The great majority of the people in this parish are collected in villages. Besides
Lennoxtown, containing between 2500 and 3000 persons, there are several considerable
villages and hamlets,-the Clachan, Haugh-head, Mount, Milton, Torrance, &c. The last-
mentioned has a population, (including those who dwell in the im mediate neighbourhood,)
of 800. It is situated in the southern extremity of the parish, more than three miles from
the parish church, and five miles from the manse. There are nearly fifty public houses in
this parish ,-a fact sufficiently expressive of the habits of a large proportion of the
people, as also of the facility with which licenses are granted. Those whose business it
is to grant licenses, and who should be guardians of the public morals, would do well to
remember, that the multitude of taverns, while it indicates a great demand for spirituous
liquors, also increases that. demand; for every additional public-house is a new centre of
dissipation, bringing the family itself and all its immediate connections into doser
contact with their most dangerous and deadly enemy.
Means of Co,nmnnication.-The parish is intersected by two lines of road, the one
running nearly east and west, from Strathblane to Kilsyth, the other nearly at right
angles from Glasgow over the Fells, to Fintry and Kippen. A coach leaves Lennox-town every
morning except on Sundays and Thursdays, and returns from Glasgow in the evening. The
Forth and Clyde Canal passes near the south extremity of the parish, and the Glasgow road
to Stirling by Kilsyth, runs through tjie south-east corner.
Friendly and other Societies.- Several Friendly Societies exist ed at one time in
this parish; but an individual, suspected to be feigning sickness, was the occasion of
dissolving them all.
The skeletons exist of two mason lodges.
An attempt was made in 1837 to establish a savings bank; but the bulk of those for whose
benefit it was designed would not be persuaded.
Ecclesiastical State.-Campsie was a parish of note in Catholic times. The parson of
Campsie was sacristan of the Cathedral of
Glasgow, where he resided, being one of the canons. He served the cure by a vicar. The
living appears to have been great. Lamberton, Beaton, and W. Erskine, afterwards
Archbishop or Glasgow, were all of them parsons of Campsie.*
*It appears that Alwin second Earl of Lennox, who succeeded to his father in 1165, "gave to Walter Bishop of Glasgow, and his successors in that see, the church of Campsie in his Earldom of Lennox, ad orandum pro animabus regis David et Comitis Henrici, et regis Malcolmi et pro salute domini sui Willielmi regis, et dominae Emergarde regina, &c &c." - Chartu1ary of Glasgow.
In Douglas's Peerage, it is stated that the church of Campsie was built and endowed by Isabella, Duchess of Albany, by charter to the Convent of Grayfriars at Glasgow, dated 18th May 1451, and the endowment is declared to be made" pro salute animae nostrae et pro salute quond. recolendae memorliae dilectissimi spotisi nostri Do. mini Mardaci dudum Ducis Abanie, necnon pro animabus quond. Domini Duncsaii Comitis de Levenax, progenitoris nostri, so pro animabus Waiteri, Jacobi et Abram dri, quondam filiorum nostrorum." Mr Lapslie says it was one of the bishop's churches gifted by Donald Earl of Lennox to the see of Glasgow in the year 1270. This must be a mistake for Malcolm was Earl at that time. The first Donald that possessed the Earldom succeeded in 1333. The donation mentioned in the former extract was probably the first bequest of lands in Campsie to the church. Duchess 1sabella probably erected the first church or at least a new church, and bestowed additional lands.
The old church stood at the Clachan, where the manse and the parish school yet remain. It was small and inconveniently placed, being near the western extremity of the parish, and five miles distant from a large number of the people. The present parish church was built at Lennoxtown in 1829,-which village, besides contain ing a large proportion of the whole population, is also nearly in the centre of the parish-though many of the people are still three miles distant from the church. This applies particularly to the village of Torrance, which adjoins the parish of Cadder, to which it might be attached with advantage to all parties, there being plenty of room for the people in Cadder parish church, and the minister being enabled, by the small number of his own parishioners, and the proximity of Torrance to give the inhabitants of this village, a degree of attention which the minister of Campsie, being five miles off, and having a very populous parish to attend to, can never be expected to render.
The congregation in Campsie church is numerous in moderate weather, though less so than it should be. That part of the people who dwell near are not more regular in attendance than those who are distant, but, in many cases, less so. A great number of persons go very seldom to church-many never. The excuse most frequently alleged is want of suitable clothing. To meet this evil as far as possible the three parish school-houses, situate, all of them, at considerable distances from the church, are employed on Sunday evenings as preaching stations, as is also the large new school-house in Lennoxtown-in one or more or which places there is always during winter, public worship on Sunday evenings-not without the appearance of much benefit,-many persons attending the preaching stations who never come to church.
