Counties > Renfrewshire > 1829-1842 - Fowler's commercial directory of the principal towns and villages in the upper ward of Renfrewshire > 1830-1831

SKETCH OF RENFREW AND YOKER.. 17
Their manufacturing establisliments, are, an extensive (lis-
fillery at the Yoker on the north side of the Clyde, a Bleach-
field, a Pottery, and a starch manufactory.
It behoves us to mention the gallant and brave Captain
Thomas Crawfurd, of Jordan Hill. He was seduced by the
Earl of Murray, to rebel against his sovereign. But waiving
all his political motives, he achieved a splendid and heroic
deed, in taking Dumbarton Castle in 1571. He scaled that
strong castle by ladders, which reached the middle of the
rock ; where he found a gap or table of land, affording his fol-
lowers a standing-place, they met fortunately with a stunted
ash tree which did them much service, to which they tied their
ropes, and having drawn up their ladders, they fixed thero on
this gap a second time, one of the soldiers climbing up by iliis
second tier was seized with a kind of epiliptic fit. Tbey
bound him fast to the ladder, and turned it, so that they as-
cended over his belly. They had arrived at the top of the
rock, and had a wall to climb, they fixed the ladders for the
third time, the soldier who first mounted on the third stage was
discovered, by the sentinel ; the brave adventurer, before the
alarm was given, dispatched him by a lucky blow. Thus the
valiant Crawfurd's party got into this almost impregnable for-
tress.
Those who take up opinions suited to their own taste or
caprice, judge of the conduct of the unfortunate Earl of Argyie
in diverse ways. The Episcopalians consider him a rebel.
The Presbyterians think him a martyr. But a third party^-
or an occasional infidel of Galleo's horrid opinion, about the
mighty fuss of those days, regard him as a tool for his pains,
i'his Loi'd Argyie collected an army in Holland, coUvSisting
of 1500 Presbyleiiaus, refugees from Scotland, driven from
their native land by the mad measures of the ministry of
James VII. The Earl, attended with his followers and three
ships, invaded Scotland in 1685. His purpose was to overturn
the prelatic and sinful government. He landed on the cojist
of Kintyre. He trifled about Gampbelltown, Rothsay, Ehea
greg, Greenock, Cowal, Dumbarton, and Kilpatrick ; his
followers dwindled away to about eighty men ; and this rem-
nant was attacked by the Royal forces, at the Muirdykes, la-
the parish of Lochwinnoeh.
This battle or skirmish of the Muirdykes, routed or skalect
them. But the EarL who was forsaken by all his atten-
dants, crossed Inchinnan water by the ford, where the pre-
sent famous • bridge is built, and where the White andi
Black Cart meet. The united river assumes a new name^,
Inchinnan water.
The fey Argyie was grippit not far distant from the foid'g,
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