Govan ( ;

Cumbric Cumbric is an extinct Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup spoken during the Early Middle Ages in the ''Hen Ogledd'' or "Old North", in Northern England and the southern Scottish Lowlands. It was closely related to Old Welsh and the ot ...

: ''Gwovan''; Scots: ''Gouan'';

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

now part of southwest

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Scotland. It is situated west of

Glasgow city centre Glasgow city centre is the central business district of Glasgow, Scotland. It is bordered by the Saltmarket, High Street and Castle Street to the east, the River Clyde to the south, and the M8 motorway to the west and north. It is made up of t ...

, on the south bank of the

River Clyde The River Clyde (, ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde, in the west of Scotland. It is the eighth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the second longest in Scotland after the River Tay. It runs through the city of Glasgow. Th ...

, opposite the mouth of the

River Kelvin The River Kelvin () is a tributary of the River Clyde in northern and northeastern Glasgow, Scotland. It rises on the moor south east of the village of Banton, Scotland, Banton, east of Kilsyth. At almost long, it initially flows south to D ...

and the district of

Partick Partick (, Scottish Gaelic: ''Partaig'') is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch, to the east Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Park (across the River Kelvin), and to the north Broo ...

. Historically it was part of the

County of Lanark Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark (; ), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the Central Lowlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. The county is no longer used for local government purposes, but gives ...

. In the early medieval period, the site of the present Govan Old churchyard was established as a Christian centre for the Brittonic Kingdom of

Alt Clut Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumbarton Rock was forme ...

(Dumbarton Rock) and its successor realm, the

Kingdom of Strathclyde Strathclyde (, "valley of the River Clyde, Clyde"), also known as Cumbria, was a Celtic Britons, Brittonic kingdom in northern Britain during the Scotland in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages. It comprised parts of what is now southern Scotland an ...

. This latter kingdom, established in the aftermath of the Viking siege and capture of Alt Clut by Vikings from Dublin in 870, created the stone sculptures known today as the Govan Stones. Govan was the site of a ford and later a ferry which linked the area with

for seasonal cattle drovers. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

mills and

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

were important; in the early-nineteenth century,

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

emerged as Govan's principal industry. In 1864, Govan gained burgh status, and was the fifth-largest burgh in Scotland. It was incorporated into the City of Glasgow in 1912.

History

Early history

Recent studies of the

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

of Govan Old have revealed the presence of an ancient

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

church. Two associated Christian burials are

radiocarbon date Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was de ...

d to the 5th or 6th centuries, making Govan the earliest known Christian site in the region. Govan is believed to have then been part of a kingdom ruled from

Dumbarton Rock Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons') is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,99 ...

, known as ''Alt Clut'', the rock on the Clyde. During the

Viking Age The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...

, following the sack of Dumbarton Rock in 870, Govan is believed to have been one of the major centres of the

. In 1855, an elaborately carved

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

was found during digging in the churchyard. It is now kept inside the church, as part of the Govan Stones museum collection. It may have been used to contain the body or relics of St.

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...

, a Pictish king seemingly killed by Vikings in 877 – the style of carving indicates an origin in the late 9th or early 10th century. Govan's earliest recorded name may be found in the ''

Historia regum Anglorum The ''Historia Regum'' ("History of the Kings") is a historical compilation attributed to Symeon of Durham, which presents material going from the death of Bede until 1129. It survives only in one manuscript compiled in Yorkshire in the mid-to-lat ...

'' attributed to

Symeon of Durham __NOTOC__ Symeon (or Simeon) of Durham (fl. c.1090 to c. 1128 ) was an English chronicler and a monk of Durham Priory. Biography Symeon was a Benedictine monk at Durham Cathedral at the end of the eleventh century. He may have been one of 23 mo ...

. This is a 12th-century

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

source, but one believed to be based on much earlier materials; it records a place near Dumbarton Rock named ''Ouania''. Based on this, Govan's

Cumbric language Cumbric is an extinct Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup spoken during the Early Middle Ages in the ''Hen Ogledd'' or "Old North", in Northern England and the southern Scottish Lowlands. It was clo ...

name has been reconstructed as *''(G)uovan''. Govan is ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'' (the smith's town) in

. Bishop Leslie in his ''Scotia Descriptio'' of 1578 says it got its name from the excellence of its ale ''(God-win)'', whereas Chalmers in his ''Caledonia'' says it is derived from

, ''Gamhan'' (a ditch)."A History Of Glasgow & Govan (1883)", ''Ordnance Gazetteer Of Scotland'' The earliest references to Govan are found in connection with the Christian church. In 1136, when

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral () is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the cathedral church of the Archbishop of Glasgow, and the mother church of the Archdiocese of Glasgow and the province of Glasgow, from the 12th ...

was formally consecrated,

King David I David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim ( Modern Gaelic: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th century ruler and saint who was Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and King of Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The youngest ...

