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The county is divided
into twenty-four parishes. The figure of Airth resembles that of
a parallelogram, and is consequently somewhat irregular. Its length,
from north to south, is about 7 miles, and its breadth, from east to
west, about 3 1/2 miles – the whole comprehending a surface of 30
square miles. It is bounded on the north by the Firth of Forth, on the
east by the same firth and the parish of Bothkennar, on the south by
Bothkennar and Larbert, and on the west by the parish of St. Ninians.
The church was first opened for public worship on 20th
February, 1820, and is built for the accommodation of 800 persons. The
population of the parish in 1841 was 1,498; in 1851, 1,319; in 1861,
1,194; and in 1871, 1,395.
Alva belonged in
ancient times to Clackmannanshire, which it has been politically
incorporated since the passing of the Reform Bill. Since the beginning
of the seventeenth century, however, it has been attached for judicial
purposes to Stirlingshire, although upwards of four miles distant from
its nearest point. The barony is surrounded on all sides by the shire of
Clackmannan, except on the north, where it is bounded by a part of the
county of Perth. From the chartulary of Cambuskenneth, we learn that
Alva was a parish nearly 600 years ago, although it does not appear
certain when the building of the village was first started. In the year
1795, the latter only contained 130 families, including a few single
persons, each of whom occupied part of a house. The population of the
parish in 1791 was 611; in 1801, 787; in 1811, 921; in 1821, 1,197; in
1831, 1,300; in 1836, 1,479; in 1841, 2,136; in 1851, 3,204; in 1861,
3,618; and in 1871, 4,296. For a considerable period prior to the
Reformation, Alva was in the diocese of Dunkeld, and under the
ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the bishop of that see. By an extract
taken from the chartulary of Cambuskenneth, it appears that it was a
mensel church (de mensa Episcopi), belonging to that abbacy; and that
the monks, who were of the order of St. Augustine, performed duty there,
from want of a sufficient fund to maintain a resident and regular
clergyman in the parish. In 1260, Richard, Bishop of Dunkeld, made a
donation to the monks of the church of St. Mary, at Cambuskenneth, of
"the church of Alva with all its legal pertinents," and
dispensed with their employing a vicar to officiate statedly. From 1581,
till 1632, this parish was united to the neighbouring one of
Tillicoultry – the minister of Alva officiating in both. The fabric of
the present church was erected in 1632, by Alexander Bruce, proprietor
of Alva, who afterwards, making a small addition to the stipend,
procured its disjunction from Tillicoultry. In the year 1815, at the
expense of Mr. James Raymond Johnstone, it was wholly built, and fitted
up so as to accommodate 600 sitters.
Baldernock, in
shape, is a very irregular, three-sided figure. It is bounded, on the
west side, by New Kilpatrick and Strathblane; on the south, by the
rivers Allander and Kelvin; and on north and east by Campsie. The first
records of session bear date 1690; but the present church was not built
till 1795. It is still in good repair, and is seated for 406. The
population of the parish in 1794 was 620; in 1801, 796; in 1811, 806; in
1821, 892; in 1831, 805; in 1841, 809; in 1851, 801; in 1861, 729; and
in 1871, 616.
Balfron parish,
which runs very nearly east and west, is about 11 miles in length, and 3
in breadth. It is bounded on the east and southeast, by Gargunnock and
Fintry; on the south and north-west, by Killearn and Drymen; and on the
north and north-east, by Drymen and Kippen. The church was rebuilt in
1833, and seats 700. The population in 1841, was 2,057; in 1851, 1,900;
in 1861, 1,836; and in 1871, 1,502.
