The origin and history of Glasgow streets

C-D Calton - Dunlop Street

Calton

is from a Gaelic word, coillduin, meaning wood on the hill. It had been known for some time as Blackfauld, and formed part of the Barrowfield estate. It was ultimately raised into a Burgh of Barony, and annexed to the city in 1846. The Cross was at the junction of Main Street and King Street, the latter at that time being known as New Street.

Camlachie or Cambuslachie

are both Celtic terms, meaning the wild duck hollow or glen. Camlaiche, another form, means the muddy bend of the burn.

CAMPBELL STREET

opened 1784, from Gallowgate Street to Graeme Street, was formed on ground belonging to James Campbell of Petershill.

CAMPBELL STREET (WEST)

is named for Campbell of Blythswood.

CAMPERDOWN STREET

to commemorate Camperdown's Red Fight, when Admiral Duncan routed the Dutch on 11th October, 1797. The local authorities forbade illuminations in celebration because (it was said) the Dutch were Protestants. From this it would appear that pro-Boerism is not a creation of yesterday.

CANDLERIGGS STREET

opened in 1724. A candle work formerly occupied a site at its north end.

CANNING STREET (Calton)

is named for the Honourable George Canning, who died in 1827, Prime Minister of Great Britain. It had previously been known as Barrowfield Road, being the highway to the manor-place of that name.

CANON STREET

opened in 1360, was formed upon the site of what had been a seminary for canons.

CARLTON PLACE

opened 1802. It was laid off by James Laurie of Laurieston, who put up gates at either end to stop cart traffic, but the attempt failed. The internal decoration, particularly the plaster work, in some of the lodgings in this terrace, which was executed by artificers from Italy, has not up till the present time been equalled by local tradesmen.

CARMENT DRIVE

named for Dr. Carment, of Carment, Wedderburn, and Watson, the well-known legal firm in Edinburgh who are the agents of Sir John Maxwell of Pollok, on whose estate this thoroughfare is formed.

Carmunnock

means the round hill of the monk.

Carmyle

from the Gaelic cathirmaol, meaning the bare town. It was a poor little hamlet till 1741, when Mr. Mackenzie, a Glasgow merchant, started a muslin manufactory in it.

CARRICK STREET

opened 1800, was formed on the bleachfield of Brown, Carrick & Co., and named for the junior partner.

CARSTAIRS STREET

named for the residential estate of Henry Monteith.

CASTLE STREET

opened 1100, was the highway to the Bishop's Palace or Castle, which was used for either purpose as the exigencies of war or religion demanded.

CATHCART STREET (Hutchestown)

opened 1798, named for Lord Cathcart.

CATHEDRAL STREET

opened 1840, previous to which date there was a narrow road called Potter-row Lone a short distance south of the present street, which ran in the same direction, but the operations of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Co. swept it away and altered the locality.

CHARLES STREET (Mile-end)

named after a former East-end proprietor. There was a close or entry in the locality that was known as Charley's Close, and it latterly had an unenviable notoriety from being the haunt or gathering-place of the roughs of Calton and Bridgeton. Who Charley was history sayeth not, but when he departed this life it was found that he had left a legacy to the East-enders in the shape of a small green which was to remain an open space for ever, but the little oasis has been utilised by a railway company, who have not given an equivalent.

CHARLES STREET (St. Rollox)

named after Charles Tennant the elder, grandsire of the present Baronet. He founded St. Rollox Chemical Works in company with George Macintosh of Dunchattan in 1788.

CHARLOTTE STREET

opened 1779, and named for the grandam of our late Empress Queen, Victoria. It had previously been known as Merkdaily, that is the daily market where fruit and vegetables were sold. David Dale the Socialist, and founder of Lanark Mills, had his town house here, still standing at the south-west corner. He built it in 1782 at a cost of £6000. It and the garden were acquired in 1850 for an Eye Infirmary, at the price of £2800.

