Ireland, with more expedition than at present

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=u28C ... tj4CA&cd=1

Never miss a trick, do they? :roll:
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby duck » Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:00 am

What a really fascinating post. Best read I've had in a long time. Thanks HH
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby viceroy » Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:22 pm

To get back on topic (he said, heaving a big sigh)…………….

Andrew J. MacMahon’s “A History of Kinning Park and District, Glasgow”, which was published in a limited edition of 150 copies in 2003, devotes several pages to the Canal. I could find very little that wasn’t already covered in HH’s comprehensive post. However there were a few bits and pieces which might be of interest.

This is an 1805 map by Thomas Telford, part of his survey, which shows that two possible routes were originally proposed for the Canal. These routes diverged just before Standing Stone, which can be seen left of centre in the picture and which once stood slightly to the northeast of where Dumbreck Station on the Paisley Canal Line is now. It was of course the lower (southern) route which was chosen for the Canal. The upper (northern) route was later used for the Glasgow to Paisley railway line (i.e. the line running to Paisley Gilmour St. past North Cardonald and Hillington).

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A test run using one of the new gig boats took place in June 1831 when it was found that it took 71 minutes to go from Glasgow to Paisley using 1 horse, but only 45 minutes from Paisley to Glasgow with 2 horses. Hence the decision to use 2 horses in tandem.

The canal company had 46 horses in 1833. As each team had to be changed every 4 miles stables were built along the route to accommodate the animals. Interestingly, a list of the horses has survived. Most of them had rather humdrum names like Billy, Bob, Sally & Nelly. But the last three on the list are called Rob Roy, Blucher and Solomon.

Blucher was named after Count Gebhard Leberecht von Bluecher, the Prussian field marshall who came to Wellington’s rescue at the battle of Waterloo in 1815.

I looked at the various websites for which HH provided links and couldn’t find mention of any of the above, but if I have duplicated any information then I apologise.
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby viceroy » Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:06 am

The account of the 1810 disaster makes for very harrowing reading, even after 200 years. Andrew J. MacMahon’s book, which I mentioned in my previous post, quotes from an article about the disaster published in The Scots Magazine shortly afterwards. I won’t reproduce the quotation in full, however the article stresses the very young age of many of the victims, stating that most of them under were under 14.

I will quote this passage, which is an illustration of how different social values were in those days:

“From the youth of a great proportion of the sufferers there will not be so many families left destitute as usually occurs on occasions of this kind, but, as we fortunately still retain a portion of that Scottish pride, which spurns the offer of allowing our aged relatives to be on the rolls of public charity, it is to be apprehended that many parents will have lost, in yesterday’s misfortune, their only means of subsistence.”

This early 19th Century attitude towards children, which stresses first and foremost their economic function rather than their value as human beings, seems quite shocking to us 200 years further on in time but was then probably pretty much a universal view, even possibly among most of the bereaved parents as well. We easily forget that this was a society in which state-provided social welfare simply didn’t exist, public charity – if obtainable - was at near starvation level and private charity almost completely absent, except perhaps after a calamity such as this one.
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby HollowHorn » Sat Jan 30, 2010 12:53 pm

Viceroy, can you PM me a larger copy of that map?
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby HollowHorn » Sat Jan 30, 2010 9:47 pm

Our favourite route to Paisley is, of course, the longest one, which is that by the margin of the Canal. Taking our start from Port-Eglinton, a short walk brings us to Shields Bridge, at which point, on the south side of the water, the picturesque little village of Pollokshields has recently sprung into existence, with a degree of rapidity which fairly rivals the go-a-head Yankee system of town development. This miniature community is composed of elegant cottages and villas, each edifice having its own belt of garden ground walled in, and tastefully planted in front with flowers and shrubs, and in the rear with kitchen vegetables.

The greatest variety of architectural taste, moreover, seems to prevail in this rising suburban settlement. Some two score or so of tenements are already erected, or are in process of erection, and scarcely two of them are similar in design or construction. Each individual proprietor seems to have had his own ideal in " stone and lime," and every man's house is as unlike his neighbour's as possible. Should the same determined diversity of style continue to prevail, Loudon's Encyclopedia of Cottage Architecture must soon become a dead letter, so far as Glasgow is concerned, as a walk through Pollokshields will be as instructive to the student as a perusal of that ponderous though valuable volume, with its endless disquisitions on projecting porches, ornamental chimney-stalks, peaked gables, rustic arcades, and mullioned windows. It must be admitted, however, that so tar as it has gone, this variety has, on the whole, an exceedingly pleasing and picturesque effect, and that we know few places in the vicinity of our city where we would more readily wish for a snug cottage home, if "the lamp of Alladin" were for a brief period ours.

