Gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

GLASGOW.
m
gow and Tiviotdale. In addition to the dean-
ery of the cathedral church and chapter, the
bishopric was divided into ten deaneries, con-
taining 255 parishes.
The cathedral was dedicated to St. Mungo,
who, it may well be conjectured, was consti-
tuted the patron saint of the town. From the
death of this personage till the year 1115, a
period of five hundred years, embracing the
whole existence of the Culdean system of wor-
ship, the history of the episcopate of Glasgow
is a total blank. It would appear, that some
time prior to 1115, there was no bishop in the
diocese, and that the church was in a lamenta-
ble condition. From this state it was happily
rescued by David, Earl of Cumberland, the
brother of Alexander I. This prince restored
the see of Glasgow, and appointed his own
chaplain, a learned and travelled man, to
the vacant episcopal chair. David, who was
subsequently king, under the title of David
I., was a beneficent patron to the see, and did
much to restore and extend its privileges. Wil-
liam, his grandson, surnamed the Lion, was
likewise a benefactor to the place.
Bishop Joceline, about the year 1172, gave
Glasgow certain burgal privileges, in order to
encourage its inhabitants to commerce and
trade ; and from this time, according to that
garrulous historian of the city, John M'Ure,
" the town had always something like the
face of business." The privileges of Glas-
gow as a burgh of barony were subsequently
extended by different monarchs. Alexander
III. in 1277, gave a charter to the bishop, who
was the superior of the town, empowering his
burgesses and men of Glasgow to trade to Ar-
gyle and Lennox, and throughout Scotland, as
freely as the burgesses of Dumbarton, or of
any other burgh. The corporation of the town
then consisted of a provost and bailies, with
twelve councillors. Two circumstances next
concurred in extending the town of Glasgow.
The first of these was the building of a stone
bridge over the Clyde by bishop William Rae,
about 1350, which, by causing a confluence of
travellers to this point, must have been of
great service in inducing an increase of popu-
lation; the second was an enactment of bishop
John Cameron, about the year 1428, compel-
ling the constant residence of his prebends in
houses of their own erection. The next mea-
sure which tended to increase the consequence
of Glasgow was the erection of ' college by
bishop William Turnbull, in 1452-3. James
II. granted a charter to this learned prelate
and his successors, in favour of the town and
barony of Glasgow, and the lands called Bish-
op's Forest, constituting them into a free re-
gality ; a jurisdiction of a more potent nature
than that hitherto in force. While under this
species of government, its magistrates were
ordinarily powerful nobles in the west of Scot-
land, who were at once rigorous in the preser-
vation of peace, and tyrannical in the exercise
of their functions. The history of the rise and
progress of Glasgow is little connected with
the memorable transactions of the kingdom.
In 1 300, the town was the scene of a bloody
conflict between the troops of Edward I. who
were intruded on the town, and a band of
Scottish patriots headed by Sir William Wal-
lace. The meeting took place at night
on the High Street, and being conducted
with much skill on the part of the Scots, they
were completely victorious. Wallace had the
satisfaction of slaying the Earl Percy with his
own hand, and also of seizing the Bishop's
Castle, which was a place of some strength.
In 1348, a parliament of the nation sat at
Glasgow, which is the only instance of a
meeting of the kind taking place here. In
1488, an act of parliament was passed, erect-
ing Glasgow into a metropolitan see, such as
the archbishoprick of York, a distinction it
preserved till the final overthrow of episcopacy.
Glasgow shared considerably in the troubles
as well as in the triumphs of the Reforma-
tion, in an especial manner suffering by the
contests of the Regent Hamilton, Earl of
Arran, and the protestant lords. Glencairn
and his forces having posted themselves in the
town, to prevent an attack from the Regent,
and opposing him on his approach, they were
put to flight, when, upon the successful Ro-
man Catholic army entering the city, and being
exasperated against the inhabitants, they sub-
jected it to a complete process of plunder-
ing, and even in their rage pulled down the
doors and windows of the houses.
In these trying times, the archiepiscopal see
of Glasgow was filled by James Beaton, ab-
bot of Aberbrothock, and nephew of Beaton,
archbishop of St. Andrews. He succeeded,
in 1551, just about the period when the coun-
try began to be agitated with matters of reli-
gion, and when the Romish hierarchy began
to quake for its existence. Under the fear