|
For other uses, see Paisley (disambiguation). The town of Paisley (Also known as 'Pàislig' in Gaelic) is located in the west central lowlands of Scotland. Approximately 8 miles West-South-West of Glasgow City. It was formally a Royal Burgh and is now the administrative centre of the Renfrewshire council area. Straddling the River Cart, the settlement occupies the lowland to the north of the Gleniffer Braes. In the 12th century an Abbey was founded at Paisley. A settlement soon grew around the Abbey. The town became famous during the 18th and 19th centuries for the production of cloth. Especially cotton with the distinctive Paisley Pattern. Paisley is the largest town in Scotland (below four of the country's five main cities).
Etymology Formerly known as Paislay, the burgh's name is of uncertain origin; some sources suggest a derivation either from the Brythonic word, Pasgill, 'pasture', or more likely, passeleg 'basilica', (ie. major church), itself derived from the Greek basilika. However, some Scottish place-name books suggest "Pæssa's wood/clearing", from the Old English personal name Pæssa and leāh "clearing, wood". Pasilege (1182) and Paslie (1214) are recorded previous spellings of the name. History Paisley has monastic origins, due to a site near a waterfall, where a chapel is said to have been established by the 7th century (?) Irish monk, Saint Mirin. It may have been a major religious centre of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, along with Glasgow and Govan. Though Paisley lacks contemporary documentation. A Cluniac priory was established in 1163 by Walter Fitz Alan (d. 1177), High Steward of Scotland. In 1245 this was raised to the status of an Abbey. The restored Abbey and adjacent 'Place' (palace), constructed out of part of the medieval claustral buildings, survive as a Church of Scotland parish church. One of Scotland's major religious houses, Paisley Abbey was much favoured by the Bruce and Stewart royal families. King Robert III (1390-1406) was buried in the Abbey. His tomb has not survived, but that of Princess Marjorie Bruce (1296-1316), ancestress of the Stewarts is one of Scotland's few royal monuments to survive the Reformation. Paisley coalesced under James II's wish that the lands should become a single regality and, as a result, markets, trading and commerce began to flourish. In 1488 the town's status was raised by James IV to Burgh of barony. Many trades sprang up, the first school was established in 1577 by the Town Council. By the mid-nineteenth century weaving had become the town's main industry. Paisley is still very well-known for the Paisley Shawl and its distinctive Paisley Pattern which originated around this time. Through its weaving fraternity, Paisley gained notoriety as being a literate and somewhat radical town, although it could be argued in a fiercely positive direction. By this time there was a real mixture of religious opinions and healthy drink-fuelled debate raged at night amongst the weavers, poets, merchants, masons and others. The poet Robert Tannahill lived in this setting, working as a weaver. The weavers of Paisley were also active in the Radical War of 1820. Industry Originally famous for its weaving and thread industries, these declined in the later 20th Century. The industry has left a permanent mark on the town in the form of the many place names with weaving related names. For Example, Cotton Street, Thread Street, Shuttle Street, Lawn Street, Silk Street and Incle Street. Architecture Paisley Abbey: The West of the building provides and example of original Gothic architecture dating to the 12th Centrury. The East end and tower date to the late 19th and early 20th Centuries and are examples Gothic Revival architecture. The Thomas Coats Memorial Church is a example of Gothic Revival architecture. It dominates the town's skyline with its crown spire more than 60 metres high. Opened in 1894 and designed by Hippolyte Jean Blanc. The exterior is made of old red sandstone. Inside, the church is decorated with wood carvings, mosaic floors and marble fonts. The church also contains a 3040 pipe Hill Organ. Art Nouveau is represented in the town by St. Matthews Church. Designed by local architect W. D. McLennan, a contemporary of Charles Rennie MacIntosh. It was built in 1906. Another striking building is the Russell Institute built in 1926. The “A” listed Anchor Mill (Built 1886) was converted, in 2005, into modern apartments. The building is an example of successfull redevelopment of old industrial areas. Education In 1992, Paisley Polytechnic became University of Paisley. The town also contains Reid Kerr College which provides Further Education. There are four Secondary Schools in Paisley: Paisley Grammar School, Castlehead High School, St Andrew's Academy and Gleniffer High School. The oldest of these is Paisley Grammar which was founded in 1586. Culture and Leisure