Bothkennar is
bounded on the north, by the parish of Airth; on the east, by the Firth
of Forth; on the south by the river Carron; and on the west, by the
parish of Larbert. Its population in 1811, was 821; in 1821, 895; in
1831, 905; in 1841, 849; in 1851, 1,179; in 1861, 1,565; and in 1871,
2,377. Since the last census was taken, Grangemouth has been formed into
a police burgh partly from the parishes of Bothkennar, Falkirk, and
Polmont. In that year (1871) the population of the Bothkennar part of
Grangemouth was 651; and what is now the landward part 1,726. It is
worthy of notice that, while in every other parish in Scotland there was
a great aversion to episcopacy, this parish was so much attached to it
that they kept their minister, Mr. Skinner, a most worthy man, from 1688
till 1721; and had he not resigned his situation it is probable he would
have died among them in the full exercise of his ministerial functions.
There have been only six Presbyterian ministers in this parish, of whom
Mr. Nimmo was one, since episcopacy was abolished.
Buchanan has not
yet been measured. It is supposed, however, to be about 24 miles in
length, and 5 in breadth; while its area, including the islands and
mainland, may be stated at 120 square miles. It is bounded by Loch-lomond
on the west; by the parish of Arrochar on the north; by Loch Katrine,
and the parishes of Aberfoyle and Drymen on the east; and by the river
Endrick on the south. Its population in 1755 was 1,699; in 1793, 1,611;
in 1801, 748; in 1831, 600; in 1841, 619; in 1851, 632; in 1861, 622;
and in 1871, 591.
Campsie (Lennoxtown)
was reduced to its present dimensions, in 1649, by the annexation of its
eastern extremity to Kilsyth, and of its southern extremity to
Baldernock. Its length is about 7 miles, and its breadth about 6. It is
bounded by the parish of Fintry on the north; by Baldernock and
Strathblane on the west; by Cadder and Kirkintilloch on the south; and
on the east by Kilsyth. The "clachan" has been treated
ecclesiastically in a previous chapter. The population of the parish in
1789 was 1,627; in 1793, 2,517; in 1836, 5,653; in 1841, 6,396; in 1851,
6,918; in 1861, 6,483; and in 1871, 6,739. The great increase of
inhabitants, during the first decade noted, arose from the establishment
of the Lennox mill and the Kincaid printfields.
Denny is 6 miles
in length, and, on an average, 4 in breadth. On the west, it is bounded
by Darroch hill; on the east by Dunipace; on the north by the river
Carron; on the south by the Bonny; and on the south-west by Kilsyth. As
already mentioned, this parish was originally part of the parish of
Falkirk. The parochial registers commence about 1679. The minister of
Polmont draws from the heritors, in Temple Denny, the equivalent for his
grass glebe – a satisfactory evidence that both parishes were at one
time portions of Falkirk. The population in 1755 was 1,392; in 1790,
1,416; in 1801, 1,967; in 1821, 3,364; in 1831, 3,843; in 1837, 4,300;
in 1841, 4,428; in 1851, 4,754; in 1861, 4,821; and in 1871, 4,993.
Drymen is bounded
on the north by Aberfoyle and Port; on the east, by Kippen, Balfron, and
Killearn; on the south, by Killearn, Kilmaronock, and Dumbarton; and on
the west, by Buchanan and Kilmaronock. Its extreme length is 15 miles,
and breadth 10. It contains about 50 square miles. The church was
erected in 1771. It is a plain substantial building, and affords
accommodation for about 400. The population in 1755 was 2,780; in 1791,
1,607; in 1811, 1,500; in 1821, 1,652; in 1831, 1,690; in 1841, 1,523;
in 1851, 1,481; in 1861, 1,469; and in 1871, 1,405.
Dunipace, in form,
approaches to that of a triangle. It is bounded on the west and north by
the parish of St. Ninians; on the east by Larbert; and on the south by
the parishes of Falkirk and Denny – the Carron separating it from the
latter for nearly 5 miles. It is a curious fact that forty years ago
there was neither a medical man nor a clergyman, a smith nor a wright,
nor even a resident beggar in this parish; and it was only in 1838 that
there was either a baker or a tailor. In the latter part of the
thirteenth century an uncle of Sir William Wallace was parson of
Dunipace, which was originally a chapel of the parish of Ecclis, now St.
