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Govan

Coordinates: 55°51′41″N 4°18′30″W / 55.8615°N 4.3083°W / 55.8615; -4.3083
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This article is about the district in Glasgow. For other uses, see Govan (disambiguation).

Govan
Govan is located in Glasgow council area
Govan
Govan
Location within Glasgow
Area1.63 km2 (0.63 sq mi) [1]
Population5,860 (2015)[2]
• Density3,595/km2 (9,310/sq mi)
OS grid referenceNS555655
• Edinburgh45 mi (72 km) E
• London346 mi (557 km) SSE
Council area
Lieutenancy area
  • Glasgow
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGLASGOW
Postcode districtG51
Dialling code0141
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
Glasgow
55°51′41″N 4°18′30″W / 55.8615°N 4.3083°W / 55.8615; -4.3083

Govan (/ˈɡʌvən/ GUV-ən; Scottish Gaelic: Baile a' Ghobhainn) is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick. Historically it was part of the County of Lanark.

According to medieval legend, Constantine, a seventh-century King of Strathclyde, founded a monastery under the rule of Columbanus in Govan. During the Middle Ages, Govan was the site of a ford and later a ferry which linked the area with Partick for seasonal cattle drovers. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, textile mills and coal mining were important; in the early-nineteenth century, shipbuilding emerged as Govan's principal industry.[3] In 1864, Govan gained burgh status, and was the fifth-largest burgh in Scotland. It was incorporated into the City of Glasgow in 1912.[4]

History

Early history

Recent studies of the archaeology of old Govan have revealed the presence of an ancient Christian church. Two associated Christian burials are radiocarbon dated to the 5th or 6th centuries, making Govan the earliest known Christian site in the region.[5] Govan is believed to have then been part of a kingdom ruled from Dumbarton Rock, known as Alt Clut, the rock on the Clyde. During the Viking Age, perhaps following the sack of Dumbarton Rock in 878, Govan is believed to have been one of the major centres of the Kingdom of Strathclyde. According to John of Fordun, Constantine, a 7th-century king of Strathclyde, founded a monastery at Govan, where he died and was buried.[citation needed] In 1855, an elaborately carved sandstone sarcophagus was found during digging in the churchyard.[6] It is now kept inside the church. It may have been used to contain the body or relics of Constantine, although the style of carving indicates an origin in the 10th or 11th centuries.[7] This King Constantine is first mentioned in the 12th-century Life of St. Kentigern by Jocelyn of Furness, where he is said to have been son of Riderch Hael.[8] He is likely a literary invention. The early church in Govan is dedicated to a Saint Constantine, about whom nothing else is known.[8]

Govan's earliest recorded name may be found in the Historia regum Anglorum attributed to Symeon of Durham. This is a 12th-century Latin source, but one believed to be based on much earlier materials; it records a place near Dumbarton Rock named Ouania. Based on this, Govan's Cumbric language name has been reconstructed as *(G)uovan.[9] Govan is Baile a' Ghobhainn (the smith's town) in Scottish Gaelic. Bishop Leslie in his Scotia Descriptio of 1578 says it got its name from the excellence of its ale (God-win), whereas Chalmers in his Caledonia says it is derived from Scottish Gaelic, Gamhan (a ditch).[10]

The earliest references to Govan are found in connection with the Christian church. In 1136, when Glasgow Cathedral was formally consecrated, King David I (1124–53) gave to the See the lands of Partick and also of the church at Govan (on opposite sides of the River Clyde), which became a prebend of Glasgow. The Govan Old Parish Church was rebuilt in 1762, 1826, and again 1884-1888. Within it and its roughly circular churchyard is one of the finest collections of Early Christian stones in the United Kingdom, dating from the 10th and 11th centuries.

Not much is known about any medieval village that may have surrounded the church until 1454 when it is recorded that, whole houses, barns and mills in the village were brought down by a great flood.[11]

By the 16th century, extensive coal mine workings had been developed around Craigton and Drumoyne.[12] As the village grew, new trades and crafts, such as weaving, pottery and agriculture, were established.

