RENFREWSHIRE, a county in Scotland, lying between 55. 40. 40. and 55. 58.10. north latitude, and 4.15. and 4. 52. 30. west longitude, is bounded on the east by Lanarkshire, on the south by Ayrshire, and on the north and west by the river and frith of Clyde, which separate it from the shires of Dumbarton and Argyle, excepting a section of about 1300 imperial acres, which is situated on the north bank of the Clyde, opposite the town of Renfrew. Its greatest length is thirty-one miles and a half, and its greatest breadth thirteen miles and a fourth. Its area is 241 square miles, or 154,240 acres, of which about 100,000 are cultivated, 20,000 uncultivated, and 34,240 unprofitable. Notwithstanding the small extent of this shire, its manufactures and commerce render it one of the most important in Scotland.

At the epoch of the Roman invasion, in the first century of the Christian era, this part of Scotland was inhabited by a Celtic tribe, called by the invaders the Damnii. After the withdrawal of the Romans, it was comprehended in the British kingdom of Strathdyde.

The district which now forms the county of Renfrew, at least the greater part of it, was denominated, from one of its rivers, Strathgryfe, the valley of the Gryfe, and at one time formed part of the shire of Lanark or Clydesdale. It was the chief patrimony of the great stewards of Scotland, to whom it was granted by the sovereign in the twelfth century. Afterwards it was called the barony of Renfrew, from the burgh of that name, where the stewards long had their principal residence. In 1404, thirty-three years after the accession of the house of Stewart to the Scottish throne, King Robert III. granted this barony, and the other portions of the estates of the steward, to his son and heir James; since which time the eldest son of the sovereign has, besides his other titles, bome that of “Baron of Renfrew.” Soon afterwards this barony was erected into a distinct sheriffdom, the courts of which were held at Renfrew till the year 1705, when they were, for convenience sake, removed to Paisley. In 1815 the county was formed into two wards, termed the Upper and the Lower, with a sheriff-substitute for each, Paisley and Greenock being the seats of their respective courts.

Renfrew shire comprehends twenty-one parishes, besides small portions of those of Beith and Dunlop in Ayrshire, and Govan in Lanarkshire. Two of the parishes, Eagle-sham and Catheart, belong to the presbytery of Glasgow; the other nineteen composed the presbytery of Paisley for a long time prior to the year 1834, when two presbyteries were formed; that of Paisley, consisting of twelve of these nineteen parishes; and that of Greenock, consisting of the [7:19:119]other seven, with the addition of Cumbraes in Buteshire, and Largs in Ayrshire, both of which parishes formerly belonged to the presbytery of Irvine. In the above enumeration of parishes, those which are so quoad sacra only have not been taken into account.

About two thirds of this county, comprehending the western and southern sides, are hilly, the medium elevation being from 500 to 600 feet. Mistylaw, on the west, which is about 1240 feet above the level of the sea, has been represented as the highest hill in the county; but it is now ascertained that a neighbouring height, called the Hill of Staik, is entitled to that distinction, being a few feet higher. This last was one of the points of observation in the general trigonometrical survey of the kingdom. Balagiech and Dun-wan are the highest hills on the south-east side, being about 1000 feet above the sea-level. The hilly district is in general kept in pasture, for which it is better adapted, by the nature of its surface, than for tillage; though, as it has a free light soil, which readily absorbs water, it is seldom injured by moisture. The cultivated land, which forms the gently-rising district, lies on the north and north-east, and in the centre of the county on both sides of the Black Cart of this the greater part consists of low, detached eminences, which swell in endless variety. These being interspersed with copses, and often watered at the bottom by winding streams, present views remarkable for richness and variety. Indeed it will be difficult to point to a more beautiful surface anywhere in Scotland. Much of this tract has a close subsoil of small stones and coarse clay, almost impenetrable to water, though there are here many flat holms of great fertility. It is only between Paisley and the Clyde that the country sinks down into a plain, forming the flat district known by the name of “the Laighlands.” The length of this beautiful level tract is about six miles, its breadth about three, and its area 12,000 acres. Here the soil is generally a deep rich loam of a dark-brown colour, sometimes of the nature of what is called “carse clay ;” and much of it seems to have been formed by the deposition of vegetable mould from the higher grounds. Moss prevails in the first and last divisions, but is not found in the second one, where the soil is pretty uniform.

Like the other western counties of Scotland, Renfrewshire has a moist climate, with frequent rains; and the prevailing wind is from the south-west. At Largs, a village in Ayrshire, near the western extremity of this county, the yearly quantity of rain in 1809 and 1810 was 38U inches; at Glasgow, near the eastern extremity, for thirty years, from 1761 to 1790, it was 29∙65 inches.

Besides the Clyde, which, as has been already mentioned, flows along the northern and western boundaries of this county, the principal rivers are the White Cart, the Black Cart, and the Gryfe. The White Cart, which rises in Lanarkshire, enters Renfrewshire from the south, and pursues a winding course, first westerly towards Paisley, through which it passes, and then northerly towards the Clyde. It is joined at Inchinnan Bridge by the Black Cart, which had previously received the waters of the Gryfe at Walkinshaw, above Barnsford Bridge; and these united streams, which contain nine tenths of the water of the county, fall into the Clyde about three miles below Paisley. By means of a short canal, which was cut to avoid the shallows at Inchinnan Bridge in 1786, the White Cart is navigable up to Paisley. Other improvements upon this river are in progress. Like some other Scottish streams, it was once famous for the pearls which were found in its bed, but these have disappeared since the beginning of the eighteenth century. The

Black Cart rises from Loch Winnoch, or, as it is usually called, from an adjoining estate, Castle-Semple Loch, a lake in the south-western extremity of the county. The Gryfe rises in the west, amongst the high lands of the parish of Greenock. All these streams, and several others of smaller size, independently of their importance to agriculture, are, in almost every part of their course, applied by the industrious and ingenious inhabitants to the various purposes of manufactures. A ready supply of water is secured by means of reservoirs, some of which are of the size and appearance of considerable lakes; or by enlarging the natural lakes themselves, of which there are many. These streams and lakes contain the kinds of fish that are common in this quarter of the country.