Ninians. At the time of the Reformation Dunipace and Larbert were
erected into two separate parishes – the former then being both the
more populous, and by far the more wealthy of the two – so much so,
that the latter could not maintain a minister. A union, therefore, with
Dunipace was desired, and accomplished under the authority of two Acts
of the Scottish Parliament in 1617 and 1624. The present church stands
on top of one of those little knolls with which the whole district
abounds. It is built in the Gothic style, with a tower, in which there
is a fine bell. It is seated for 604 persons, and was first opened for
worship on the 29th June, 1834. The old church stood a mile
and a half to the eastward. The population of the parish in 1831 was
1,278; in 1841, 1,578; in 1851, 1,472; in 1861, 1,601; and in 1871,
1,733.
Falkirk is
situated in the eastern division of the county, and is separated from
the Firth of Forth by a small part of the parish of Polmont. It extends
about 9 miles in length, and from 2 to 5 in breadth. It is bounded on
the east by the parishes of Polmont and Muiravonside; on the west by
Cumbernauld and Denny; and on the north by the river Carron, which
divides it from Dunipace, Larbert, and Bothkennar. The parish is of an
oblong shape, stretching from the north-east to the north-west. Ancient
documents show that at one time Denny, Slamannan, Muiravonside, and
Polmont formed parts of the then existing parsonage of Falkirk. Of the
period when the first three of these parishes were disjoined no record
has been found; but Polmont was created a distinct parish in 1724. Here
the parochial records are voluminous, and have been regularly kept until
the present time. The date of the earliest entry is 4th
January, 1594. The old church, which was founded by Malcolm, in 1057,
and rebuilt in 1810, with sittings for 1,500 hearers, has already been
mentioned. Falkirk is the only market town in the parish, and in 1841
contained nearly 5,000 inhabitants; but the population of the
parliamentary burgh, in 1835, was ascertained to be 7,445. At the last
census, in 1871, it was 9,547; and, on the lowest calculation, it must
now be over 12,000. The population of the parish in 1755 was 3,932; in
1792, 8,020; and 1801, 8,838; in 1811, 10,395; in 1821, 11,536; in 1831,
12,748; in 1835, 13,037; in 1841, 14,108; in 1851, 16,438; in 1861,
17,026; and in 1871, 18,051.
Fintry, irregular
in figure, extends from east to west about 6 miles, and its breadth,
from north to south, is 5. It contains nearly 20 square miles. The
parish is bounded on the north by Balfron and Gargunnock; on the east by
St. Ninians and Kilsyth; on the south by Campsie; and on the west by
Killeran and Strathblane. The parochial registers belonging to the
session have been kept from a remote date. The oldest is dated 1632. The
Established Church, which is a plain but neat building, with a tower on
the west end, was erected in 1823, and contains 500 sittings. The
population in 1755 was 891; in 1791, 348; in 1801, 958; in 1811, 1,1003;
in 1821, 1,002; in 1831, 1,051; in 1851, 823; in 1861, 685; and in 1871,
499. After 1755 the farms of the parish were enlarged by the union of
several small farms; and the consequence was, that many of the tenants
were ejected, and had to seek a subsistence for themselves and families
elsewhere. Accordingly, in 1791, there is a decrease of population to
the extent of 543. About this time, however, a change of an opposite
nature caused a great increase. Mr. Speirs built a large cotton factory;
and, to accommodate the many hands employed, a village was erected
which, in 1841, contained about 650 inhabitants.
Gargunnock
contains about 20 square miles. Its length is 6 miles, and breadth 4. It
is bounded on the east and south by St. Ninians; on the west by Fintry,
Balfron, and Kippen; and on the north by Kincardine and Kilmaronock. The
earliest entry in the parish registers is dated 1615. Although built in
1774, the church is still in a state of good repair. It accommodates 500
sitters. The population in 1755 was 956; in 1793, 830; in 1833, 908; in
1841, 826; in 1851, 754; in 1861, 729; and in 1871, 675.