CHARLOTTE LANE

Previous to the formation of London Street in 1824 this was a labyrinthine passage extending from Great Hamilton Street to Saint Andrew Square. The operation cut it in two, and the eastern portion became for a time London Lane. But the dwellers in the East liked not the title, and imagined that they saw some resemblance in the passage to the narrow way where the Mesopotamian soothsayer and his poor old donkey encountered the celestial messenger with such marvellous results, so they named it Balaam's Pass, pronounced Balaum's Pass, and it was better known by this cognomen than any other for many years. The authorities have lately put up fresh name-plates bearing the legend Charlotte Lane.

CHEAPSIDE STREET

after the thoroughfare of this name in London, which got its title from having been the site of a cheap market.

CHURCH PLACE (off Main Street, Anderston)

has been the site of a place of worship for well nigh one hundred and fifty years. The Rev. James Stuart, who was the second minister of the Relief Church here, was ordained in 1775, having previously been assistant at Saint Andrew's Church. He was a son of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, and was born in Dunblane in 1745. He died in 1819.

CLAYTHORN STREET

was formed on the lands of Claythorn, which belonged to John Luke, who was an extensive merchant in the city.

CLYDE STREET (GREAT)

was formerly known as the Horse Brae, from the slope that led down to the ford. Here the fairs and markets were held for the sale of all kinds of quadrupeds.

CLYDE STREET (Calton)

was formed on the property of John Clyde, who was a brewer in Craignestock (which is in the vicinity) in 1777. This family were the maternal ancestors of Robert Dalglish of Kilmardinny, who was for many years a popular representative of the city in Parliament.

Clyde (River)

from the Gaelic word clith, meaning strong. It is not to be confounded with Clwyd in Wales, it being the name of the son of Cunedda Wledig, who conquered the Gwyddel or Irish settlers in North Wales.

COCHRANE STREET

opened 1787, named for Andrew Cochrane, was Provost in 1760. It had previously been know as Cotton Street, from the fact that it was almost entirely taken up with the offices of cotton brokers, spinners, and yarn agents. The Bird Market was held on the north side of this street previous to its removal to a lane on the north side of Bell Street, City.

COLEBROOKE STREET

named for Sir Thomas Edward Colebrooke, Bart. He was for many years a popular Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire.

COLLEGE STREET

off High Street, was formed by the Corporation in 1794.

COLLEGE STREET (WEST)

was formed on the site of a monastic establishment, which at the Reformation was bestowed by the Crown upon the College of Glasgow.

COLLINS STREET

in honour of Sir William Collins, who was Lord Provost in 1877. He was senior partner of William Collins, Sons & Co., the well-known publishing firm.

COMMERCE STREET

was at first called Queen Street.

COOK STREET

named for James Cook, a well-known engineer whose works were there. He engined some of the earlier steamers on the Clyde.

CORNWALL STREET (Plantation)

was named for a relative of Mrs. Maclean, wife of the first proprietor of that name.

CORUNNA STREET

commemorative of Sir John Moore's victory over the French on 16th January, 1809.

COWCADDENS STREET

was formed through the village of. So named from being the place where cows were milked.

Cowlairs

was part of the commons belonging to the town. In the burgh records of 9th March, 1631, it is recorded that part of the lands of Cowlairs was let for £6 13s. 4d., and the mikle hill nearest Flemington, the Sagie Holm, part of Kowlairs, and Channel Moss were let for 52 merks.

CRAIGIEHALL STREET

This was the name of the greater part of the Plantation estate, on which this street is formed, previous to its acquisition by Mr. Robertson in 1783.

CRANSTONHILL

was formerly called Drumother Hill. Some sapient historian twisted this ancient title into Drumover Hill, stating that it had acquired the latter cognomen from being the spot to which all vagabonds were escorted when to the tune of the "Rogues' March" they were drummed out of town. This was a pure invention. The vagabonds were ejected at the Gallowgate Port, so that they might benefit by a sight of the permanent gallows (which stood on the Butts) en pasaant. "Senex" mentions that he saw a Highland woman escorted to Cranstonhill. This must have been an exceptional case, and may have been done to give her a chance of getting back to her native wilds. The true solution of the name is to be found in two Gaelic words - druim odhar - pronounced somewhat like "drumover," and meaning the grey ridge. Peden, the Scottish prophet, prognosticated that the Cross of Glasgow would ultimately be on this spot. At the present rate of extension in this direction his prediction seems likely to be fulfilled at no very remote date.