There is in Lennoxtown a Relief chapel, capable or containing about 600 persons. It was built by a few of the principal heritors, who were offended at the appointment of Mr Lapslie as parish minister in 1764.
There is a considerable Roman Catholic population in Campsie, all Irish, and amounting to between 600 and 1000 persons. A priest has resided some time in Lennoxtown, since whose coming, that part of the people have been more sober and orderly than they formerly were.
A few individuals attend Dissenting places of worship in Kirkintilloch-and the Chartists have had meetings on Sundays some time past. There is also a small body of Methodists in the parish. In my opinion, the religious and moral character of the people is improving, though more slowly than one could wish.*
The following interesting note is copied from Mr Lapslie's Account of this parish. It is also engrossed on a blank leaf of the old session-book.
There is reason to believe the clergymen of Campsie continued Roman Catholic, and occasionally performed the Romish service in it till 1572. We find,
1 Mr Stoddart, Presbyterian minister of Campsie. 3d November 1581.
2. Mr James Stewart, settled assistant and successor, 25th March 1607.
3. Mr James Crichton, admitted 23d April 1623. He was deposed for what was called corrupt doctrine. There is a tradition in the parish, that he could walk (from the Clachan, 1 suppose.) to the top of the Fells in twenty minutes, eating a pease bannock. A heap of stones on the summit still retains the name Crichton's Cairn.*
4. Mr Alexander Forbes was admitted 16th December 1629, and was deposed for not conforming to the synod of Glasgow, April 3d 1639.
5. Mr John Collins was admitted 2d November 1641. He was murdered returning from the presbytery about Martinmas 1648. Suspicion fell on the laird of Belglass, a small heritor in the parish, who fled the country.
6. Mr Archibald Dennistoun was ordained 30th March 1649, and deposed by tile protesters in 1655. He was restored in 1661, and died 1679. There is a story told of him that, in the year 1655, he had begun a discourse on a text, and had half finished the first head. In the year 1661, when restored, he took up his discourse where he had left off remarking, that the times were altered, but the Gospel was still the same."
Principal Baillie says of Dennistoun, "He, for his part, saw nothing evil of the man. The protesters put in his room a Mr John Law, a poor baxter cullan, who had but lately left his trade and hardly knew his grammar; but they said he was gifted."
7. Mr John Law was ordained by the protesters in 1656, ejected in 1661, and re stored in 1688. He never again officiated in Campsie.
8. Mr George Miln was instituted 24th June 1681. He was turned out at the Revolution, and was exceedingly ill used. The worthless part of the parish, having risen in a mob, broke his furniture, and threatened his person. By way of retalia tion, this gentleman carried away the records of the parish.
9. Mr John Govan, who had been imprisoned in the Bass, was ordained 5th December 1688, and died io 1729.
10. He was succeeded by his nephew, Mr John Forrester, who died September 1781, aged 25.
11. Mr John Warden, son or the minister or Gargunnock, was ordained 3d April. 1732. This
gentleman was translated first to Perth, and then to the Canongate, Edinburgh.
12. Mr William Bell, ordained 24th September 1747, and died 8th May 1783. Many of the old
inhabitants yet remember and speak of Mr Bell, who seems to have been an industrious and
conscientious clergyman.
13. Mr James Lapslie, succeeded November27, 1783, and died 11th November 1824. He was a
native of Campsie, and, though not without many faults, a man of genius and of extensive
and various information. The old Statistical Account of this parish written by him, is not
inferior to any article in that work. He had an uncommon flow or natural eloquence; and
many of his striking observations are still remembered and repeated by the people.
14. Dr Norman Macleod was admitted August I1, 1825, and translated to one of the Gaelic
churches in Glasgow 1835.
15. The present incumbent was admitted 5th May 1836.
Thus fifteen clergymen have held the living or Campsie since the year 1582, being somewhat
less than sixteen years each. Of the number-two were translated - five deposed - and one
murdered.
* "Rem ausus plus fama, habituram apud posteros quam fidei." The feat, at least, far exceeds the powers of such men as live in this age of the world.
In 1618, the stipend was 2 chalders of meal and 600 merks. In 1649, an augmentation of
one chalder of meal, and 100 merks was granted. The stipend was augmented in 1817 to 18
chalders, meal and barley, in equal quantity. There are nearly L. 700 a year of
unexhausted teinds. An augmentation of 2 chalders, in which all the heritors concurred,
was, on the 20th of february
1839, sanctioned by the Court of Teinds. The manse is about forty years old. The old
manse, situate behind the present, is
converted into offices. The glebe is said to be 54 acres. A grass glebe of 5½ acres
additional was allocated in 1646; but, owing to the turbulence of the times, the minister
does not appear ever to have been in possession. In order to make up to him the want of a
grass glebe, a few of the larger proprietors rented for the late incumbent a park of seven
acres.
