Renfrewshire

Resources elsewhere on this site

Some information on Hurlet and Thornhill are found in the Children's Employment Commission 1842

Gazetteer Descriptions

The following websites contain on-line versions of Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland and Samuel Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. 

Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, Francis H Groome

Balaklava, a village on the E border of Kilbarchan parish, Renfrewshire, 1 mile NNE of Johnstone. It was founded in 1856, on the lands of Clippens, for working extensive ironstone mines, and received its name from the celebrated battle of the Crimean War. It is sometimes called Clippens Square. Pop. (1891) 428.

Hurlet, a village on the SE border of Abbey parish, Renfrewshire, on the left bank of Levern Water, 5 furlongs NW of Nitshill station, 1 1/2 mile NNE of Barrhead, and 3 miles SE of Paisley. Standing amid a rich mineral field, where coal has been worked for upwards of three centuries, and ironstone for about sixty years, it was the seat from 1753 till 1820 of a copperas work, the only one in Scotland up to 1807. Becoming also the seat, tentatively in 1766-69 and effectively in 1797, of the earliest alum work, it has ever since the latter date continued to send out large quantities of its chemical products. It has a post office under Glasgow. Pop. (1871) 379, (1881) 341, (1891) 344 - Ord. Sur., sh. 30, 1866.

Inkerman, a village in Abbey parish, Renfrewshire, 2 miles WNW of Paisley. It was founded about 1858 in connection with the working of ironstone mines, and like the mining village of Balaklava in the same county, received its name from the celebrated battle of the Crimean War. Pop. (1871) 723, (1881) 948, (1891) 699.

Nitshill, a village in the SE corner of Abbey-Paisley parish, Renfrewshire, near the right bank of Levern Water, with a station on the Glasgow, Barrhead, and Kilmarnock Joint railway, 2 miles NE of Barrhead, and 4 3/4 WSW of Glasgow. It has a Free church, an endowment school, a Roman Catholic school, and chemical works (1807); and it is largely inhabited by workers in neighbouring coal-mines and quarries. Pop. (1841) 821, (1861) 1029, (1871) 986, (1881) 1001, (1891) 1048.—Ord. Sur., sh. 30, 1866.

Quarrelton, a collier village in the SW of Abbey parish, Renfrewshire, 1/2 mile S of Johnstone.