Water and Wells....

Up until 1865 there was no proper water supply to the town. The house holders filled their stoups at wells which were to be found in several parts of the town.
The wells drew their water supply by pipes which led from a circular building that was behind the entrance to the railway station. This building was for a long time the oldest building left standing in Port Glasgow and was referred to as the "Round House" it has since been removed after fire made it unsafe and new houses and roads are in it's place.
The "reservoir" as it was know was fed by the Glen Huntly Burn. It was looked on with great pride.
In 1846 through contamination of these wells there was a dreadful epidemic of Cholera, in which many people died. They were buried in pits in the old cemetery at Blackstone.

These people were buried in a mass grave or "pit" at the old cemetery at Blackstone.
There had been epidemics, before as there was already in place a Cholera hospital but this outbreak caused a massive decrease in the population.

....& St Mary's Church

In 1854 after the outbreak of the Crimea war Miss Jane Catherine Shaw Stewart of Ardgowan, who with Florence Nightingale organised the heroic band of women who nursed the wounded and sick in the war, decided to build and endow and Episcopal church in Port Glasgow, before she left for the Crimea.
Her brother Sir Michael Shaw Stewart gave and acre of ground within the orchards at Newark Castle and St Mary's was built.
The rectory was completely furnished and Miss Shaw Stewart also provided an endowment of £10,000.
The church building was completed early 1856 and by the year 1932 it had 2100 members.

The church is remembered fondly by the Port' folk for many felt that it was a shame that it was removed to make way for a new roundabout and road improvements.
A new building was erected up the hill in Bardrainney and many of the original features were taken to the new building.

Some of the stones for the building were also saved and used on the Finlaystone estate to build a small octagonal building to rest in when you are enjoying the gardens.

The cemetry was also removed and everyone in it was moved to Port Glasgow Cemetry and a new stone erected in their memory.This stone also comemorates those that were buried in Newark Parish church cemetry.

I have been informed that there were no records kept of the people who were interred at St Mary's and the registry of Births ,Deaths and Marriges would be the only way of finding out any details about them.

Old St Mary's picture courtesy of the Comet Festival Group and Mr A Wishart

The hexagonal "whim" was built by George MacMillan and estate staff in their spare time. It incorporates materials from many sources - the slate floor from a local bowling green and the stone walls from St Mary's Church Port Glasgow. The rafters coming from a neighboring farm.

This page last modified on Tuesday, March 04, 2003

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