A part of Blaeu's 1654 map of Scotland. Modern Govan is at the site labeled Mekle Gouan ("Big Govan"). The small town of Glasgow is on the north bank of the Clyde, across from Litle Gouan ("Little Govan").

There is an oddity whereby part of eighteenth-century parish of Govan (which was in Lanarkshire) is counted as being within Renfrewshire. There existed a hospital in the area, and as quasi-religious foundations were not taxed, it had never been assigned to a sheriffdom. Thus, when Renfrewshire was created out of a sheriffdom of Lanarkshire in the early fifteenth century, the lands associated with the hospital (Polmadie) were not technically in the newly created shire, as they were not part of the sheriffdom. They were, however, very much a part of the physical landscape that became Renfrewshire. A similar uncertainty existed regarding the nearby lands of Pollokshields and Westends. People lived with the inconsistency in the records. When the railway was to be built in the late nineteenth century, however, the confusion over proper descriptions in the land titles made necessary legal transactions difficult and had to be reconciled. The county added to the description of these lands, the phrase: "but now by annexation in the County of Renfrew."[13]

Pearce Statue and Lyceum Theatre, 1904.

By the early part of the 19th century, Govan was rapidly losing its rural appearance and assuming the character of a town with the development of new industries and factories, including Reid's Dye Works and Pollok's Silk Mill. Town officials arranged for the deepening of the Clyde in 1759, the reclamation of the channels between the islands (The Whyte Inch, The Black Inch, and The King's Inch), and the construction of quays and docks. This facilitated the development of shipbuilding as a major industry. By the 1860s, the village needed a higher order of administration and it was made a burgh in 1864, under the General Police (Scotland) Act 1862. At the time, it was the fifth largest burgh in Scotland and contained within its boundaries, the areas of Plantation, Cessnock, Ibrox, Craigton and Drumoyne.[14] in 1901 the Burgh boundaries increased further west to include Linthouse and West Drumoyne.[15]

With Morris Pollok as its first Provost, the Burgh and its Commissioners ensured that during the next 48 years Govan became a well-equipped, modern town. During the late 19th century, the population of Govan increased more than tenfold: from 9,000 in 1864 to 95,000 by 1907. In 1901 Govan was the 7th largest town in Scotland.[16] In 1912, Glasgow annexed Govan after a series of annexation battles.[17][18]

A prominent feature of the Govan landscape was the Doomster or Moot Hill, which stood near the river, north of the present Govan Cross.[19] It was removed in the early 19th century and Reid's Dyeworks was erected on the site. The origins of the Doomster Hill are a mystery. One hypothesis is that it was a prehistoric burial mound. In 1996, a team from Channel 4's Time Team programme carried out an archeological excavation at the site. They suggested that the hill may have been a 12th-century Norman motte.[20]

20th century to the present

Govan War Memorial

Traditionally viewed as a lower working-class area, Govan has typically supported the Labour Party, but the Scottish National Party (SNP) has also been strong there. In 1973 SNP won a by-election with Margo MacDonald as their candidate. The SNP won another by-election victory in 1988, this time with Jim Sillars as candidate. The latest victory for the SNP was in the 2007 Scottish parliamentary elections, when Nicola Sturgeon became the MSP for the constituency.

The area has had a reputation for deprivation and poverty, partly due to the construction of housing estates in the 1930s to relieve the overcrowded slum district of The Gorbals, Glasgow. The most famous of these housing estates is Moorepark, sometimes referred to jocularly as "The Wine Alley"[21] - this area was named by The Independent newspaper in April 1994 as one of the worst areas in Britain, with drug abuse being a widespread problem and unemployment standing at nearly 30% (up to three times the national average at the time).[22]

It was parodied by the BBC sitcom Rab C. Nesbitt. Although Govan was the stated setting for the show, episodes were seldom filmed there. In the post-war years, many Govanites were relocated from the town, often reluctantly, to outlying areas such as Drumchapel, Pollok, Darnley, Priesthill and Penilee by the Glasgow Corporation.