CROSSHILL

derives its name from an ancient cross which stood on a height still named the Cross Hill. This monument was about ten feet high and three-and-a-half wide, and bore a sculptured representation of Christ entering Jerusalem riding on an ass. It was removed by some vandals about the end of the eighteenth century.

Crossmyloof

The origin of this name has been ascribed to Queen Mary. The village, however, was not in existence in her time, and the lands went under that name long anterior to the Battle of Langside. It is said by A. M. Scott, the historian of Langside, to be a compound of Latin and Gaelic in connection with a cross of elm wood with which it was customary in Catholic times to mark the boundary of the parish.

CROWNPOINT ROAD

derives its name from Crown Point House, built here in 1761 by William Alexander, the name being that of a famous stronghold on the Canadian frontier which was taken from the French by General Amerhst.

CUMBERLAND STREET (Hutchesontown)

is marked on McArthur's map, made from actual survey in 1778, as Shields Lone.

CUMBERLAND STREET (Calton)

is intersected by Canning Street, and was originally known as North and South Cumberland Streets respectively. There are no less than four thoroughfares of this name in the city, and why the Butcher of Culloden comes to be so unduly commemorated is past the comprehension of any patriotic Scotsman; but in the earlier days it was sufficient for those who imposed those titles to sink all national feeling in the bigotry and superstition of the time, and only to remember that he crushed for ever the hopes of a pseudo Roman Catholic in his aspirations to the throne. Tolerated somewhat in the same spirit, there ramps as the chief ornament at the Cross of our city the bonnet-less and sandalled effigy of one whose whole life was permeated with holy zeal, yet he lent himself to the carrying out of the Massacre of Glencoe and the destruction of the Darien Expedition.

Dalbeth

This is a Celtic word signifying the field or meadow covered with birchwood.

DALE STREET (Bridgeton)

named after David Dale, of Lanark Mills. See Charlotte Street.

DALMARNOCK ROAD

was the highway to the estate of this name, which is said to have been derived from Saint Marnock, who had a cell at Kilmarnock; but this is mythical. In 1174 it was written Dalmurnech, which is purely Celtic, from two words dael and muranach, meaning the meadow or plain abounding in bent and iris.

DEAN STREET

was formed on the lands attached to the Deanery. Deanside Lane adjoins.

DELFTFIELD

was that part of the Broomielaw Croft which lay between Robertson Street and Brown Street. It was named after the town of Delft in Holland. A pottery was for many years in operation here under the name of the Delftfield Co., which had been established in 1749.

DEMPSTER STREET

opened 1792, is only a fragment of its original size, it having originally extended over a great part of what is now Love Loan. It was named in honour of George Dempster of Dunichen, who was M.P. for the Perth Burghs from 1761 till 1790. Dempster visited Glasgow in 1787, and as he had opposed the repeal of the duty on French cambrics he was made the hero of a torchlight procession which was organised by the Bridgeton and Anderston weavers. This street when first opened was called Botany Bay. Burns alludes to Dempster in his epistle to James Smith.

Dennistoun

This suburb comprises several properties acquired at different times, the first purchase being Golfhill by James Dennistoun, who bought it from the trustees of Jonathan Anderson in 1814. He built the mansion-house, where he resided till he died on 11th October, 1835. His heirs and successors continued to purchase adjoining lands up till 1864, when the estate in cumulo extended to considerably over 200 acres, which is now fairly well covered with tenements and villas. The Dennistouns have had a long and honourable connection with this city, both as Virginia Dons and cotton magnates, and politically they followed their heart more than their own interest, and it is well known that they gave more than sympathy to the unfortunate Prince of the Forty-five when he honoured Saint Mungo with his presence. The Colgrain branch is the recognised head of the name, they having a pedigree that goes back beyond history when their ancestor gave the place-name to the district beyond Finlayston in Renfrewshire. The Maxwells of Stanely Castle came into possession of that holding through intermarriage with the Dennistouns, it having been granted to Sir Robert de Danielston by King Robert the Third on 24th August, 1392.

DIXON STREET

named for William Dixon of Dixon's Blazes. He was born at Govan in 1788. His wife, Elizabeth Strang, was a sister of the City Chamberlain. He died in 1862, and was succeeded by his son, the late W. S. Dixon.