(1124–53) gave to the See the lands of Partick and also of the church at Govan (on opposite sides of the

), which became a

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

of Glasgow.

Govan Old Parish Church Govan Old Parish Church is a former parish church serving Govan in Glasgow from the 5th or 6th century AD until 2007. In that year, the Church of Scotland united the two Govan congregations with Linthouse and established the parish church at Gova ...

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 Britain, known as the Govan Stones, dating from the c.9th to 11th centuries. Not much is known about any medieval village that may have surrounded the church until 1454 when it is recorded that whole houses, barns and mills in the village were brought down by a great flood.In 1756 the Govan Weavers Society was formed to assist members and their families and this organisation continues as a charity in Govan holding annual events and supporting local causes. See www.govanweavers.com . By the 16th century, extensive coal mine workings had been developed around Craigton and

Drumoyne Drumoyne (; ) is now a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde and is part of the former Burgh of Govan. It is the birthplace of Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United football club from Novem ...

There is an oddity whereby part of eighteenth-century parish of Govan (which was in

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark (; ), is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the Central Lowlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. The county is no l ...

) is counted as being within

Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Renfrewshire is located in the west central Lowlands. It borders East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire, and lies on the southern ba ...

. There existed a hospital in the area, and as quasi-religious foundations were not taxed, it had never been assigned to a sheriffdom. Thus, when Renfrewshire was created out of a sheriffdom of Lanarkshire in the early fifteenth century, the lands associated with the hospital (

Polmadie Polmadie (; ) is a primarily industrial area of Glasgow in Scotland. Situated south of the River Clyde, Polmadie is close to residential neighbourhoods including Govanhill (to the west) and Toryglen (south-east), with Oatlands and another lar ...

) were not technically in the newly created shire, as they were not part of the sheriffdom. They were, however, very much a part of the physical landscape that became Renfrewshire. A similar uncertainty existed regarding the nearby lands of

Pollokshields Pollokshields (, Scots language, Scots: ''Powkshiels'') is an area in the Southside of Glasgow, Scotland. Its modern boundaries are largely man-made, being formed by the M77 motorway to the west and northwest with the open land of Pollok Count ...

and Westends. People lived with the inconsistency in the records. When the railway was to be built in the late nineteenth century, however, the confusion over proper descriptions in the land titles made necessary legal transactions difficult and had to be reconciled. The county added to the description of these lands, the phrase: "but now by annexation in the County of Renfrew." Govan Glasgow 1904

By the early part of the 19th century, Govan was rapidly losing its rural appearance and assuming the character of a town with the development of new industries and factories, including Reid's Dye Works and Pollok's Silk Mill. Town officials arranged for 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. This facilitated the development of shipbuilding as a major industry. By the 1860s, the village needed a higher order of administration and it was made a

in 1864, under the General Police (Scotland) Act 1862. At the time, it was the fifth largest burgh in Scotland and contained within its boundaries the areas of

Plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

, Cessnock, Ibrox, Craigton, and

. in 1901 the Burgh boundaries increased further west to include Linthouse and West

. With Morris Pollok as its first

Provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...

, the Burgh and its Commissioners ensured that during the next 48 years Govan became a well-equipped, modern town. During the late 19th century, the population of Govan increased more than tenfold: from 9,000 in 1864 to 95,000 by 1907. In 1901 Govan was the 7th largest town in Scotland. In 1912, Glasgow annexed Govan after a series of annexation battles. 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 was erected on the site. The origins of the Doomster Hill are a mystery. One hypothesis is that it was a prehistoric

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

. In 1996, a team from

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

's ''

Time Team ''Time Team'' is a British television programme that originally aired on Channel 4, Channel 4 from 16 January 1994 to 7 September 2014. It returned in 2022 on online platforms YouTube and Patreon. Created by television produce ...

'' programme carried out an archeological excavation at the site. They suggested that the hill may have been a 12th-century

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortificati ...

20th century to the present

Traditionally viewed as a lower working-class area, Govan has typically supported the Labour Party, but the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...

