P a i s l e y .
Magnum iter afcendo, fed dat mibi gloria vires,
Non juvat ex facili, lata corona jugo.
Lib. iv. El. 2.
Vifit Paijley, a confiderable but irregularly built town; at the
diftance of two miles from Cruickfton, fix miles Weft of Gla/^
two miles S. Weft of Renfrew, and fourteen S. Eaft -of Gremtl,
It was ereCted into a burgh of barony in the year 1488, and die
affairs o f the community are managed by three bailies, of whkS;
theeldeft is commonly in the commiflkm of the peace, a treafured
a town-clerk, and feventeen counfellors, who are annually ele&dl
upon the firft Monday after Michaelmas. It ftands on both fide*
the river Cart, over which it has three ftone bridges, each of tw
arches : the river runs from South to North, and empties itielf into I
the Clyde, about three miles below the town : at fp'ring-tides veffelil
o f forty tuns burthen come up to the quay ; and, as the magiftratii
are now clearing and deepening the river, it is hoped ftifl larger1
may hereafter get up. The communication by water is of great
importance to the inhabitants, for fending their goods and mam-1
failures to Port-Glafgow and Greenock, and, if they chufe it, to
Glafgow; and befides, was the grand canal fmifhed, they will have
an eafy communication with the Firth of Forth, as; the canal joins'!
the Clyde about three or four miles North of Paifley.
Notwithstanding its antiquity this town was of little confequence1
till within thefe laft fifty years ; before that period fcarce any other1
manufacture was carried on but coarfe linnen checks,, and a kind#!
ftriped cloth called Bengals; both which have long been given up
h erew hile thefe were the only manufacture, the inhabitants feem
to have had no turn for enlarging their trade, for their goods wert
expofed to fale in the weekly market, and chiefly bought up by
ialers from Glafgow: fome of them, however, who travelled into
mfland to fell Scots manufactures, pick’d up a more general know-
kw of trade, and having faved a little money, fettled at home, and
thought of eftabliihing other branches -, to which they were the
Bore encouraged, as their acquaintance in England was like to be of
great ufe to them.
■ A b o u t 50 years ago the making o f white ftitching threads was
firft introduced into the Weft country by a private gentlewoman,
Mrs. Millar, of Bargarran, who, very much to her own honor, imported
a twift-mill, and other neceffary apparatus, from Holland, and
4rr:ed on afmall manufacture in her own family : this branch, now
of inch general importance to Scotland, was foon after eftabliihed in
Paijley; where it has ever fince been on the increafe, and has now
diffufed itfelf over all parts o f the kingdom. In other places girls
are bred to i t : here they may be rather faid to be born to i t : as al-
moft every family makes fome threads, or have made formerly. It
isj generally computed, that, in the town and neighborhood, white
threads are annually made to the amount o f from 4 0 to 5 0 0 0 0 / .
■The manufacture of lawns, under various denominations, is alfo
carried on here to a confiderable amount, and to as great perfection
as in any part of Europe. >Vaft quantities of foreign yarn are'
annually imported from France, Germany, & c. for this branch, as
only the lower priced kinds- can be made of our home manufactured
yarn. It is thought the lawn- branch- here amounts to about
loooo I. annually. The filk gauze has alfo been eftabliihed here,
aud brought to the utmoft perfection : it is wrought to art amazing
variety of patterns; for fuch is the ingenuity o f our weavers,
that