DOBBIE'S LOAN

is in great part an old Roman or military road, and was until the beginning of last century a straggling path which in the sixteenth or seventeeth century formed the access to the crofts and common pasture on the north-west of the city, and apparently had its name from John Dobbie, who owned land early in the seventeenth century outside the Stable-Green-Port, and members of the Dobbie family continued to hold land in the district for a hundred and fifty years afterwards.

DOUGLAS STREET

named for James Douglas of Mains. James Campbell, the younger brother of Colin Campbell, the fifth of Blythswood, was left the estate of Mains by his mother's father, and he then assumed the name of Douglas.

DOVEHILL (GREAT and LITTLE)

was originally the Dow Hill, which was intended to mean dew hill. In Gaelic it is dhu or black hill. The monkish conveyancers, however, rendered it the Hill of Doves.

DRURY STREET

Two youths residing here when it was in a state of chaos, having got stagestruck through reading about Drury Lane Theatre, and wishing to impart as much of a theatrical air as possible to their environs, got the name printed and posted on a corner building, where it stuck to the wall, and has stuck to the locality ever since.

DRYGATE STREET

is undoubtedly the oldest thoroughfare in the city. In Jamieson's history of the Culdees it is stated that the Pagans brought the word dry from Germany, as being the name by which every German priest was called. In ancient times, anterior to our ecclesiastical history, a Druidical place of worship stood on the site of the present Necropolis, the only approach to which must have been the Drygate, hence it was designated the priests' road. A mint-house was erected here during the reign of Robert the Third.

DUKE STREET

opened 1794, is named for the Duke of Montrose, whose lodging overlooked it. Previous to 1801 it extended as far west as Balmanno Street, the name being cut deep in the east corner tenement. It was at first known as Carntyne Road, and is the longest street in any city in the United Kingdom, which came out in the following way:- In the course of a controversy in a weekly periodical on this question, a prize being offered to the person who solved the matter, Oxford Street, London, was given and accepted as the longest; but our respected townsman Mr. M. Gemmel, the well-known property agent, had reason from his own knowledge to be dissatisfied with the award, and he had the street measured, it turning out to be, as he expected, considerably longer than Oxford Street.

Dumbreck

is a corruption of the Gaelic word dunbreac, meaning the hill speckled with daisies, otherwise the spotted rising ground or ridge where heather, bracken, and pasture alternated. The name at present embraces a large area, but originally applied only to Bellahouston Hill, now included in the public park. This in the olden time was the property of the Rowans, one of the oldest territorial families in Govan. The old mansion of Holmfauldhead, near Linthouse, and at present (1901) in course of demolition, was their last residence in the district. By the way, the late Earl of Dufferin's lady is the eldest daughter of the late Archibald Rowan Hamilton of Killyleagh Castle, County Down, whose grandsire was Archibald Hamilton Rowan, a son of Old Holmfauldhead, as he was called. This Archibald was rather advanced in his politics, and went to Ireland, where he became secretary to the Society of United Irishmen in 1793, in which year he came to Edinburgh, and for challenging the Lord Advocate of Scotland to fight a duel had to cut and run. Time toned him down, and he behaved better after.

DUNCAN STREET (Calton)

named in honour of Admiral Duncan, the hero of Camperdown.

Dundas, Port

named for Sir Laurence Dundas, who cut the first sod of the Forth and Clyde Canal on 10th June, 1768, and the eastern portion, on his own estate, was the foundation of Grangemouth, of which the Earl of Zetland, his descendant, is the superior.

DUNCHATTAN STREET

is formed on the lands of Dunchattan, of which George Macintosh was the proprietor. The name means the hill of the Cattanach or Clan Chattan, of which The Macintosh was chief.

DUNLOP STREET

opened 1772. Colin Dunlop of Clyde Iron Works, who was Provost in 1770, opened this street, and built the mansion fronting Argyle Street in 1750. It is the second from the east corner, and is the oldest building in the street. George Murdoch, who was Provost in 1766, had a residence at the corner. It was almost identical with Dunlop's, and latterly was for many years occupied as the Buck's Head Hotel.