The Parish of Lesmhagow

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THE PARISH OF LESMAHAGOW [and town also known as Abby Green] [of The Church of Scotland] was one of the largest in central Scotland. The parish priests traveled circuitous routes visiting over 300 small communities on a regular basis, then returned to record in somewhat haphazard order the births, deaths, and marriages they performed, in the Lesmahagow parish registry on both sides of pages about 4 inches wide and 16 inches long of poor grade paper that allowed the ink to bleed through, so they were difficult to read the day they were written.

Parish of Lesmahagow


Slater's Directory 1867

An extract from Slater's Directory from the year 1867.

LESMAHAGO - ABBEY GREEN, KIRKFIELD-BANK, AND NEIGHBOURHOODS.


LESMAHAGO is a parish, the village called ABBEYGREEN is situated on the river Nethan, one of the tributaries of the Clyde, and in the upper ward of Lanarkshire. It is a beautiful village, in almost the center of the parish, 38 miles w. from Edinburgh, 23 S.E. from Glasgow, and 6 S.W. from Lanark. It takes its name from the old abbey, taken down at the beginning of the present century, and an established church was erected on its site by the heritors of the parish in 1803. The old abbey was founded by David I. in the year 1140, and dedicated by him to St. Machute. An annual fair was formerly held on 15th November, at Abbey Green, entitled St Machutes fair, but this is now discontinued. The parish of Lesmahago is very extensive, being 12 miles square and is one of the richest in minerals in Scotland - the gas coal at AUCHENHEATH, which has been worked for upwards of 100 years, is well known, and shipped in large quantities. Ironstone, limestone, and fraeestone are also worked in abundance. In obtaining and working these minerals a considerable number of inhabitants find employment: whilst many others are employed in the weaving industry for Glasgow manufacturers. The transit of the minerals is facilitated by means of a railway for mineral traffic only; it passes through , or near most of the mines, and joins the Caledonian line at Motherwell. The City of Glasgow Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland have branches there. Abbey Green is well lighted by gas, and contains two comfortable inns, The 'Commercial' and the 'Abbey' , both of which are posting houses. Besides the Parish Church there is a free church, and a reformed Presbyterian chapel, and some well conducted schools. The noble ruins of Craig Nethan, or Dauphane Castle the property of Lady Lucy Elizabeth Douglas, of Douglas (Countess of Home)are well deserving the notice of the tourist. A room is still shown where, it is said, the unfortunate Queen Mary took refuge after her escape from Lochleven Castle. There are two hiring fairs held, and two other for general business during the year. In the month of December are three market days, known as big Wednesdays. KIRKFIELD BANK is a village in Lesmahago parish - about five miles E. from that village and one mile W. from Lanark situated on the high road to Glasgow. The Clyde is crossed at this place by a stone bridge erected by subscription. Its people are chiefly employed in hand loom weaving; in the vicinity is the far famed cataract 'Stonebyres' which like Cora consists of three leaps, altogether eighty-two feet high. At a short distance is Stonebyres House enclosed in woods the property of Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Monteath Douglas. The original fabric of this building has been nearly all replaced by a most elegant and enlarged erection. The house is approached by a pretty stone bridge under which flows a small rivulet, and the gardens are in the highest state of cultivation



POST OFFICE, Abbey Green, Mary Scott, Post Mistress.- Letters from all parts arrive (from Lanark) at twelve midnight, delivered at seven in the morning, and are dispatched thereto at ten minutes past seven in the evening.

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I find the Parish of Lesmahagow to be a fascinating place!


In Early Scottish Charters: Prior to A.D. 1153 (the PDF you can download)

we read:

CLXXII.

Liber de Calchou, foL 10; Bannatyne Club edition, p. 9, No. 8.

King David, with the assent of the Bishop of Glasgow, grants to
the Abbey of Kelso the church and the land of Lesmahagow, free
from all exaction by, or subjection to, the Bishop, to be a Priory
under the Abbey. The King grants his firm peace to all who, to
avoid peril to life or limb, take refuge within the four crosses of the
cell of Lesmahagow.

Dated at Edinburgh in the year II44.

In 1144 there were four stone crosses erected by the roads entering the Parish to mark the boundaries.
If a hunted man could get within those boundaries he had refuge!



By far the best information on Early Lesmahagow is found in John Blackwood Greenshields book "annals of the parish of Lesmahagow. - You can read it on line at:

1. Annals

2. Annals

The history of Lesmahagow commences with the grant by David I., the "Sair
Sanct for the Crown," who, A.D. 1144, for the soul's weal of himself, his ancestors, and
successors, and by the advice and counsel of John, Bishop of Glasgow, gave to the
Abbey of Kelso, and to the abbot and monks serving the Lord there, the church of
Lesmahag, and the whole land of Lesmahagu according to their proper boundaries, with
all manner of lawful pertainments in wood and open, moors and marshes, pastures and
waters, with mills and other buildings, with mansions to be built on their own land as
they pleased, in free and perpetual alms, to be held for prayers for the weal of souls ;
the church to be free of all Episcopal dues and exactions, that the abbot and monks
of Kelso might ordain a prior and as many monks of their own order and dress
as the place would honestly support, and for the reception of poor travelers, also
that it should be a place of refuge or sanctuary for those who in danger of life or
limb should flee to the said cell, or come within the four crosses standing around
it ; of reverence to God and St Machutus, the King granted his firm peace.

At the King’s desire, and with the consent of the Bishop of Glasgow, a prior
and monks of the order and habit of the Tyronenses were there planted. The
Monastery of Kelso had been founded by the same monarch, A.D. 1128, and the
monks who were of the reformed order of Benedictines, or followers of St
Benent, first established at Tyron (Tyronium), in the diocese of Chartres in France,
were hence called Tyronenses. Their founder was the eldest, St Bernard, who
is to be distinguished from the great St Bernard, so noted as a theological
writer. The Tyronensian order of monks had six monasteries in Scotland, and
each of the brethren of the establishment where he resided followed whatever trade
or mechanical art he knew; so that a College of industrious artisans of the Order consisted
of sculptors, carvers, carpenters, smiths, masons, horticulturists, etc, under the
direction of an Elder, and the profits of their work were brought into a common fund
for general maintenance. They were sometimes employed over a wide district of
country; and in the " Statistical Account of Scotland " (article "Hamilton Parish"), it
is mentioned that the old bridge across the Avon, near Barncluith, was built by the
brethren of Lesmahagow. Their dress at first was gray cloth, but they afterwards
wore a black habit. By the rules of the society the members were enjoined to
poverty, but the love of ease and luxury, fostered by the endowments of pious
persons, undermined the original character of the association, and tended in course
of time to bring about that revolution which is known as the Reformation.

The confirmation of the King's grant by John, Bishop of Glasgow, is in a separate
deed, which declares that the monks should bc free from all Episcopal dues and subjection,
and derives some light and interest from a fact regarding the Bishops character
which appears in Lord Hailes’ "Memorials of Provincial Councils of the Scottish
Clergy." In the year 1138, Albcric, Bishop of Ostia, legatc from the Pope, assembled
a council of Scottish prelates and nobles at Carlisle, when John, Bishop of Glasgow,
who had retired as a Brother among the Benedictine monks, was obliged by the
legate to resume the duties of the Episcopal chair. lt is not therefore to be wondered
at that the bishop, to whom the cares of office wcre a burden, or who lacked the usual
clerical ambition of his order, should have freed tho monks of Lesmahagow from
Episcopal dues and subjection, and have counseled his Sovereign to do so.