Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 15, NIC-PAR

P A I [ 690 ] P A I
F4isie>-. building of tbe town, be undoubtedly the most striking
“—V""1 * object that this place would present. '1 lie brow or face
of a rock is in Gaelic Pais-licht. A church in front of
the rock would be the church in Pais-hcht, A church
did stand here previous to 1160: it is named in the
foundation charter Ecclesia de Paselct, Latinized, in the
records of the monastery, Pa slat um, an easy derivative
from Pais-licht, in all probability the original of the
modern Paisley. It was erected into a burgh of barony
by James IV. in the year 1488, at that time probably
deriving all its importance from the rich monastery
which had been established there for several ages; for
George Schaw, who was then abbot of tlm monastery,
obtained this privilege from the king. Even in Mr
Crawford’s time, who wrote thehistory of the shire of Ren¬
frew near the beginning of the 18th century, it seems to
have been hut an inconsiderable place •, for he describes
it as consisting only of one principal street, about halt a
mile in length, with several lanes belonging to it;
whereas now the town, with its suburbs, occupies such
an extent of ground, that strangers are apt to consider
it as, next to Edinburgh and Glasgow, the largest and
most populous town in Scotland. Its buildings ot late
years have been greatly improved •, its streets are well
paved 5 and the different parts of the town and suburbs,
where the river intervenes, are connected with one ano¬
ther by three bridges at convenient distances.”
The affairs of the community are managed by three
bailies, of which the eldest is commonly in the commis¬
sion of the peace, a treasurer, a town clerk, and 17
counsellors, who are annually elected upon the first
Monday after Michaelmas. It enjoys all the powers
necessary for government and police, without any of the
burdens to which royal boroughs are subject. The
freedom of the place is conferred on very moderate terms.
The revenues of the town are not great, but they have been
managed to the best advantage. The rapid increase of
the place has not been attended with a proportional in¬
crease of revenue ; therefore several necessary improve¬
ments, and intended public buildings, are not yet car¬
ried into execution. It gives the title of baron to the
earls of Abercorn ; the first of whom was a younger son
of the Due de Chatelherault. The black book of Paisley,
frequently mentioned in Scottish history, was a chronicle
of the public affairs and remarkable events, kept by the
monks who resided in the monastery. It agreed in every
material fact with the Scoti Chronicon of Fordun •, and
is by many thought to he the same performance.
The old part of the town runs from east to west upon
the south slope of a ridge of hills, from which there is
a fine prospect of the city of Glasgow and the adjacent
country 5 but to the southward, the view terminates in
a ridge of green hills, about two miles distant. Inclu¬
ding the late buildings and suburbs, it is fully a mile
long, and nearly as much in breadth. On the east side
of the river Cart, stand the abbey and new town. This
new town was some years ago feued off by the earl of
Abercorn, and now consists of a number of handsome
buildings. The streets are laid off in a regular manner,
but (rather unfortunately for the conveniency and ele¬
gance of some of the houses) not in right angles.
Here the earl of Abercorn has built at his own expence
one of the largest, most commodious, and most elegant
inns in Scotland. In the vicinity of it was proposed
also to build several convenient and necessary market
3
places. A little way south of the inn stands the ah- pais;CJ- pais!i
bey church, the only one which Paisley formerly requi-y-—
red. This church, when entire, has been a most noble
building, and consisted of several distinct and separate
places of worship j what now remains of this magnifi¬
cent Gothic structure is not yet unworthy the notice of
the curious in antiquities. Mr Pennant says, the great
north window is a noble ruin, the arch very lofty, the
middle pillar wonderfully light, and still entire: only
the chancel now remains, which is divided into a middle
and two side aisles, by very lofty pillars, with Gothic
arches j above these is another range of pillars much
larger, being the segment of a circle, and above a row
of arched niches from end to end, over which the roof
ends in a sharp point. The outside of the building is
decorated with a profusion of ornaments, especially the
great west and north doors, than which scarce any thing
lighter or richer can be imagined.
The town of Paisley continued a part of the original
or Abbey parish of Paisley till the year 1738? when
the magistrates and council having purchased the right
of patronage from the then earl of Dundonald, a new
church was built, and the town was erected into a sepa¬
rate parish. This is called the Laigh Church, is built
in the form of a Greek cross, very well laid out, ami
capable of containing a great number of people. In
1756 another church was built, upon a very extended
plan, to accommodate its multiplied inhabitants $ in
which, though it is one of the largest in Scotland, yet
the most distant of the congregation can hear a tolerably
good speaker w ith ease and distinctness ; and as it stands
upon the highest part of the town, it was afterwards or¬
namented with a lofty and well-proportioned spire, visible
at a great distance. This is called the High Church,
and is a very fine building : it is an oblong square ot
82 feet by 62 within the walls, built of free stone well
smoothed, having rustic corners and an elegant stone
cornice at the top. In the construction of the roof
(which is a pavilion covered with slate, having a plat¬
form covered with lead on the top), there is something
very curious, and it is admired by every person of taste.
In 1781, the number of the inhabitants still rapidly in¬
creasing, another church, called the Middle Church, w’as
built, not quite so large as the former, but very hand¬
somely and elegantly finished: and in the following year,
the town was divided and erected into three separate
parishes, exclusive of the Abbey parish, and named ac¬
cording to their respective churches.
There are two large dissenting congregations in the
town 5 those of the Antiburgher persuasion and the
Relief. The first of these has existed there for upwards
of 30 years \ the other is of a late date. There is be¬
sides a small congregation of Cameronians.
The towmhouse is a very handsome building of cut
Stone, with a tall spire and a clock. The flesh market
has a genteel front of cut stone, and is one of the neat¬
est and most commodious of the kind in Britain.
Butchers meat, butter, cheese, fish, wool, and several
other articles, are sold here by what they call the tron
pound, of 22 English ounces and a half.
The poors house is a large building, very wrell laid
out; and stands opposite to the quay, in a fine free air.
It is supported by a small tax taid upon the inhabitants
quarterly.
Close by the Abbey church is the earl of Abercorn’s
burial