a small but populous county of Scotland, bounded on the south-west by the hills which run along the northern part of Ayrshire; towards the west and north by the river Clyde, and on the east by Lanarkshire. It is rather level along the north-east and north part of it; and it has few hills which rise to any considerable height. But the summits of Balagich and Dunware, in the parish of Eaglesham, are about 1000 feet above the level of the sea.

The waters of Renfrewshire are not extensive, but human industry has rendered them of considerable importance; and they are rather employed to turn some vast water wheel or other piece of machinery, than to give variety to the beauties of a park, or to please the eye with the romantic scenery which nature sometimes delights to display. The chief rivers are the White and Black Carts, and the Grief, which ultimately form a junction, and discharge themselves into the Clyde below Inchinnan bridge.

The number of lakes in this county is increased for the purpose of collecting water to give motion to the machinery of cotton mills, or to answer the demands of extensive bleachfields.

The general appearance of this county is favourable to agriculture, the population being very extensive, and the inclosures numerous, while manure in abundance is obtained from the neighbouring towns. Commerce and manufactures have been to often successfully pursued, producing great and sudden riches, that in a greater or less degree they occupy the attention of almost every individual. Although a considerable part of it might be constantly kept with advantage under arable crops, yet so extensive is the demand for the products of the dairy, that a very large proportion of the soil is perpetually kept in grass. With respect to crops, potatoes generally constitute a part of every rotation. This is the usual arrangement: Oats from grass; potatoes or barley dugged; oats, with five pounds of red clover and 3 sloats of rye-grass; hay for two years; pasture.

The proprietors of land in this county have shewn a laudable zeal for the making of excellent roads, which are constantly kept in the best repair, and frequently are fixed at every toll-bar to prevent carts from being overloaded; 15 cwt. being allowed in the vicinity of Paisley as the load for a cart with one horse.

The mineral productions are not very extensive, but they are very abundant in the vicinity of Paisley. No coal has been met with near Greenock or Port Glasgow; but what is called of sound stone is found in the parishes of Eaglesham and Kilbarchan, so very soft at first that it may be cut with a chisel, but it becomes much harder by exposure to the air. It is of various colours; breaks in every direction; readily absorbs water; and if recently heated in the fire, the absorption is accompanied with a hissing noise. There are two mineral springs in the same vicinity of Eaglesham; the one possessing a purgative quality, and the other is regarded as a remedy for what is called the moor-ill in black cattle.

The most remarkable field of minerals is in the vicinity of Paisley; the most singular being the coal at Quarreltown, upwards of 50 feet thick, consisting of five strata in contact with each other (a). The Hurlet coal, belonging to Lord Glasgow, about three miles south-east of Paisley, is five feet three inches thick, and supposed to have been wrought for more than two centuries. Inflammable air and fixed air are met with in this mine, but from the precautions adopted accidents are not so frequent as might otherwise be apprehended. The coal-mines of Hurlet have for a long time afforded the materials for a copperas manufactory on a small scale; and one

(a) For a detailed account of this singular mass of coal, the reader is referred to the Appendix to Williams's Mineral Kingdom, by Dr Millar, 2 vols. 8vo, 1809. one of the most extensive manufactories of alum in Britain has been established and successfully carried on by a spirited and enterprising company, for several years past, at the same place. Coal is also found in the upper part of the county, as in the parish of Cathcart, and also not far from Renfrew. Limestone is abundant in many parts of the county, as in the parish of Cathcart; and at Lord Glasgow's coal work at Hurlet, it forms a very considerable strata covering the coal. But one of the most remarkable masses of limestone is found at the entrance to a romantic glen called Gleniffer, three miles to the south of Paisley. The limestone is in a mass of about 10 feet thick, dips to the centre, and is wrought by driving mines under a thick mass of whitestone which covers it. Ironstone is also abundant along with the coal strata in some parts of the county.

The ruins of an old castle, called the Peel, to which the lairds of Semple retreated in times of imminent danger, are still to be seen in an island of Castle Semple loch; and the ruins of the castle of Newark, lower down the country, are even at this day deserving of attention. They are lofty, and have filled an air of magnificence, and some parts of it were inhabited about half a century ago. It is situated on the eastern part of the bay containing the town and harbour of Port Glasgow and Newark. This castle is very ancient, is the property of Lord Bellhaven, but when it was erected cannot be fully ascertained. Mearns Castle, another ruin, stands in the south-east part of the county near the village and church of the same name. Crookston Castle is situated about three miles to the south-east of Paisley. The strong position and commanding prospect of this magnificent ruin must have rendered it a favourite residence of the powerful family of Lennox, to whom it originally belonged. Near the castle there is a yew tree, venerable from its antiquity, but still more so, according to the legendary lore of the country, as having afforded its shade to the unfortunate Queen Mary and her equally unfortunate husband Darnley. If this be true, the said tree is not less than three centuries old.

There are four cups in the parish of Kilmaclom which were used by the celebrated reformer John Knox at the dispensation of the Lord's supper. They are formed of the purest silver, and seem to have been originally intended for candlesticks, although necessarily converted them into communion cups. This sacred use of them, joined to their antiquity, makes them much esteemed by the people at large.

Renfrew is the only royal borough in this county, a privilege which was conferred upon it by Robert Bruce. It elects a member of parliament along with Glasgow, Dunbarton, and Rutherglen.

The other towns are Paisley, Greenock, Port Glasgow; and some of smaller note, as Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch, Neilston, Gourock, and Auldkirk. Among these deserves also to be mentioned Johnston, which within a period of little more than 20 years has become a large town, owing to the progress and prosperity of the cotton manufacture.

The manufacture of silk gauze was introduced into Paisley about the year 1760, in imitation of that of Spitalfields in London; experiencing at first many difficulties to which new inventions are very frequently exposed. Patterns and designs of fancy works were originally composed at Paris; but the manufacturers at Paisley established draughtsmen of their own, and the patterns thus executed were sent to London and Paris in order to be approved of. By means of industry and genius properly encouraged, the most curious fabrics came to be devised; and the vast variety of elegant and highly ornamented gauze manufactured here is allowed to be superior to every thing of the kind which had formerly made its appearance. Even London itself was obliged to relinquish this manufacture; merchants from the metropolis came to carry it on at Paisley; and warehouses were opened in London, in Dublin, and Paris for vending their commodities. We formerly said that Paisley must contain upwards of 25,000 inhabitants (see Paisley); but we have since seen a more recent computation, by which they are stated at upwards of 31,000.

The whole population of Renfrewshire amounted to 78,000 in 1801, of which Paisley alone contains much more than a third. In the year 1755 the population of this county was 26,645, so that in the course of half a century it has been nearly tripled. The following table exhibits a view of the population of each parish according to the reports communicated to the Statistical History of Scotland.

| Parishes | Population in 1755 | Population in 1790-1798 | |----------|------------------|------------------------| | 1 Cathcart | 499 | 697 | | Eagleham | 1153 | 1600 | | Eastwood | 1142 | 2642 | | Erskine | 829 | 888 | | Greenock | 3858 | 15,000 | | Houlton | 947 | 1034 | | Inchinnan | 347 | 305 | | Innerkip | 1590 | 1280 | | Kilbarchan| 1485 | 2506 | | Kilmacolm | 1495 | 951 | | Lochwinnoch| 1530 | 2613 | | Mearns | 886 | 1430 | | Neilston | 1299 | 2330 | | Paisley, town | 4290 | 13,800 | | Ditto, Abbey parish | 2599 | 10,792 | | Port Glasgow | 1695 | 4936 | | Renfrew | 1091 | 1628 |

Increase 36,208