OS1/26/19/3

Continued entries/extra info

[Page] 3 TOWN OF PAISLEY [continued]

" The earliest mode of Spelling is Passeleth, and is found in a Charter, granted by David I. In the next Century Paisley Occurs in one Paper as
" Passeleht. The terminations in let and lay occur most frequently, and Seem to have been used indifferently till the middle of the 16th
" Century, When the Orthography commonly employed became Paslay. Chalmers mentioned two etymologies of the name, the first Pasgel_laith
" Which in the Ancient British, Signified moist ground, the second Baslech in the British and Bas_leac in the Gaelic, which signify "the
"flat stone Shoal, Supposed to have been Applied to a ledge of Rock which runs across the Channel of the River White Cart, * * * * *
" Near the Centre of the parish on a bold Terrace - like ridge, rises the town of Paisley, much of it is built on that ridge, and on
" one of a Similar description which runs Parallel on the South, The Surface Occupied by what is properly called the Old town or the Burgh of
"Paisley, is About a mile Square, but in Speaking of Paisley, we must include its Populous Suburbs in the Abbey Parish, especially those now within
" the Parliamentary Burgh, which is Spread over a Surface of About three miles by five and one half, and Contains About Six Square Miles, including "a Small portion of the Parish of Renfrew, * * * * The town of Paisley is in form a burgh of Barony, the lands now Constituting the Burgh were,
" Previous to the erection thereof, held by the Abbot and Convent of the Monastery of Paisley, of the Order of Cluny, in libera regalitate, Four "Charters of date 13th January 1851 Conferring Numerious Privileges, granted by James II, " Monasterio de Pasleto," are to be found on record, In "the first year of the reign of King James IV, the Burgh, formerly a regality, was erected into a free Burgh of Barony, the Privileges contained in the " Charter Were granted to the inhabitants; but the lordship of erection, including the Power of Appointing a Provost, bailies and other office "bearers, Was given to the Abbot and his Successors, * * * On the 2nd June 1490 a feu Charter and Confirmation, with and extensive "enumeration of Privileges, was granted by the Abbot and Convent, in favour of the Provost, bailies, burgesses and Community of the Burgh, In the "tenth year of his reign and on the 3rd January 1576. King James IV granted to the Burgh, a Charter which appears to be the foundation of the "right of Patronage in the Burgh first exercised by the Abercorn & Dundonald families, And Afterwards Acquired by the Magistrates and Council from " Lord Dundonald in 1731, ___ it may in general be observed, that the Burgh of Paisley, though in form a burgh of barony, is Vested with "Privileges of a very extensive Kind, its burgesses have Powers to elect Annually a Provost, bailies, and other Office bearers , to receive resignation "of burgage lands, And give Seizin thereof; to hold fairs and Weekly Markets; to decide in Civil Cases to any extent to judge in Services of heirs; to "issue Acts of Warding for debts Constituted in their Courts, and in Short, to exercise every Privilege of a Royal Burgh, including even that of "electing a Commissioner to Serve in Parliament, ______ * * * * *