Easter Kirkpatrick

**Easter Kirkpatrick** is a toun in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. A suburb on the northwastern fringe ay Glesga, aboot sex myle (9.7&nbsp;km) frae the ceety centur, wi mony o the hooses bildit efter 1863.

The Roman Antonine Waw runs throu the toun an remains ay a military bath hoose lie near the centur. In 1649 the first kirk wis buildit, an the heid men o the parochine trystit thaur. The toun's offeecial gaelic nam *Cille Phàdraig Ùr* reflects the nam o the parochine. Bi the earlie twentiet century, a toun hud groon up wi muckle toun-hooses, maistly abided in bi rich fowk. Mair affordable hoosin haes eikit the fowk o the toun tae aboot 28,000 an it is aye affluent the nou.

Aince a burgh, East Dunbartonshire Cooncil is nou burdin-taker fur the govirnance o the toun, an haes offices at Boclair Hoose. The Scots motto on the Bearsden coat o airms is *Bear the Gree*.

## History

The Roman Antonine Waw runs throu the toun an the remains o its military bath hoose lie near Bearsden Cross. Mony years efter the Romans went Sooth tae Hadrian's waw, lairds lik the Douglases o Mains usit the lain for ferms (*mains* means the ferm lains aboot a mansioun hoose). In 1649, Kilpatrick parochine wis dividit in twa an the ainst New (Eister) Kilpatrick parochine kirk wis buildit (an a richt barnie kickt aff that haed tae be sortit bi the pairliament). The heid yins o the parochine (meenister an heritors) trystit thaur, an in 1672 a faire for buying and selling hors, nolt, sheepe, meall, malt, cloath, linning, wooll an such lyke comodities wis foundit an thence kept twice yeirly. The toun's offeecial gaelic nam *Cille Phàdraig Ùr* reflects the nam ay the parochine.

Bi the nineteent centurie, the ryches o Glesga merchants haed eikit the value o the lain ayont the toun fur hooses. The layin doun o the railwey in 1863 meant the lyk culd abide in Bearsden an conduct thir comerce in Glesga. Bi the earlie twentiet century, a toun hud groon up wi muckle toun-hooses aboot the railwey station, maistly abided in bi rych fowk. Bearsden station wis sae namit (efter a wee hoose near tae it) sae passengers wudnae git intae a guddle twixt New Kilpatrick an Auld Kilpatrick; this then becam the nam fowk usit fur the new toun. In 1958, Bearsden toun wis made a Burgh, then in 1975, it wis made pairt o Bearsden & Milngavie Destrict Cooncil. Syn 1996, it is yin o the five touns o East Dunbartonshire Cooncil.

## Govirnance

Bearsden maks twa East Dunbartonshire Cooncil wards (thaur are eicht in aw), callit Bearsden North an Bearsden South. Each ward ellects three cooncillors bi a single transferable vote seestem.

Bearsden North is pairt o the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency in the Scots Pairlament. The Memmer o the Scots Parilament (MSP) is Gil Paterson (SNP); ellectit on 5t Mey 2011. 
Bearsden South is pairt o the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency in the Scots Pairlament. The MSP is Fiona McLeod (SNP); ellectit on 5t Mey 2011.

Baith consituencies mak pairt o the West o Scotland regional leet in the Scots Pairlament. The toun is an aw pairt o the East Dunbartonshire constituency o the Pairlament o Great Breetain in Lunnon. The MP is Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat) the nou.

## Airts o the toun
Airts o Bearsden, lik thay in mony ither touns, dinnae haw clear boundaries; whaur aince, places lik Kessington wis a few hooses thegither surroundit bi fairm land, thay noo merge wi ither airts, lik Killermont. Generalie, the airts o Bearsden can be describet as follows:
***Bearsden Cross** lies at the gey centur o the toun, at the joining o Roman Road an Drymen Road, an umwhile kent as New Kirk, as kin be seen oan postcards frae the earlie twentiet century.
***Old Bearsden** describes the aurie whaur big kintra hooses huv lang syn bin demolishit an rebildit (afore 1930) intae some o the maist desirable auries o the land wi muckle sandstone villas. The term generally includes Bearsden Cross.
***Westerton** is tae the Soothwast o th toun, an is maistly the conservation aurie o 1920s buildings, shaps, a leebrar an kirk aroond Maxwell Avenue, huvin clear boundaries wi Glesca. 
***Castlehill** an **Baljaffray** lie tae the Nor’wast o the toun, an maistly compone o post-1970 developments, bit the names ur muckle aulder.
***Mosshead** lies tae the North o the toun, haein a border wi Milngavie.
***Hillfoot** lies tae the Eist o the toun centur, an wis wance a muckle hoose, demolishit and bildit oan in the foremaist hauf o the 20t century.
***Kessington** an **Killermont** cover the remainder o the Eist o Bearsden.
***Chapelton** is shawn on some o the auldest maps o the aurie tae the Sooth o the toun centur. Wance juist a few hooses oan Drymen Road, the aurie noo extends atween Milngavie Road, Drymen Road an Roman Road.
*Tae the Sooth an Wast o Chapelton is **Canniesburn**, aince the site o a tollhoose an smithy, nou a muckle great roondaboot. Canniesburn Hospital wis demolishit in 2007 an fancy hooses staun in its steid.

## Leeshure

### Scoutin an Girlguidin
Thaur ur twa Scout Groups in Bearsden. The 24t Glesga (Bearsden) Scout Group, wis foundit in Januar 1908. an is yin o the mucklest Groups in the UK wi fower Beaver Colonies, fower Cub Packs, twa Scout Troops an an Explorer Unit, as weel as providin a meetin steid fur Scout Network.

The 183rd Glesga Scout Group, wis foundit in 1947 bi the Hame Guard an haes twa Beaver Colonies, twa Cub Packs, yin Scout Troop an an Explorer Unit. It haes ower 130 members the nou.. Baith groups ur pairt o the Clyde Region o the Scout Association

Girlguidin is an aw active in Bearsden, wi units based at Killermont parochine kirk an at the Guide Hut oan Pendicle Road. Baith ur members o Girlguiding Dunbartonshire.

### Boys' Brigade
Bearsden haes three Boys' Brigade Companies. The 1st Bearsden Company wis foundit in 1898. The 2nt Bearsden Company, attachit tae the Westerton parochin kirk wis foundit in 1957. The 3rd Bearsden Company is attachit tae the Killermont parochine kirk.

## References