History of Glasgow district crosses

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Postby Ronnie » Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:08 pm

sou-wester wrote:If you look at the oldest cross in Glasgow, which is Glasgow Cross, where the toll booth is, then it appears to have been simply where the main throroughfares met. Glasgow until pretty much the mid 18th century was 2 main streets; the high street and the trongate.


Yeah, OK, but the Mercat Cross origainally stood where Castle Street, Rottenrow, Drygate and High Street met. The present Glasgow Cross is *far* younger. And the area around the Cathedral has far older streets than Trongate.
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Postby Ronnie » Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:11 pm

ant wrote:Where did Saracen come from? Why not Possil/park X.


A moment on Google, or a visit to a library or bookshop would have answered your question. But since I'm here ... it was named after the Saracen Foundry, which itself took its name from its original location, in the lane next to the Saracen's Head Inn, which took its name from a similar coaching inn in London (which ...).
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Postby ant » Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:41 pm

I have heard of the Saracen foundry, I just didn't think an industrial site, no matter how famous, would have been a reason to name a X. I didn't know about the coaching inn bearing the same name, that makes sense for the name Saracen.
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Postby Schiehallion » Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:36 pm

ant wrote:when the city expanded and "engulfed" these areas, were they offered some kind of financial incentive/compensation to give up their autonomy. I'm just thinking about present day politics and how areas such as Bearsden, Eastwood etc have made it clear they have no desire to be "swallowed up" by the city. What made the difference in the past?


I'd say this is a modern issue, mainly driven by council tax rates, insurance premiums determined by postcodes, residential desirability (house prices) and people having too much time on their hands (A bit like us on hiddenglasgow!)

The people of a bygone age could well have been too busy working, feeding large families, fending off disease and constantly repairing decrepit housing to have time to worry about becoming part of a greater Glasgow.
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Postby Molendinar » Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:12 pm

I get the impression that while the general people weren't bothered the petty kings of these other burghs were bothered;

from glasgowstory.com

Although Govan and Partick had previously rejected Glasgow's advances, the two burghs were eventually persuaded into joining with the city in 1912.


After years of wrangling, Glasgow annexed the burgh in 1912, at which time the population was over 50,000. But by then Partick Commissioners had thoroughly modernised the burgh with new streets, houses, fine churches and schools. For sport there were bowling clubs, tennis clubs, model yachting in Whiteinch Park, Partick Thistle Football Club, and the West of Scotland Cricket Ground where the first ever international match was held in 1872 – Scotland v England. Also provided were public transport systems by road, water and rail, hospital, fire and cleansing services as well as electricity and gas supplies. These were all incorporated into the Glasgow system and by 1914 Partick had become, and still is today, a thriving, developing community.
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Postby sou-wester » Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:32 am

Ronnie wrote:
sou-wester wrote:If you look at the oldest cross in Glasgow, which is Glasgow Cross, where the toll booth is, then it appears to have been simply where the main throroughfares met. Glasgow until pretty much the mid 18th century was 2 main streets; the high street and the trongate.


Yeah, OK, but the Mercat Cross origainally stood where Castle Street, Rottenrow, Drygate and High Street met. The present Glasgow Cross is *far* younger. And the area around the Cathedral has far older streets than Trongate.

The Catherdral area is older, founded on the spot where St Kentigern was thought to have been buried. I remember seeing a map of medieval Glasgow and the Catherdral was pretty far up the high street, with street lined with inns down to the mercat cross, as it was centre for pilgrams. The earliest map I can find online
http://www.theglasgowstory.com/imageview.php?inum=TGSA00526 , 1560, places the mercat cross where it is today. Also see TheGlasgowStory
A late twelfth century reference to "the first building of the burgh" probably concerns activity south of the cathedral in the area now known as Glasgow Cross. Here the road from the cathedral to the Clyde (High Street/Saltmarket/Bridgegate) meets the road (Trongate/Gallowgate) from Dumbarton to Lanark. Comparative closeness to the river made this site well suited as a market place.


So I think that the mercat cross (or Glasgow Cross) was always pretty much where it is today and is probably about the same age as the Catherdral as Glasgow was made a burgh in the same century the first catherdral was built (12th). It makes sense to have it a little away from the Cathedral as I don't image the Bishop would have wanted his palace too near the trading centre of the burgh.
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Postby DC » Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:23 pm

ST ANDREWS CROSS
Last edited by DC on Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby jgallacher » Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:10 pm

To sou-wester

To say Partick and Govan where still 'villages' in 1912 is quite wrong - they where major towns - Govan was the fourth largest town/burgh in Scotland (after the 4 large cities) when it finally decided to come under the control of Glasgow Corporation in 1921.
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Postby pwm437 » Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:15 pm

Schiehallion wrote:
Ronnie wrote:Don't forget Victoria Cross on Byres Road, and the one nearby where Gardner Street and Muirpark Street intersect, both inscribed on the buildings. Neither of these involved two arterial roads crossing, or the locations of markets.


The roads may not be arterial now but they may lie on previously important tracks which linked churches, wells or vantage points. As mentioned earlier, Langside Road is quite a run of the mill road now but was once a very important route.


Gardner Street / Muirpark Street = St. Walter's Cross. Anyone know how it got its name, as the Mitchell doesn't
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Postby pwm437 » Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:17 pm

Talking about crosses, don't forget King's Cross at the junction of Duke Street and Bellgrove Street and also Alexandra Cross at the junction of Duke Street, Cumbernauld Road and Millerston Street.
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Postby Delmont St Xavier » Sat Jan 27, 2007 2:04 am

....and Whiteinch Cross too, at Dumbarton Road and gee I forget the others - but you can look them up. This X went when the tunnel came!
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