Two railways, which will traverse the county, are now (March 1839) in course of being formed. Commencing at Glasgow, they will have a common line to Paisley, from which the one will lead north-westwards to Greenock, and the other westwards to several places in Ayrshire. These ways of transport must prove of incalculable value to the trade and commerce of the county. It is expected that they will be opened in 1840. The Paisley and Renfrew railway, and the canal from Glasgow to Johnston, have been noticed in the account of Paisley.

The minerals of Renfrewshire are of great importance, and constitute the main source of its manufactures and commerce; but we can only advert to them very generally. Coal, limestone, and sandstone, are wrought at Neilston, one of the parishes of the hilly district; and both coal and lime have been found in the flat district near Renfrew; but it is in the middle division that mines are wrought to the greatest extenl. of coal there are generally about twelve different works carried on, of which the most extensive and valuable are at Polmadie, on the north-east boundary; at Hurlet, three miles south-east from Paisley, where it has been wrought for more than three hundred years; and at Quarrelton, south-east from Johnston, on the Black Cart, near the centre of the county. The coal at this latter place consists of five contiguous strata; the thickness of the whole, measured at right angles to their surface, is upwards of fifty feet; but as in some places the seam forms a considerable angle with the horizon, the thickness of the whole in these places, measured vertically, is about fifteen fathoms. In consequence of this great depth, it is wrought in floors or stories. Limestone abounds in various parts, and is commonly wrought at eight different quarries. Ironstone in beds and balls is found in great profusion. Considerable quantities of pyrites are found in the stratum of coal at Hurlet and Househill, and manufactured into sulphate of iron or green vitriol. Alum is obtained at Hurlet, from the decomposed schistus which forms one of the strata of its coal-mines. Excellent freestone, lying near the surface, is wrought at various places in the middle district. Greenstone, or, as it is provincially called, whinstone, exists in immense masses. ^[1. Much valuable and interesting information on the geology of Renfrewshire will be found in an essay by Mr William Montgomery, younger of Cloak, factor, Castle-Semple, inserted amongst the Prize Essays and Transactions of the Highland and AgriculturalSociety of Scotland for December 1838, p. 421. ]

The annual value of real property in Renfrewshire, as assessed in 1815, was L.265,534 sterling. The valued rent in 1674 was L.69,172 Scots. This, exclusive of small properties occupied by feuars, chiefly as gardens, was, in 1810, divided among 350 proprietors, the estates of eighty-one of whom were above the valuation of L.100 Scots, and only six were above L.2000 Scots. At that time nearly half the valuation belonged to estates held under entail, and by corporations, which were not therefore allowed to be brought to market. Landed property in Renfrewshire underwent great changes during the forty years which preceded 1810,
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nearly one third part of the whole shire having been sold within that period. There are about thirty seats of noblemen and gentlemen, besides villas belonging to merchants and tradesmen. There are also many remains of ancient structures, which formed the seats of powerful or respectable families. This shire was anciently covered with wood. Even now it is ornamented with many woods and plantations; and it is in general well enclosed.

As an agricultural district, this does not rank so high as some others in Scotland. Farms are generally small, seldom exceeding 100 acres on the arable land, and 400 or 500 acres on the hills. In 1811 the average rent per English acre was about fifteen shillings, varying from two or three shillings to four or five pounds; partly owing to situation, but still more to the different degrees of the natural fertility of the soil. The usual period of leases here, as in other parts of Scotland, is nineteen years; but many are now shorter. The mode of farming is such as every year to leave more than a half of the arable land in grass, on which the stock chiefly kept is cows, the most part of whose milk is made into butter. There are few cheese-dairies. The corn chiefly raised here consists of oats and bear. Wheat, barley, beans, and pease, are sown, but not in great quantities. Clover and rye-grass are sown only for hay. Turnips are much grown as a field crop. Potatoes are skilfully and extensively cultivated, the vast population of the district creating an extraordinary demand for a root so cheap and wholesome. A flock of Merino sheep was brought to this county from Spain in the year 1810, but the experiment proved unsuccessful.

It is by its manufactures and commerce that this county is most distinguished. Goods of silk, and cotton, and muslin fabrics, are the principal articles manufactured. Cotton-mills, bleachfields, and printfields, furnish employment to a large portion of the inhabitants. Paisley and its environs form the chief seat of the manufactures. At Greenock and Port-Glasgow the foreign and coasting trade of the county, and, indeed, a great proportion of the foreign trade of Scotland, are carried on. To prevent repetition, we refer to the articles Paisley, Gbeenock, and Port-Glasgow, for information concerning the manufactures and commerce of Renfrewshire.

The other more considerable towns and villages, with their population in 1831, are as follow: Johnston, 5617; Pollockshaws, a burgh of barony, 4267; Lochwinnoch, 2645; Barrhead and Newton Ralston, 2640; Kilbarchan, 2333; Neilston, 1137; and Elderslie, 1099.

In 1755 tile population of the county was only 26,645; in 1831 itamounted to 133,443. The increase, therefore, in seventy-six years has been 106,995, being upwards of 400 per cent., which exceeds that of any other county in Scotland.
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