Killearn contains
27 square miles. Its length is 12 miles; and its breadth, where
greatest, 4; but at an average 2 1/2. It is situated in Strathendrick,
now the western district of Stirlingshire. It was originally, however, a
part of Lennox or Dumbartonshire. The population in 1755 was 959; in
1769, 948; in 1794, 973; in 1831, 1,206; in 1841, 1,187; in 1851, 1,176;
in 1861, 1,145; and in 1871, 1,111. A temporary diminution was also
occasioned here by the union of small farms.
Kilsyth, in form,
approaches to an irregular oblong. It runs for 7 miles along the north
high road from Edinburgh to Glasgow, and its mean breadth is fully half
its length. It contains nearly 24 square miles. The natural boundaries
are the Carron, on the north; the Kelvin and the Bonnyburn, on the
south; Inchwood burn on the west; and the Bush burn on the east. The
population in 1801 was 1,762; in 1811, 3,206; in 1821, 4,260; in 1831,
4,297; in 1841, 4, 683; in 1851, 5,346; in 1861, 5,828; and in 1871,
6,313.
Kippen lies
chiefly in Stirlingshire, but in different places is intersected by
portions of Perthshire which run across it from north to south, for
nearly a third part of the parish. Its greatest length is about 8 miles,
and its breadth from 2 to nearly 4 miles. It is bounded on the north by
the river Forth, which separates it from the parishes of Port and
Norriestown; on the east by Gargunnock; on the south by Balfron; and on
the west by the parish of Drymen. The church was built in 1825, and
seats 800. The population in 1793 was 1,777; in 1801, 1,722; in 1811,
1,893; in 1821, 2,029; in 1831, 2,085; in 1851, 1,892; in 1861, 1,736;
and in 1871, 1,568.
Larbert parish
proper is nearly elliptical in form – the measures of the transverse
and conjugate axis being about 3 and 2 1/2 miles; while the superficial
extent is close upon 4 1/2 square miles. The river Carron is the
boundary on the S. & S. S. E., for 2 1/4 miles; Dunipace on the west
and north-west for 2 1/2 miles; the little rivulet the Pow, of Airth, on
the north; and for 1 1/4 mile, on the north-east and south-east, the
parishes of Airth and Bothkennar form the marches. On account of its
early poverty, Larbert, as we have already said, was united quoad sacra
to Dunipace; but the establishment of the iron works at Carron changed
matters entirely. Its population in 1831 was 4,262; in 1841, 4,411; in
1851, 4,606; in 1861, 4,999; and in 1871, 5,280.
Logie is bounded
on the north by the parish of Dunblane; on the south by the river Forth,
which divides it from Stirling and St. Ninians; on the west by Lecropt
and Dunblane; and on the east by Alva and Alloa. Its extreme length from
north to south, is between 6 and 7 miles; and its extreme breadth, from
east to west, about 6. The present church, which was built in 1805, is a
plain unpretending structure, but neat and commodious. It is seated for
644 people. Its situation is peculiarly romantic and beautiful; and that
of the old kirk (now an interesting ruin) still more so. The population
in 1831 was 1,943; in 1841, 2,198; in 1851, 2,551; in 1861, 3,468; and
in 1871, 4,553.
Muiravonside, or
Moranside, is about 7 miles in length and its irregular breadth may
average 2. The river Avon descending towards the north-east, till it
turns to the north and west nor far from Linlithgow Bridge, bounds its
extreme length on the south-east, and forms the border of its breadth on
the north-east, separating it from the parishes of Slamannan, Torphichen,
Linlithgow, and Bo'ness. It is said to have been, in ancient times,
annexed to the parish of Falkirk; but we find it named a separate parish
in 1606, the date of the oldest presbytery record. In several returns,
too, of the earldom of Linlithgow, which were made in the seventeenth
century, Muiravonside is reckoned amongst its patronages. The population
in 1801 was 1,070; in 1811, 1,330; in 1821, 1,678; in 1831, 1,540; in
1851, 2,644; in 1861, 2,662; and in 1871, 2,653.