Education.-Until the last few years the state of education was
exceedingly low, and the number of persons who could not write or read.lamentably great.
This unfortunate state of things is rapidly in the course of being removed, though to
remove it effectually will require great attention and continued efforts for many years to
come.
The parish school, as already stated, is situated at the Clachan. Conformably to an Act of Parliament, 43 George III. c.54, the heritors of Campsie resolved, in 1808, to grant an allowance to two additional schools, to wit, that at Craighead, and that at Torrance. The salary at present payable to the school- masters is three chalders of oatmeal, at the average price during twenty years, commencing 1828, or L. 17, 2s. 2d. per chalder. The interest of a sum of L. 270, bequeathed by Robert Blair, Esq. of Glasgow-has been enjoyed by the parish school master at Clachan since the year 1825. The schoolmaster at Craig- head also is in possession of the interest of the sum of L 80, bequeathed by Mr James Young, of the parish of St John in Bedwardine, in the county of Worcester, Chapman, in the year 1 729.
The school-house at Craighead having fallen into disrepair, has been rebuilt on a much enlarged scale, according to a very neat plan, furnished by Mr Galloway, factor to Mr Lennox. To this important object the chief subscribers were Mr Lennox and Messrs David and Henry Inglis.
The Messrs Inglis, with a laudable anxiety for the education of the young persons employed in their printfield, and residing in its neighbourhood, also allow L. 20 per annum to the master of Craighead school, on condition of his teaching a Sunday school.
In Lennoxtown, the want of a large and superior school has long been felt; and this want has now been supplied by the erection of a splendid school-house, containing two very large rooms, with all accompanying accommodations. The plan of this school. house, like that at Craighead, was furnished by Mr Galloway, to whose taste it is highly creditable, and who kindly superintended the erection of both these buildings. The chief contributors to this important undertaking were Mr Lennox and the Messrs Dalglish, both of which parties have expended a large sum of money upon it; Mr Macintosh; Mr Stirling, Craigbarnet; Mr McFarlan, Bancleroche; and many of the other inhabitants have also assisted in a work which all felt to be important. At present the one room is used as a juvenile school, and is attended by upwards of 100 pupils. In the other an infant school has been tried during the past year with very encouraging success.
*It is right to acknowledge that I have received large assistance from this gentleman in drawing up this account of the parish of Campsie
Besides these, there are two or three schools on the teachers' own adventure, and two or three small female schools. The whole number of children attending day-schools, at present, in the pa rish, induding the infant school, is about 520, exclusive of the children who are taught during work hours in Lennox Mill, and those taught in evening-schools and Sunday-schools.
In all the schools the common branches are taught, with grammar, geography, &c. A few are learning Latin, Greek, and French. We are at present uncommonly fortunate in our teachers; so that I am sanguine in the expectation, that, in the course of a few years, there will not be an inhabitant in this parish that can not read and write.
Libraries.-There are two libraries in this parish. The Campsie Subscription Library was established in 1837, and consists of a good selection of books. It is the property of subscribers to the amount of L. 1 or upwards. The Campsie Popular Library originated the same year, and belongs to subscribers to the amount of 5s. It also contains a considerable number of books. The terms of reading are very low in both.
Poor's Funds.-It appears on a retrospect of twenty years that, at the commencement of that period, there were 30 individuals on the roll of paupers in the parish of Campsie receiving regular monthly allowances: in 1827, there were 44; at present, there are 70, besides those receiving occasional relief. The expenditure on account of the poor amounted in 1817 to L. 136; in 1827, to L. 148; in 1837, it exceeded L. 226. The regular sources from which the sums were derived necessary to meet these disbursements were, 1. collections at the church doors; 2. dues of proclamations and mortcloth; 3. perpetual annuity of L. 15 from Woodhead; 4. interest of L. 500 lent on bond. Previous to the year 1832, the money required for the poor, in addition to these branches of income, was supplied by voluntary contribution. In 1831, a subscription, according to their valued rent, having been set on foot, certain of the heritors refused to contribute their proportion so long as there existed a lying fund belonging to the poor. This fund was accordingly drawn upon, till 1838, when it was ex hausted. The necessity of a legal assessment has been in the meantime avoided by a voluntary contribution by the principal people in the parish, together with the heritors- to raise~the requisite funds for the current year.
May 1841