(SNP) has also been strong there. In 1973, the SNP won a by-election with

Margo MacDonald Margo Symington MacDonald (''née'' Aitken; 19 April 1943 – 4 April 2014) was a Scottish politician, teacher and broadcaster. She was the Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Govan from 1973 to 1974 and was D ...

as their candidate. The SNP won another by-election victory in 1988, this time with

Jim Sillars James Sillars (born 4 October 1937) is a Scottish politician and campaigner for Scottish independence. Sillars served as a Labour Party MP for South Ayrshire from 1970 to 1976. He founded and led the pro- Scottish Home Rule Scottish Labour Pa ...

as candidate. The latest victory for the SNP was in the 2007 Scottish parliamentary elections, when

Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2014 to 2023. She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) sin ...

became the MSP for the constituency. The area has had a reputation for deprivation and poverty, partly due to the construction of housing estates in the 1930s to relieve the overcrowded slum district of The

Gorbals The Gorbals is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, and former burgh, on the south bank of the River Clyde. By the late 19th century, it had become densely populated; rural migrants and immigrants were attracted by the new industries and e ...

. The most famous of these housing estates is Moorepark, sometimes referred to jocularly as "The Wine Alley" – this area was named by ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' newspaper in April 1994 as one of the worst areas in Britain, with drug abuse being a widespread problem and unemployment standing at nearly 30% (up to three times the national average at the time). It was parodied by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

sitcom ''

Rab C. Nesbitt ''Rab C. Nesbitt'' is a Scottish comedy television series that originally aired between 1988 and 1999. The show returned for a one–off special in 2008, before being re-commissioned in 2010. Its second run was broadcast from 2010 to 2014. The ...

''. Although Govan was the stated setting for the show, episodes were seldom filmed there. Despite these developments, there were numerous older buildings around Govan until quite recently, most notably the terraces and tenements situated around Govan Road. These were not cleared until well into the 1970s. However, there is the potential for tourism development, for example, the planned development of the Govan Old site, which hosts the historically significant stone carvings, has led to the development of the surrounding townscape and new infrastructure. Such developments benefit the aesthetic and connective appeal of the Govan area for future visitors.

Economy

Govan was at one point the centre of the world-renowned Clydeside shipbuilding industry. In 1841, Robert Napier began iron shipbuilding in Govan, and in 1843 produced its first ship, the ''Vanguard''. He also procured a contract with the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

to produce vessels, notably the ''

Jackal Jackals are Canidae, canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe Canina (subtribe), canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-b ...

'', the ''

Lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

'', and the ''

Bloodhound The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar, rabbits, and since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is ...

''. He also allowed naval officers in training to visit the shipyard to familiarise themselves with the new vessels. Napier's Shipyard in Govan was later acquired by

William Beardmore and Company William Beardmore and Company was a British engineering and shipbuilding Conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in Glasgow and the surrounding Clydeside area. It was active from 1886 to the mid-1930s and at its peak employed about 40,000 peo ...

in 1876 and incorporated into William Beardmore and Company in around 1900. Govan's other major shipbuilding firm, Randolph, Elder and Company who had taken a lease of Robert Napier's Old Yard at Water Row in 1860, launched their first ship at the yard in 1861, however in 1863 the company acquired land at nearby Fairfield estate to lay out a new larger shipyard. After John Elder's death in 1869 the company was renamed John Elder and Company. In 1885, under William Pearce, the company was reorganised as the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Ltd. This company continued until 1965, when it filed for bankruptcy. The following year in 1966, the yard was again reorganised as Fairfields and guaranteed by the government in response. The following year, Fairfields and the other major Clydeside yards (Stephens, Connels, Yarrows and John Browns) were merged to form

Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) was a Scottish shipbuilding consortium, created in 1968 as a result of the amalgamation of five major shipbuilders of the River Clyde. It entered liquidation, with much controversy, in 1971. That led to a " work-in ...

(UCS). In 1971, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders went into receivership and the Conservative government led by

Edward Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 ...

refused to give them a £6,000,000 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 A work-in is a form of direct action under which workers whose jobs are under threat resolve to remain in their place of employment and to continue producing, without pay. Their intention is usually to show that their place of work still has long- ...

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. Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company was renamed

Govan Shipbuilders Govan Shipbuilders Ltd (GSL) was a British shipbuilding company based on the River Clyde at Glasgow in Scotland. It operated the former Fairfield Shipyard and took its name from the Govan area in which it was located. History The company wa ...

in 1973. In 1977, the Labour government of

James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the L ...

passed the

Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977 The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977 (c. 3) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that nationalised large parts of the UK aerospace and shipbuilding industries and established two corporations, British Aerospace and Br ...