Polmont is about 6
1/2 miles in length, and its utmost breadth is nearly 3. It is bounded
on the north by the firth of Forth; on the east, partly by the river
Avon, which separates the county of Stirling from the county of
Linlithgow, and partly by the parish of Muiravonside; on the south by
Muiravonside and Slamannan; and on the west by the parish of Falkirk,
from which it was disjoined in 1724. Its name, however, must be at least
of long standing, for among the titles of the Duke of Hamilton, he is
called Lord Polmont. The population in 1755 was 1,094; in 1791, 1,400;
in 1801, 2,194; in 1811, 1,827; in 1821, 2,171; in 1831, 3,200; in 1835,
3,107; in 1841, 3,412; in 1851, 3,764; in 1861, 3,892; and in 1871,
3,910. In 1801, the colliery at Shieldhill was in active operation, and
hence the large increase at that period compared with the census in
1791. In 1811, work there was almost discontinued: consequently the
decrease. Again, from 1821 to 1831, the Redding Colliery was conducted
on an extensive scale; and in 1835, the diminution was occasioned by
fewer men being employed.
St. Ninians once
comprehended the whole district between the Forth and Carron. With the
exception of the small space occupied by the parish of Stirling, the
Forth is still its northern boundary for many miles, by which it is
separated from Kincardine, Lecropt, Logie and Alloa. On the east, it is
bounded by Airth; on the west by Gargunnock and Fintry. The Carron on
the south, for nearly 6 miles, separates it from Kilsyth and Denny;
while Dunipace and Larbert form the remainder of its southern boundary.
A parallelogram of 10 miles by 6 is more than the parish would fill up.
11 miles by 5 is nearer the mark. It contains about 55 square miles.
From the church to Randieford, on the west, is a distance of fully 11
miles; and to Powbridge, on the east, about 7, though in a direct line
the distance between these extreme points may not be over 15 or 16
miles; but owing to the windings of the Forth and other causes it is
very irregular, and at both extremities is not more than 3 miles. The
church was built in 1750, and contains upwards of 1,500 sittings. The
population in 1645 was 4,760; in 1745, 5,916; in 1755, 6,491; in 1792,
7,079; in 1801, 6,849; in 1811, 7,636; in 1821, 8,274; in 1831, 9,552;
in 1841, 10,080; in 1851, 9,851; in 1861, 8,946; and in 1871, 10,146.
Slamannan is
bounded on the north-west by the parish of Cumbernauld; on the west and
south-west by New Monkland; on the east and south-east by Torphichen;
and on the north and north-east by Muiravonside, Polmont, and Falkirk.
At the north-western extremity, there is a point where three counties
meet, viz., Stirling, Dumbarton, and Lanark; and on the south there is
another point where the counties of StirIing and Lanark meet with the
county of Linlithgow. The parish lies on the south of the water of Avon,
and is from 5 to 6 miles in length, and about 3 in breadth. In 1724,
when Polmont was disjoined from Falkirk, a considerable portion of the
former, which lies on the north of the Avon, was annexed quoad sacra to
Slamannan, making the whole parish upwards of 6 miles in length and
nearly 5 in breadth. The church, which was rebuilt in 1810, accommodates
upwards of 700 persons. The population in 1801 was 923; in 1811, 993; in
1821, 981; in 1831, 1,093; in 1851, 1,655; in 1861, 2,916; and in 1871,
4,164.