Despite these developments, there were numerous older buildings around Govan until quite recently, most notably the terraces and tenements situated around Govan Road. These were not cleared until well into the 1970s. However, there is the potential for tourism development, for example, the planned development of the Govan Old site, which hosts the historically significant stone carvings, has led to the development of the surrounding townscape and new infrastructure. Such developments benefit the aesthetic and connective appeal of the Govan area for future visitors.[23]

Due to boundary changes, Govan in the early 1960s incorporated some surrounding more prosperous areas at its boundaries. Although technically part of Govan, residents of these areas have maintained a distinct identity separate from the area.

The Govan Fair is celebrated on the first Friday in June each year.

Economy

Govan street scene

Govan was at one point the centre of the world-renowned Clydeside shipbuilding industry, but few shipyards remain today. One of Govan's original yards is one of only two large shipyards to survive on the Upper River Clyde, the other being Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited based in Scotstoun. These two yards form a large part of BAE Systems Surface Ships.

In 1841, Robert Napier began iron shipbuilding in Govan, and in 1843 produced its first ship, the Vanguard. He also procured a contract with the Royal Navy to produce vessels, notably the Jackal, the Lizard, and the Bloodhound. He also allowed naval officers in training to visit the shipyard to familiarise themselves with the new vessels. Napier's Shipyard in Govan was later acquired by William Beardmore and Company in 1900, before being sold on to Harland & Wolff in 1912. It finally closed in 1962 and most of the site was redeveloped into housing.

Govan's other major shipbuilding firm was founded in the 1860s as: Randolph, Elder and Company, later becoming John Elder and Company. In 1885, the yard moved further west to its present site and was reorganised as the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Ltd. This company continued until 1965, when it filed for bankruptcy. The following year in 1966, the yard was again reorganised as Fairfields and guaranteed by the government in response. The following year, Fairfields and the other major Clydeside yards (Stephens, Connels, Yarrows and John Browns) were merged to form Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS).

In 1971, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders went into receivership and the Conservative government led by Edward Heath refused to give them a £6,000,000 loan. Rather than go on strike, which was the traditional form of industrial action, the union leadership of the yards decided to have a work-in and complete the orders that the shipyards had in place. In this way they dispelled the idea of the workers being "work-shy" and also wanted to illustrate the long-term viability of the yards. The work-in was successful in the short-term. YSL withdrew from UCS in 1971, and Govan was sold off in 1973 as Govan Shipbuilders. [citation needed]

In 1977, the Labour government of James Callaghan passed the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act which nationalised Govan and grouped it with other major British shipyards as British Shipbuilders. In May 1979, Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister and her ministry soon began its privatisation programme. British Aerospace, established by the same act, was privatised in 1981. British Shipbuilders road to privatisation was not as swift, and the group was sold piece by piece throughout the course of the 1980s.

Kværner of Norway, as part of a planned development of a large international shipbuilding group, took over Govan.[24] British Shipbuilders' sale of Govan to the Norwegian firm was completed in 1988, and the yard was renamed Kvaerner Govan.[25]

In 1999, GEC's Marconi Marine division purchased the yard when Kværner announced its departure from the shipbuilding industry.[25] GEC's Marconi Marine division already owned YSL (purchased in 1985) and VSEL (purchased in 1995). Marconi Electronic Systems and its Marconi Marine unit were sold to British Aerospace in 1999 to form BAE Systems. The shipbuilding operations became BAE Systems Marine, which subsequently became part of BVT Surface Fleet, a naval shipbuilding joint venture between BAE Systems and VT Group, which became BAE Systems Surface Ships in 2009.

Alexander Stephen and Sons also established a shipyard in nearby Linthouse in 1870. The yard eventually closed in the wake of the collapse of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders consortium in 1971.