(c. 3) which nationalised Govan and grouped it with other major British shipyards as

British Shipbuilders British Shipbuilders (BS) was a public corporation that owned and managed the shipbuilding industry in Great Britain from 1977 through the 1980s. Its head office was at Benton House in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. History The corporation wa ...

. In May 1979, Margaret Thatcher was elected

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

and her ministry soon began its privatisation programme. British Aerospace, established by the same act, was privatised in 1981. British Shipbuilders road to privatisation was not as swift, and the group was sold piece by piece throughout the course of the 1980s.

Kværner Kværner was a Norwegian engineering and construction services company that existed between 1853 and 2005. During its initial decades, the firm was involved in the manufacture of cast iron stoves and hydroelectric turbines. The turbine busi ...

of Norway, as part of a planned development of a large international shipbuilding group, took over Govan. British Shipbuilders' sale of Govan to the Norwegian firm was completed in 1988, and the yard was renamed

Kvaerner Govan Kvaerner Govan Ltd (KGL), located at Govan in Glasgow on the River Clyde, was a shipyard subsidiary formed in 1988 when the Norwegian group Kværner Industrier purchased the Govan Shipbuilders division of the nationalised British Shipbuilders co ...

.Birkler
p. 14.
/ref> In 1999, GEC's Marconi Marine division purchased the yard when Kværner announced its departure from the shipbuilding industry. GEC's Marconi Marine division already owned YSL (purchased in 1985) and VSEL (purchased in 1995).

Marconi Electronic Systems Marconi Electronic Systems Limited (MES), or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of General Electric Company (GEC). It was split off from GEC and bought by British Aerospace (BAe) on 30 November 1999 to form BAE Systems. GEC ...

and its Marconi Marine unit were sold to

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. ...

in 1999 to form

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

. The shipbuilding operations became

BAE Systems Marine BAE Systems Marine Limited was the shipbuilding subsidiary of BAE Systems, formed in 1999, which manufactured the full range of naval ships; nuclear submarines, frigates, destroyers, amphibious ships. While the company remains active, it now ope ...

, which subsequently became part of BVT Surface Fleet, a naval shipbuilding joint venture between

and

VT Group VTG (formerly VT Group) is a privately held United States defense and services company, with its origins in a former British shipbuilding group, previously known as Vosper Thornycroft. The British part of VTG was integrated into Babcock Interna ...

, which became

BAE Systems Surface Ships BAE Systems plc is a British multinational aerospace, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe and the seventh largest i ...

in 2009.

Alexander Stephen and Sons Alexander Stephen and Sons Limited, often referred to simply as Alex Stephens or just Stephens, was a Scottish shipbuilder, shipbuilding company based in Linthouse, Glasgow, on the River Clyde and, initially, on the east coast of Scotland. Hist ...

also established a shipyard in nearby Linthouse in 1870. The yard eventually closed in the wake of the collapse of the

consortium in 1971.

