Edit What do you know about Govan?
It is on the south bank of the Clyde, just across from Partick.
It was an administratively independent Police burgh from 1864 until it was incorporated into the expanding city of Glasgow in 1912.
Researchers believe Govan was the site of one of the earliest Christian settlements in mainland Scotland, dating back to before the 9th century.
At that time, the area was part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, with its capital at Dumbarton.
The place-name Govan is Bàile Ghobhainn, 'smith's town' in Gaelic, but probably derives from an earlier Brythonic name of disputed meaning, Bishop Leslie in his "Scotia Descriptio" (1578) says it got it's name from the exellence of it's ale (God-win) whereas Chalmers in his "Caledonia" says it is derived from Scottish Gaelic, Gamhan, 'a ditch'.
According to John of Fordun, Constantine, a 7th century King of Strathclyde, founded a monastery at Govan, where he died and was buried.
In 1855, an elaborately carved sandstone sarcophagus was found during digging in the churchyard.
It now resides inside the church and is thought to have contained the relics of Constantine.
The earliest references to Govan are found in connection with the Christian church. In 1136, when Glasgow Cathedral was formally consecrated, King David I (1124-53) gave to the See the lands of Partick and also of the church at Govan (on opposite sides of the River Clyde), which became a prebend of Glasgow.
The Govan Old Parish Church was rebuilt in 1762, 1826, and again 1884-1888.
Within it and its roughly circular churchyard is one of the finest collections of Early Christian stones in the United Kingdom, dating from the 10th and 11th centuries.
By the early part of the 19th century, Govan was rapidly losing its rural appearance and assuming the character of a town as other industries, including Reid's Dye Works and Pollok's Silk Mill, established themselves. Shipbuilding accelerated this change most prominently, with the deepening of the Clyde in 1759, the reclamation of the channels between the islands (The Whyte Inch, The Black Inch, and The King's Inch), and the construction of quays and docks.
By the 1860s, it was obvious that a proper administration was required, and the village was made a burgh in 1864, under the General Police (Scotland) Act of 1862.
With Morris Pollok as its first Provost, the Burgh and its Commissioners made sure over the next 48 years Govan became a well equipped, modern town.
During the 19th century, the population of Govan increased from 9,000 in 1864 to 95,000 by 1907. Indeed in 1901 Govan was the 7th largest town in Scotland.
In 1912, Govan was annexed to Glasgow.
A prominent feature of the Govan landscape was the Doomster or Moot Hill, which stood near the river, north of the present Govan Cross. It was removed in the early 19th century and Reid's Dyeworks erected on the site.
Traditionally viewed as a working-class area, Govan has been a hotbed of support for the Labour Party, but the Scottish National Party (SNP) is strong there as well
The area has had a reputation for deprivation and poverty and jakeyness, partly due to the construction of housing estates in the 1930s to relieve the overcrowded slum district of The Gorbals.
The most famous of these housing estates is Moorpark, sometimes referred to jocularly as "The Wine Alley".
In the post-war years, many Govanites were relocated, often reluctantly, from the town to outlying areas such as Drumchapel, Pollok, Darnley, Priesthill and Penilee by Glasgow Corporation.
Despite these developments, there were numerous older buildings around Govan until quite recently, most notably the terraces and tenements situated around Goven Road. These were not cleared until well into the 1970s.
In the 1930s the Reverend George MacLeod - one of the Church of Scotland's best known ministers - was minister at Govan Old Parish Church. He founded the Iona Community, whose offices are still based in Govan.
Govan was at one stage the centre of the world-renowned Clydeside shipbuilding industry, although few yards remain today.
Those that do are under almost constant financial threat. Govan remains one of two large shipyards to survive, the other being Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited. Both of these yards form BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions.
Govan shipyard was founded in the 1860s as Randolph, Elder and Company, later John Elder and Company. In 1885 the yard was reorganised as the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Ltd. This company continued until 1965 when it filed for bankruptcy.
In response, the yard was again reorganised in 1966 as Fairfields, which was guaranteed by the government. The following year Fairfields and the other major Clydeside yards (Stephens, Connels, YSL and Browns) were merged to form Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, (UCS).
In 1971 the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders went into receivership and the Tory government under Edward Heath refused it a £6m loan.
Rather than go on strike, which was the traditional form of industrial action, the union leadership of the yards decided to have a work-in and complete the orders that the shipyards had in place.