The banks of the canal between Glasgow and Paisley, artificial though they be, are as rich in natural beauty as the winding margin of many a river. In various places they are finely wooded, while throughout their entire length they are fringed with a profusion of our sweetest wild flowers. Every here and there, also, glimpses of the surrounding country are obtained—in some cases extending for many miles around, and embracing scenes of great fertility and loveliness. As we pass along, the reapers in picturesque groups are busy in the bright yellow fields. Occasionally, also, the voices of juvenile strollers from the purlieus of the city are heard on the tangled and bosky banks, where they come in search of tie hips and haws and the blackboyds, which, however, have scarcely yet attained the necessary degree of ripeness.

At intervals, "few and far between," one of the Company's boats passes lazily to its destination; while every now and again a solitary angler gazes despairingly at his float, and mutters "Nothing doing" to our passing inquiries concerning his piscatorial success.


http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a6UJ ... CCMQ6AEwBg
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby viceroy » Sun Jan 31, 2010 6:48 pm

HollowHorn wrote:Viceroy, can you PM me a larger copy of that map?


PM'd this afternoon HH.
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby HollowHorn » Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:47 pm

I paid a visit to Paisley Library today & had a look at their records on the Canal & the death of Tannahill.
I found a reference to a Peter Burnet (Black Peter)who was named as the man who recovered Tannahill’s body from the water. I also found a list of the dead from the canal disaster & some drawings of the canal at Elderslie & Johnstone. Some illustrations of the canal made reference to a photographic collection held at Paisley Museum. The curator was out to lunch when I called so I’ll visit again next week.

I later visited a 2nd hand bookshop where I picked up a water damaged copy of David Rowand’s ‘Paisley’ Published 2001. (out of print)To my great surprise, Rowand devotes a chapter to Black Peter:

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A search was immediately made, and in the dusk of the morning the coat of the poet was found lying at the side of the Maxwelton Burn, there the Glasgow, Paisley & Johnstone Canal crosses, by an
Aqueduct. Peter Burnet dived into the pool and, to the intense grief of all, brought up the lifeless body of Tannahill. Thus died, 17th May, 1810, the poet in his thirty-sixth year.


Peter Burnet, or Black Peter as he was called in the district, was an American Negro, and an acquaintance of one of Tannahill's brothers. The relations of the poet ever afterwards showed him many attentions.

http://www.archive.org/stream/completes ... n_djvu.txt

A poem about Peter by John Campbell:

PETER BURNET; OR, BLACK PETER.
Peter was a handsome youth some fifty years ago
As scribe John has told us, he was a swelling beau
As a jovial weaver when they were in their pride
A Paisley weaver in those days could swell wi' fashion's tide.

Peter came to Paisley when he was plump and young
Was as curious a kid as ever yet was sung
First exploit was when he cut to tip the Yankee war
Jumped on board the Fencastle, a little sooty tar.

When Peter came among us first he swore the devil was white
White men in Virginia did lash with devil's might
On his crown he wore a tuft of sacred reared hair
The Great Spirit to lift him up to Heaven through the air.

Had you seen Black Peter when he was our Paisley buck
You’d think dandyism nothing now, or that it was done up
Silver buckles on his knees, his ruffles great and small
His nankin breeches — oh 1 you\l laugh were I to tell you all.

His coat was black or brown, as the fashion then might be
His velvet vest was spangled, like any lord's, d’ye see
His stockings, too, of pure white thread, for that was all the go
And his hat so smartly check- a-gee — all trig from top to toe.

Oh ! Peter was a gleesome chiel, good fun was all his study
His wit was bright, his laugh was loud, care could not make him muddy
Had you seen him in those days playing at the ball.
How he jump'd and frolick'd round about the smartest of them all.

But Peter's dancing days were closed, for Peter fell in love
With a pretty lass, call'd Peggy, so he ceas'd at once to rove
For she turned him to a Christian, tho' he was always civil
But now he saw new light, and knew the colour of the devil.