Strathblane lies
in the south-west corner of the shire, and is bounded on the east by the
parish of Campsie; on the south by Baldernock and New Kilpatrick; and on
the west and north by Killearn. Its average length is rather more than 5
miles, and breadth about 4. The surface comprises nearly 20 square
miles. The church, which was built in 1803, is a handsome edifice of
modem Gothic, and is seated for 450. The population in 1755 was 797; in
1795, 620; in 1811, 795; in 1821, 748; in 1831, 1,030; in 1841, 1,045;
in 1851, 1,010; in 1861, 1,122; and in 1871, 1,235.
Stirling parish is
2 miles in length from west to east, and 1 1/2 mile in breadth from
north to south. Its figure is very irregular, depending in some places
on the waving line of the Forth, in others on the deep indentations made
in it by the parish of St. Ninians. By the latter it is bounded on the
west, south, and east, by Logie on the north-east, and north, and by
Lecropt on the north. The population in 1755, was 3,951; in 1792, 4,698;
in 1801, 5,256; in 1811, 5,993; in 1821, 7,333; in 1831, 8,499; in 1841,
8,860; in 1851, 12,837; in 1861, 13,846; and in 1871, 14,279. With the
Reformation, came the abolition of the Popish ritual, and the
establishment of the Protestant worship. From this period, until 1607,
the parish was under the spiritual charge of one minister. A second
minister was then appointed, but it was not till 1643 that a fixed
endowment was given by the magistrates and others. In 1731, upon an
application from the inhabitants, the third charge was created, when
consent was granted to a multure, which had been levied for some years,
being perpetuated for its support. From this time, the ministers of the
first and second charges were colleagues together in the east church,
the minister of the third charge preaching in the west, until, upon the
deposition of Ebenezer Erskine, in 1740, for whom this charge had been
instituted, that church was disused as an ordinary place of worship, and
only opened on sacramental occasions for the accommodation of those who
could not find access to the east church. This state of things,
notwithstanding petitions from the inhabitants, continued till 1817,
when the third charge was revived, and the west church re-opened with
Archibald Bruce ordained and admitted as minister. The arrangement, in
other respects, continued the same down till 1825, when the then
minister of the third charge being appointed to the second, remained in
the west church, instead of being transferred to the east, and on being
appointed in 1829, to the first charge still remained in the west. After
that date, the minister of the first charge was fixed in the west
church, the minister of the second charge in the east, while he of the
third charge preached in each church alternately as colleague to both
the others. The first person who appears to have occupied any
ministerial office in the parish was Thomas Duncanson, Reader,
who was, for uncleanness, suspended by the General Assembly, December
31st, 1563. The earliest appointment of a second minister was, as we
have already said, in 1507, when Robert Mure was admitted coadjutor to
Patrick Simpson. The dissenters from the national religious
establishment were, seventy years ago, perhaps more numerous,
proportionally, in Stirling than in most parts of Scotland. It was here,
indeed, that, in 1738, that secession began which afterwards spread over
the country under the name of "The Associated Synod," and, ten
years after, branched into burghers and antiburghers. The prime mover,
however, in a party which has been considered as unfavourable to
loyalty, where the reigning prince has not signed "the Solemn
League and Covenant," Mr. Ebenezer Erskine, eight years after his
expulsion from the bosom of the national church, demonstrated his
attachment to the civil government, by assuming the military character
in the defence of Stirling against the insurgent army in 1746, when he
gallantly headed two companies of his affectionate flock.
A census table, dry as
the look of it may seem, tells an interesting tale of its own. The
social history of a district may, in part, be read from it. An increase
of population means industrial prosperity. A decrease, industrial
depression. In the previous pages of this chapter, we have given the
number of inhabitants in each of the parochial divisions of the shire.
We close with the population of the county itself, at intervals from
1765 till 1871.
1765 – 39,761
1768 – 47,373
1801 – 50,825
1811 – 58,174
1821 – 65,376
1831 – 72,621
1841 – 82,057
1851 – 86,237
1861 – 91,926
1871 – 98,179 |