Ships built at Govan

* PS Vanguard (1843) * PS Scotia (1861) * HMS ''Northampton'' (1876) * HMS ''Nelson'' (1876) * HMS ''Curacoa'' (1878) * SS ''Arizona'' (1879)Johnston, Ian. "Govan Shipyard" i
''Ships Monthly.''
June 1985. * ''Ibis'' (1886)Clydebuilt Database – Shipping Times, Stuart Cameron * ''Akasha'' (1886) * ''Livadia'' (1880) *''Victoria'' (1886) * RMS ''Campania'' (1891) * RMS ''Lucania'' (1893) * HMS ''Venus'' (1895) * HMS ''Diana'' (1895) * HMS ''Highflyer'' (1898) * HMS ''Hermes'' (1898) * HMS ''Cressy'' (1899) * HMS ''Aboukir'' (1900) * HMS ''Good Hope'' (1901) * HMS ''Bedford'' (1901) * SS ''Armadale Castle'' (1903) *RMS ''Port Kingston'' (1904) renamed RMS ''Tahiti'' * HMS ''Cochrane'' (1905) * HMS ''Commonwealth'' (1905) * RMS ''Empress of Britain'' (1906) * RMS ''Empress of Ireland'' (1906) * * HMS ''Indomitable'' (1907) * SS ''Balmoral Castle'' (1910) * HMS ''New Zealand'' (1911) * HMAS ''Sydney'' (1912) * RMS ''Empress of Russia'' (1913) * RMS ''Empress of Asia'' (1913) * SS ''Calgarian'' (1913) * HMS ''Valiant'' (1914) * HMS ''Renown'' (1916) * RMS ''Empress of Canada'' (1922) * SS ''Athenia'' (1922) * ''Aorangi'' (1922) * TSS ''Tuscania'' (1923) * SS ''Letitia'' (1924) * MV ''Speybank'' (1926) * HMS ''Berwick'' (1926) * HMS ''Norfolk'' (1928) * RMS ''Empress of Japan'' (1930) * HMS ''Delight'' (1932) * HMS ''Woolwich'' (1934) * HMS ''Liverpool'' (1937) * HMS ''Phoebe'' (1937) * HMS ''Howe'' (1940) * HMS ''Bellona'' (1942) * HMS ''Implacable'' (1942) * HMS ''Theseus'' (1944) * HMS ''Chichester'' * HMS ''Blake'' (1945) * SS ''Karanja'' (1948) * TS ''Oxfordshire'' (1955) * TS/SS ''Empress of Britain'' (1956) * TS ''Leecliffe Hall'' (1961) * HMS ''Fife'' (1964) * HMS ''Antrim'' (1967) * USNS ''Harkness'' (1968) * ''Jervis Bay'' (1969) *''Pacifique'' (1969) * USNS ''Chauvenet'' (1970) * ''Pacific Peace'' (1981) * MV ''Selkirk Settler'' (1983) * MV ''Saskatchewan Pioneer'' (1983) * ''St. Lawrence Seaway'' (1983) * ''Sir Charles Parsons'' (1985) * MV ''Norsea'' (1986) * MV ''Havis'' (1992) * ''Sea Launch Commander'' (1996) * RFA ''Wave Ruler'' (2003) * RFA ''Mounts Bay'' (2004) * HMS ''Daring'' (2006) * HMS ''Dauntless'' (2007) * HMS ''Diamond'' (2007) * HMS ''Dragon'' (2008) * HMS ''Defender'' (2009). * HMS ''Duncan'' (2010) A list of almost 3000 ships built at Govan has been collected in the "Clydebuilt Database". Ships built by the following companies: Robert Napier & Company, Randolph Elder & Company, Dobbie Hedderwick & Co., Dobie & Company, Mackie & Thomson, Smith & Rodgers, London & Glasgow Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., William Beardmore & Company, John Elder & Company, Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd., Alexander Stephens & Sons, J & G Thomson, Harland & Wolff and more.

Transport

Govan is served by

Govan Subway Station Govan subway station is a station that serves the area of Govan in Glasgow, Scotland. It is located on the south side of the River Clyde. Just south of the station is the main depot and test track for the Glasgow Subway. The station is located ...

Ibrox Subway Station Ibrox subway station is a station on the Glasgow Subway, serving the Ibrox area of the city. The station was known as Copland Road until 1977. Its surface buildings were replaced during the Subway's modernisation programme, with the main entr ...

and

Cessnock Subway Station Cessnock subway station is a station on the Glasgow Subway that serves the eastern part of Ibrox, Glasgow, Ibrox and the Cessnock, Glasgow, Cessnock area of the city. It is also the nearest station to Festival Park, Glasgow, Festival Park. Along ...

on the Glasgow subway system. Govan railway station opened on 2 December 1868. It closed permanently to regular passenger services on 9 May 1921. Regular bus services, mainly operated by

McGill's Bus Services McGill's Bus Services is a bus operator based in Greenock, Scotland. The company has grown to operate a network of routes covering much of the council areas of Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Glasgow City (counci ...

and

First Glasgow First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in Scotland. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup. The company operates within the area covered by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, a public body responsible for h ...

, offer frequent routes to Glasgow City Centre, as well as to numerous locations in

Sports

Govan borders the district of Ibrox, home to the Scottish football club

Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club is a professional football club in Glasgow, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Premiership, the top division of Scottish football. The club is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers, though this has never been i ...

who traditionally incorporate the red and black civic colours in the socks of their kit; their

Ibrox Stadium Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of Scottish Premiership team Rangers, Ibrox is the third-largest football stadium in Scotland, with an all-seated ca ...

has a stand named for Govan (the closest to the heart of the burgh), although officially this was re-named after their former player