In this way they dispelled the idea of the workers being 'work-shy' and also wanted to illustrate the long-term viability of the yards.
The work-in was successful in the short-term. YSL withdrew from UCS in 1971 and Govan was sold off in 1973 as Govan Shipbuilders.
In 1977 the Labour government of James Callaghan passed the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act which nationalised Govan and grouped it with other major British shipyards as British Shipbuilders.
In May 1979 Margaret Thatcher was elected as Prime Minister and her administration soon began its privatisation programme. British Aerospace, established by the same act, was privatised in 1981. British Shipbuilder's road to privatisation was not as swift, and the group was sold piece by piece throughout the decade. Govan was sold to Kværner in 1988.
In 1999 GEC's Marconi Electronic Systems division purchased the yard from Kværner. GEC's Marconi Marine division already owned YSL (purchased in 1985) and VSEL (purchased in 1995). Marconi Electronic Systems and its Marconi Marine unit were sold to British Aerospace in 1999 to form BAE Systems. The shipbuilding operations became BAE Systems Marine, now BAE Systems Naval Ships.
Govan railway station opened on 2 December 1868. It closed permanently to regular passenger services on 9 May 1921.
Govan borders the district of Ibrox home since 1899 to Rangers. The Ibrox Stadium has a stand named for Govan with the stadium itself being 1 of only 27 soccer stadiums in Europe to be ranked by UEFA as a 5-star stadium.
When I was home last Sept 12 all of us went to La Florintino restaurant on Paisley Rd ,the service was terrific and so was the food. I would highly recommend it for a nice meal.
My grandfather played soccer for Govan & District Churches League in the early 1920s, before leaving Scotland for Canada. I would like to know if there is any documented history of this league, if it is deserving of mention here.
My father the late Jimmy Rice played football for Govan Brittania also several other clubs eventually playing for Man United before the war.
I have looked for records of Govan Brits team but no trace, I still have his medal.
I myself have worked in Fairfields for 46 years unbroken service and I have seen many changes some for the good, others not so good but it will see me out in 2013
It is great to sit here and remonise about the past in Sunny Govan.I was born there in 1947 and love to still visit. I attended Hills Trust School then went to Govan High although I was supposed to attend Alan Glens as I was that intellegent (so they said). My father was the secretery of the boiler maker institute which used to meet in hall next to the 3 Ell bar,he was also a football scout for the Benburb football team. My fun in those days was standing at Govan X and awaiting the cleansing motor arriving from Partick to get a hudgy up Helen St then run backdown for the next ferry arriving. Also in the Elder Park dung heap at the bowling green collecting worms for the bowlers to go fishing at 1p per worm. So many more fun times to recall from Govan I would love to go back in time. My Grandmothers houses are still standing in Craigton Rd and the other one in Ardlaw St (Teucherhill) are still standing I love to go past them to remember my childhood.
hi all you govanites, i used to work in scottish farm dairies in the 1980's. had many a great time there. so many characters, mostly from govan. i can remember they had a great football team to. we used to go to the square rig and the black mans for a lunchtime drink. i am good friends with big sammy mooney who is my neighbour at caravan site. typical govan man, full of character.
hi everyone this is a long shot, but i am wondering if anyone may remember some of my ancestors that stayed in govan? My father was born there, his name was william reid, he had a brother Angus and sisters carol, annie and eileen. My fathers parents were William reid and helen(ellen) reid. My fathers grandparents were catherine reid and angus reid, they lived at 14 blackburn street. they had children thomas reid who married bella. and kate reid who was married to jimmy riddell and a daughter mary reid who married william(wullie) fagan and another daughter elizabeth reid who married william spiers and another daughter jean reid who married angus mckinnon and another soon angus reid who emmigrated to chicago. My ancestors mostly lived on blackburn street. please email me if you recognise any of these names, would love to hear from you :) paul rydeordie06@hotmail.com
Hi to all you Govanites II am so glad I found this page ,it has made my day worth while>I often think back about my upbringing thinking how happy I was in those days .my daughters think its all fairy tales.I was born at 27,Golspie st. I went to Fairfield school and Govan High,and moved to Drumoyne I was over the moon having a bathroom.I have been back to Glasgow like everything else nothing stays the same for long.I left glasgow on 1958 but when cme back for a day 1998