Ships built at Govan

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A list of almost 3000 ships built at Govan has been collected in the "Clydebuilt Database".[32] The ships were built by the following companies: Robert Napier & Company, Randolph Elder & Company, Dobbie Hedderwick & Co., Dobie & Company, Mackie & Thomson, Smith & Rodgers, London & Glasgow Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., William Beardmore & Company, John Elder & Company, Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd., Alexander Stephens & Sons, J & G Thomson, Harland & Wolff and more.

Transport

Govan is served by Govan Subway Station, Ibrox Subway Station and Cessnock Subway Station on the Glasgow subway system.

Govan railway station opened on 2 December 1868. It closed permanently to regular passenger services on 9 May 1921.

Regular bus services, mainly operated by McGill's Bus Services and First Glasgow, offer frequent routes to Glasgow City Centre, as well as to numerous locations in Renfrewshire.

Sports

Govan borders the district of Ibrox, home to the Scottish football club Rangers F.C. who traditionally incorporate the red and black civic colours in the socks of their kit;[33] their Ibrox Stadium, which also has a stand named for Govan (the closest to the heart of the burgh), is one of only 27 football venues in Europe to be ranked by UEFA as a UEFA Category four stadium. Ibrox has staged many great events, but was the scene of one of the world's worst sporting tragedies in January 1971, when 66 Rangers fans were killed by asphyxiation in a crush on a stairwell leaving the ground. There had been another tragedy at the stadium in 1902 when a new stand collapsed at a Scotland v England match, with 25 dead and hundreds injured.

Govan is home to the Scottish Junior football team Benburb F.C. who until March 2014 played at Tinto Park (Drumoyne) then moved to the adjacent New Tinto Park. They share a rivalry with St Anthony's F.C. who originated from the Helen Street area of Govan, but are now based further west at Shieldhall. Linthouse and Parkgrove were 19th century senior sides, who fell into decline and are now defunct.

There were two other sporting venues for local residents and workers located in the south of Govan (with no space available in the industrial northern area at the Clyde): White City Stadium and Albion Greyhound Stadium, both now entirely demolished.

Media

Govan is served by community radio station Sunny Govan, broadcasting on 103.5FM to the city of Glasgow and surrounding districts, discussing local issues and providing advice, and with diverse musical output covering soul, hip-hop and reggae.

Govan has had several local newspapers over the years such as the Govan Chronicle and Govan Press published by the Cossar Family (1851-1983) and by John Maclean (2006–2014) which also served the communities of Kinning Park, Cardonald, Penilee and Hillington, and the Govan Post (1983–1988) published by Cook, Paton & Co. of Paisley, now part of Dunfermline Press.

Religion

Church of Scotland

The church of Govan was a prebend of Glasgow. It was dedicated to St Constantine, who had been buried at Govan. On 13 July 1577, the teinds of Govan were granted to the University of Glasgow, and the Principal of the University ex officio was appointed minister of the parish. This settlement was set aside on 20 December 1621, and only the patronage of Govan was left to the University. There was a chapel in the parish at Partick. Govan Church was rebuilt in 1762, and again in 1826. A later rebuilding was begun in 1884 and was opened 19 May 1888.[11][34]

List of Provosts of Govan

  • 1864-1867 Morris Pollok
  • 1867-1869 William Cruickshank
  • 1869-1872 Thomas Reid
  • 1872-1880 James Wilson
  • 1880-1883 John Thompson
  • 1883-1886 Alexander Campbell
  • 1886-1889 George Ferguson
  • 1889-1892 Neil McLean
  • 1892-1901 James Kirkwood
  • 1901-1904 John Marr
  • 1904-1908 Sir John Anthony
  • 1908-1912 David McKechnie
  • Scottish TV sitcom Rab C Nesbitt is set in Govan; although the series is mostly filmed elsewhere.

