Lesmahagow ( ; sco, Lismahagie or ''Lesmahagae'', gd, Lios MoChuda) is a small town in the historic county of
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland.
Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...
on the edge of moorland, near
Lanark
Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...
in the
central belt
The Central Belt of Scotland is the Demography of Scotland, area of highest population density within Scotland. Depending on the definition used, it has a population of between 2.4 and 4.2 million (the country's total was around 5.4 million in ...
of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. Lesmahagow was also a civil parish. It lies west of the
M74, and southeast of
Kirkmuirhill
Kirkmuirhill is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It borders Blackwood, near Lanark and is sited near Junction 9 of the M74 motorway. Its postal sector is ML11 9.
History
In 1810 John Begg, husband of Robert Burns youngest sister Isabe ...
. It is also known as Abbey Green or the Gow.
Etymology
The name means "Enclosure (meaning a walled area, like a monastery or fort) of St
Machutus
Saint Malo (; also known as Maclou, Maloù or Mac'h Low, or in Latin as Maclovius or Machutus, 27 March 520 – 15 November 621) was a Welsh mid-sixth century founder of Saint-Malo, a commune in Brittany, France. He was one of the seven foundin ...
". The saint was born in Wales and may originally have been known as ''"Mahagw"'' prior to emigrating to
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
where he became known by the
Latinised form of the name and also as "St Malo". It is also possible that the first syllable may mean "garden" rather than "monastery", although Mac an Tailleir (2003) believes the former was altered from the latter in Gaelic.
![20200505 EOS5DMkIV IMG 3277 3278 3279 Detail(Resize)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/20200505_EOS5DMkIV_IMG_3277_3278_3279_Detail%28Resize%29.jpg)
Religion
The town has three Christian congregations, namely
Lesmahagow Old Parish Church of the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...
and
Abbeygreen Church of the
Free Church of Scotland and an Evangelical congregation, (the Hope Hall) on the main street. Roman Catholic residents are served by Our Lady and St John's in the neighbouring village of
Blackwood, away.
Lesmahagow Priory, founded by
Benedictine monks
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
in 1144, no longer stands but its foundations were excavated in 1978 and are located next to the Old Parish Church off Church Square.
The Scottish branch of the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu religious organization. ISKCON was founded in 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktiv ...
operates from Lesmahagow.
Twin towns
Clydesdale International Twinning Association (CITA) was set up in 1975 to promote the benefits of twinning to all sections of the local community. This organisation mainly focuses on the larger towns in the old Clydesdale council area.
Highland Games
The Highland Games are held annually in June with Pipe Bands competing in Grades 1 through 4. There are also events for Highland dancing, weight over the bar, tossing the caber and archery. The first Highland Games was held in 1960 as a result of a collaboration between Lesmahagow Juniors Football Club and the now defunct Vale of Nethan Pipe Band. Originally held in Craighead Park, it is now held in the Glebe Park and entry is free, mainly due to community fundraising events and a strong committee.
Development Trust
Lesmahagow Development Trust (LDT) was formed on 28 August 2009. It is an independent, not-for-profit company registered as a charity in Scotland and the UK. The Trust funds and implements projects to enhance the facilities and environment of the village.
Notable residents
*
Rev Thomas Burns, founder of the Thomas Burns Blind School in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, born there.
*
Alexander Cairncross Sir Alexander Kirkland "Alec" Cairncross
KCMG KCMG may refer to
* KC Motorgroup, based in Hong Kong, China
* Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, British honour
* KCMG-LP, radio station in New Mexico, USA
* KCMG, callsign 1997-2001 of Los Angeles radio station KKLQ (FM) ...
FBA FRSE, born in Lesmahagow in 1911. Leading British economist. Professor of Applied Economics at the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
, Economic Adviser to HM Government, Head of Government Economic Service, Master of
St Peter's College, Oxford
St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is located in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom. It occupies the site of two of the university's medieval halls, dating back to at least the 14th ...
, Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.
*
John Cairncross
John Cairncross (25 July 1913 – 8 October 1995) was a British civil servant who became an intelligence officer and spy during the Second World War. As a Soviet double agent, he passed to the Soviet Union the raw Tunny decryptions that influ ...
born in Lesmahagow in 1913 and brother of
Alexander Cairncross. Civil servant, intelligence officer and spy in World War II. In 1951, he admitted spying for the Soviet Union. The "fifth man" in the
Cambridge Five
The Cambridge Spy Ring was a ring of spies in the United Kingdom that passed information to the Soviet Union during World War II and was active from the 1930s until at least into the early 1950s. None of the known members were ever prosecuted ...
(along with
Guy Burgess
Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess (16 April 1911 – 30 August 1963) was a British diplomat and Soviet agent, and a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring that operated from the mid-1930s to the early years of the Cold War era. His defection in 1951 ...
,
Donald Maclean,
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 191211 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963 he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring which had divulged British secr ...
and
Anthony Blunt). His autobiography, The Enigma Spy, was published in 1997.
*
Edward Glover (1888–1972), physician and
psychoanalyst, born there.
*
John Greenshields
John Greenshields (28 September 1795 – 24 April 1835) was a talented but short-lived Scottish sculptor. His most notable works are probably the statue of Sir Walter Scott in Parliament House, Edinburgh, The Scott Monument in Glasgow and the ...
(1795–1835) a short-lived but talented Scottish sculptor responsible for works such as
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
in
Parliament House, Edinburgh
Parliament House ( gd, Taigh na Pàrlamaid) in the Old Town in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a complex of several buildings housing the Supreme Courts of Scotland. The oldest part of the complex was home to the Parliament of Scotland from 1639 to 1 ...
*
Jim Holton
James Allan Holton (11 April 1951 – 4 October 1993) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre-back. Holton played for Shrewsbury Town, Manchester United, Miami Toros, Sunderland, Coventry City and Detroit Express.
He played in 15 in ...
(1951–1993), Scottish
football centre-half
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
, was born there. He died, aged 42, after suffering a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
at the wheel of his car.
*
Rev. Dr
Thomas Martin Lindsay
Thomas Martin Lindsay FRSE (1843–1914) was a Scottish historian, professor and principal of the Free Church College, Glasgow. He wrote chiefly on church history, his major works including ''Luther and the German Reformation'' (1900), and ''A His ...
DD FRSE (1843–1914), theologian
*
Jackie Lockhart
Jacqueline "Jackie" Lockhart (née Steele, born 22 March 1965) is a Scottish curler who has competed prolifically in major international competitions for Scotland, and for the Great Britain team that competes at the Olympic Winter Games. She ...
née Steele (1965–), World ladies curling champion skip, and later BBC sports commentator
*
Alexander Muir, composer of
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
patriotic song "
The Maple Leaf Forever
"The Maple Leaf Forever" is a Canadian song written by Alexander Muir (1830–1906) in 1867, the year of Canada's Confederation. He wrote the work after serving with the Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto in the Battle of Ridgeway against the Fenia ...
", was born in Lesmahagow in 1830 before emigrating to Canada as a child.
Alexander Muir
at The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage.
Available f ...
References
{{authority control
Towns in South Lanarkshire
Civil parishes of Scotland