Paisley is the home of PACE Theatre Company, the largest youth theatre company in Britain. Sport St Mirren F.C., the local Paisley Scottish Premier League football (soccer) team, have been given planning permission to move to a new 10,000 seat stadium from their home on the town's Love Street, to one located on Greenhill Road to help regenerate the deprived Ferguslie Park area. Their last major success was on 16th May 1987 when St Mirren won the Scottish Cup, with thousands crowding the streets to see the team. In (2006), the team won the Scottish Football League First Division and has returned to the Scottish Premier League. They have a very active youth development system and are part of the social fabric of the town. This was demonstrated when at a Renfrewshire Council planning committee board meeting on the new stadium and supermarket to replace Love Street came to be heard. With the initial recommendation that St.Mirren be denied permission for the supermarket but allowed the stadium, something that threatened the future of the club due to the supermarket being only solution to clear its debts, some 300 buddies stood outside the final meeting of Renfrewshire Council in Cotton Street on a dry Tuesday Morning in support. The club was granted permission at this meeting with a majority vote of 9-5 in favour. Transport Glasgow International Airport's terminal buildings are located in the north of Paisley at Abbotsinch. The M8 motorway also runs along the Northern edge of the town. The town is linked by rail to Glasgow city center as well as Inverclyde and Ayrshire coast. The rail links connect to Glasgow Prestwick International Airport and ferry routes to the Dunoon, the Isle of Arran, Isle of Bute and Ireland. Bus routes connect to other nearby towns and Glasgow City. The town benefits from some of the best transport links in the central belt of Scotland. Areas of Paisley Castlehead, Paisley, situated to the southwest of the centre of the town, is a wooded area of Victorian villas where many of the town's leading industrialists made their homes in the late 19th Century. It is a conservation area. Thornly Park is located to the south of the town. The area is classed as a conservation area with many examples of various archicture ranging from Tudor to Art Deco. Many of the houses were designed by W. D. McLennan who also designed several local churches such as Saint Matthews. The town is surrounded by several large residential areas that were created after the Housing Act of 1946. These include Glenburn (south), Foxbar (south west),Ferguslie Park (north west), Gallowhill (North East) and Hunterhill (South East). Ferguslie Park was named by the Scottish Executive's most deprived area in 2006. Nearer the centre of the town remains many areas of older housing. The Town Center, Williamsburgh and Charleston areas contain many examples of Scottish tenement flats. Three to four stories tall, with shops on the ground floor and constructed of local blond and red sandstone. These tenement flats have been extensively restored and modernised over the last two decades. Famous Residents - Past and Present The common slang term for a person from paisley is a Buddie. Some well known Buddies are Jacqui Lait MP, Colin Campbell MSP, Kenyon Wright, Fred Goodwin – CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland and Alistair Forsyth the European tour golfer. Paul McGillion, born in Paisley on January 5, 1969 famous for Stargate Atlantis, playing Dr Carson Beckett. John Wilson, the maternal great-grandfather of US President Ronald Reagan, was born in Paisley in 1812. The former President visited Paisley in 1991 and attended a service at Castlehead church, where some of his Scottish ancestors were married and are buried. Journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil was educated at Paisley Grammar School. John Witherspoon, born in Gifford, East Lothian but lived in Paisley for a large part of his adult life, he left to take up a post at Princeton University in America. He was one of the founding fathers of the American Constitution. He is remembered by a statue at Paisley University, and is also dedicated by have a street in the Town Centre close to the university, Witherspoon Street, named in his honour. David Tennant, formally know as David MacDonald, born in Bathgate but educated in Paisley at Ralston Primary and Paisley Grammar School. Famous for his roles as Cassanova and Doctor Who. Robert Tannahill (June 3, 1774 - May 17, 1810) was a Scottish poet known as the "Paisley Poet". Paolo Nutini, born in Paisley in 1987 famous for his top 10 charting album, 'These Streets'. Twinned Towns and Cities Paisley is twinned with the town of Fürth in northern Bavaria, Germany. In the media The Iain Banks novel, Espedair Street takes its name from, and is partly set in and around the streets of Paisley. See also | ||||||||
|
| |||||||||
 |
|
| |