Notable people

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "statistics.gov.scot - Land Area (based on 2011 Data Zones)". statistics.gov.scot.
  2. ^ "statistics.gov.scot - Population Estimates (Current Geographic Boundaries)". statistics.gov.scot.
  3. ^ "Scotland's Landscape: Govan". BBC. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  4. ^ Reevel Alderson (7 August 2012). "How Glasgow annexed Govan and Partick 100 years ago". BBC News. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  5. ^ Driscoll, Stephen, "Govan, an early medieval royal centre", p. 79.
  6. ^ Govan Sarcophagus, The Glasgow Story
  7. ^ "Govan Stones: The Viking-Age treasures". BBC. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  8. ^ a b Clarkson, Tim (Winter 1999). "Rhydderch Hael". The Heroic Age. 1 (2). Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  9. ^ Koch, John, "Ovania", p. 34.
  10. ^ "A History Of Glasgow & Govan (1883)", Ordnance Gazetteer Of Scotland
  11. ^ a b c Leishman, M (1840). "Govan". The new statistical account of Scotland. Vol. 6. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons. pp. 668–718. Retrieved 17 July 2020.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. ^ "Craigton House". The Glasgow Story. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  13. ^ Scott, Alexander (1890). "Notes on the Lands of Polmadie and Crosshill". Transactions of the Glasgow Archaeological Society. Vol. I. Glasgow: James Maclehose & Sons. pp. 530–532. (available at books.google.com)
  14. ^ "2nd Edition Ordnance Survey". 1893–1894. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  15. ^ "3rd Edition Ordnance Survey". 1913. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  16. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Scotland § Population" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 418.
  17. ^ "Annexation Battles". Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  18. ^ Alderson, Reevel (7 August 2012). "How Glasgow annexed Govan and Partick 100 years ago". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  19. ^ Glasgow’s Crosses, Glasgow History, 28 May 2016
  20. ^ Time Team Series 4, episode 4. First broadcast 26 January 1997.
  21. ^ Ian Jack: Problem Families (review of From Moorepark to Wine Alley: The Rise and Fall of a Glasgow Housing Scheme by Sean Damer), London Review of Books, 26 October 1989
  22. ^ "No-Go Britain: Where, what, why". The Independent. 17 April 1994.
  23. ^ Butler, Richard; Curran, Ross; O'Gorman, Kevin D. (1 September 2013). "Pro-Poor Tourism in a First World Urban Setting: Case Study of Glasgow Govan". International Journal of Tourism Research. 15 (5): 443–457. doi:10.1002/jtr.1888. ISSN 1522-1970.
  24. ^ Birkler, J.L. et al. (2002). The Royal Navy's New-generation Type 45 Destroyer: Acquisition Options and Implications, p. 13.
  25. ^ a b Birkler, p. 14.
  26. ^ a b c d Clydebuilt Database - Shipping Times, Stuart Cameron
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Johnston, Ian. "Govan Shipyard" in Ships Monthly. Archived 11 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine June 1985.
  28. ^ "Shipping Times". Archived from the original on 26 April 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  29. ^ Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA): RFA Wave Ruler Archived 9 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA): RFA Mounts Bay Archived 9 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ Stewart, Catriona (21 October 2009). "Clyde's new ship to make a splash". Evening Times. Evening Times. p. 22.
  32. ^ Ships Built at Govan Acumfaegovan.
  33. ^ Rangers, Historical Football Kits
  34. ^ a b Scott, Hew (1920). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 3. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 410. Retrieved 8 July 2019.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  35. ^ Aitkenhead, Decca (29 July 2012). "James Kelman: 'Why is my work so upsetting for people?'". The Guardian – via The Guardian.
  36. ^ "1881 England Census, The London Charterhouse, St Sepulchre Without, London, p.6 RG11/344". ancestry.co.uk. H. M. Government. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  37. ^ "FA Cup Final 1959", Nottingham Forest
  38. ^ GRO Scotland
  39. ^ "University of Glasgow :: Story :: Biography of Jimmy Reid". www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk.
  40. ^ "Iain Robertson" Archived 5 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Sunny Govan

References

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