Alas ! alas ! poor Peter, his pretty Peggy died
And Peter was disconsolate, both day and night he cried
But time wore Peter's grief away, and he once more was gay.
And laugh'd or joked as he was wont, when love was out the way.

Now he turned to fortune hunting, and when on the scent for game.
Two thousand pounds was in the wind, with a spruce Mulatto dame

But, oh ! ho ! Peter reckoned without his precious host
For somehow, tho' we never knew, this precious hit was lost.

To tell all Peter's rigs and loves would take a whole night's chatter.
For after this he married twice, 'twas all for love, no matter
And now, alas ! for Peter, he's grown old and poor also
But he's still a fine old fellow, as ever you saw go.

Our gifted " Duncan Grant, “whose name is here "scribe John" *
Has written Peter's life in full, for threepence 'tis your own
Poor Peter is the vendor, and when calling at your door.
He looks like an old gentleman, and laughs away tho' poor.**
John Campbell, Poet

* This refers to John Parkhill, who, as already stated, wrote,- in 1841, a biographical sketch of Peter, extending to twenty- four pages. When Peter became too feeble to work at the loom, and the weaving trade was bad, Peter, to aid him in earning a livelihood, went about the town and sold this publication.

** It was Peter who took the dead body of Tannahill out of the Canal
tunnel of Maxwelton burn, on the morning of the 17th of May, 1810.
Peter died on 1st August, 1847, aged 83 years.

http://www.archive.org/details/paisleyp ... 00scotgoog


List of victims of the canal disaster:

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From ‘David Paton’s Sketches of Johnstone’ 1884

Canal Basin, Johnstone:
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Another view:
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The canal at Elderslie:
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Two sketches of the canal route, the first showing the sites of the Blackhall Aqueduct, the canal disaster area, the drowning of Tannahill (Ferguslie Thread Works) & both the Johnstone & Port Eglinton basins:
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Provost Clark (again)
In reference to an earlier posted photo of ‘Provost Clark’ on the banks of the canal, it seems that the good Provost was an enthusiastic amature photographer and other photos exist of him & his family in the same location, the photos I saw were poor reproductions & I’m hoping that my next visit to the museum will turn up the originals.

PS. I am now convinced that Tannahill drowned in the Canderen Burn & not in the Canal as is sometimes stated.
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby HollowHorn » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:43 pm

Nice representation of a canal boat on the Paisley stretch of the canal route:
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The southern end of the Canderen burn culvert:
Image
Whether Tannahill went in here & floated through to the canal end or jumped from the canal bridge and was then carried to the northern end of the Canderen culvert, I guess we will never know for sure. My guess is the latter.
Last edited by HollowHorn on Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby Josef » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:53 pm

sjclancy wrote:Have to agree with everyone - good work! I've been doing a lot of research on the canal over the past few years. I live about 1/2 mile from the Half time school, and ended up working on the reseach for the M74 Extension Archaeology which included work on the Canal at Port Eglington. Got some pics of the Port Eglington site somewhere, will put them up when I find them. I've got a talk coming up in Paisley on the 8th April - "Renfrewshires connection to Glasgow" which will feature the canal a few other things!



Damn. I forgot all about this.
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby HollowHorn » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:54 pm

Shit! Me too. :oops:
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby Anorak » Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:50 pm

The site of the canal west of Shields Road, at St Andrews Drive, which was heavily overgrown has been cleared. It is in the process of being levelled to lay track to the new depot being built for a new fleet of 38 Siemens Desiro Class 380 electric trains.

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The photos above show the newly revealed site of Shields Station, which was a stop on the original route of the Paisley Canal Line. The surrounding area is explored in more detail in my http://www.scotcities.com/railways/shields.htm page.
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby Josef » Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:24 pm

Thanks, Anorak.

Your site's a pleasure, btw. I've referred to it a number of times. Thanks for that, too.
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Re: The Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal

Postby spaceshuttle » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:07 pm

The Johnstone end of the canal ended around Canal Street at the bottem of John Lang street according to Derek Parker who wrote a History of Elderslie. The people from Johnstone were going into Paisley and vice versa Part of it can still be seen at the East end of Johnstone clipping the railway line. I think it should be rebuilt there must be an alternative route nearby it can take. I grew up in Elderslie 55 years ago I was vaguely aware of the canal but not the horrific disaster. In another Derek parker book available at Johnstone library there are two sketches by David Paton owner of Patons mill circa 1880.
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