Sandy Jardine William "Sandy" Pullar Jardine (31 December 1948 – 24 April 2014) was a Scottish professional footballer who played for Rangers, Hearts and represented Scotland. He played over 1000 professional games and twice won the Scottish Football Wri ...

in 2014. Govan is home to the Scottish

Junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Aircraft * Ekolot JK-05L Junior, a Polish ultralight aircraft * PZL-112 Junior, a Polish training aircraft * SZD-51 Junior, a Polish-made training and club glider Arts and entertainment Characters * Bowser Jr., ...

football team

Benburb F.C. Benburb Football Club is a Scottish football club, based in Govan, Glasgow. Formed in 1885, the club is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association and currently competes in the West of Scotland Football League. Benburb's colours are bl ...

who until March 2014 played at Tinto Park (

) then moved to the adjacent New Tinto Park. They share a rivalry with St Anthony's F.C. who originated from the Helen Street area of Govan, but are now based further west at

Shieldhall Shieldhall is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated directly south of the River Clyde and is part of the wider Govan area. Location and history Taking its name from the country estate which occupied the territory until the ...

. Linthouse and Parkgrove were 19th century senior sides, who fell into decline and are now defunct. There were two other sporting venues for local residents and workers located in the south of Govan (with no space available in the industrial northern area at the Clyde):

White City Stadium White City Stadium in London, England, was built for the 1908 Summer Olympics. It hosted the finish of the first modern marathon and swimming, speedway, boxing, show jumping, athletics, stock car racing, concerts and a match at the 1966 FIFA W ...

and

Albion Greyhound Stadium The Albion Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Glasgow. Origins Albion in Glasgow opened on 21 April 1928 on the Broomloan Road and was described as good size track with a circumference of 457 yards. The first hare installed ...

, both now entirely demolished.

Media

Govan is served by community radio station Sunny Govan, broadcasting on 103.5FM to the city of Glasgow and surrounding districts, discussing local issues and providing advice, and with diverse musical output covering soul, hip-hop and reggae. Govan has had several local newspapers over the years such as the Govan Chronicle and ''Govan Press'' published by the Cossar Family (1851–1983) and by John Maclean (2006–2014) which also served the communities of

Kinning Park Kinning Park is a southern suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. It was formerly a separate police burgh between 1871 and 1905 before being absorbed by the city. In 1897, it had a population of 14,326.Govan Parish School Board, ''The Members' Year Book ...

Cardonald Cardonald (; ,
) is an outlying suburb of the Scotlan ...

, Penilee and Hillington, and the ''Govan Post'' (1983–1988) published by Cook, Paton & Co. of Paisley, now part of Dunfermline Press.

Religion

Church of Scotland

The church of Govan was a prebend of Glasgow. It was dedicated to St Constantine, who had been buried at Govan. On 13 July 1577, the teinds of Govan were granted to the University of Glasgow, and the Principal of the University ex officio was appointed minister of the parish. This settlement was set aside on 20 December 1621, and only the patronage of Govan was left to the University. There was a chapel in the parish at Partick. Govan Church was rebuilt in 1762, and again in 1826. A later rebuilding was begun in 1884 and was opened 19 May 1888.

List of Provosts of Govan

*1864–1867 Morris Pollok *1867–1869 William Cruickshank *1869–1872 Thomas Reid *1872–1880 James Wilson *1880–1883 John Thompson *1883–1886 Alexander Campbell *1886–1889 George Ferguson *1889–1892 Neil McLean *1892–1901 James Kirkwood *1901–1904 John Marr *1904–1908

Sir John Anthony Sir John Anthony JP (1862–1935) was a late 19th and early 20th century Scottish businessman who served as Provost of Govan from 1903 to 1906. He was actively involved in the Temperance movement. He was Chairman of the Scottish Liberal As ...

*1908–1912 David McKechnie

Popular culture

* Scottish TV sitcom ''

Rab C Nesbitt ''Rab C. Nesbitt'' is a Scottish television comedy, comedy television series that originally aired between 1988 and 1999. The show returned for a one–off special in 2008, before being re-commissioned in 2010. Its second run was broadcast from ...

'' is set in Govan; although the series is mostly filmed elsewhere. * Channel 4's

filmed a Series 4 episode in Govan, where they excavated the Churchyard at Govan Old, home of the Govan Stones, and a local carpark to the immediate east of Water Row.

Notable people

Mary Barbour Mary Barbour ( Rough; 20 February 1875 – 2 April 1958) was a Scotland, Scottish Activism, political activist, local councillor, bailie and magistrate. Barbour was closely associated with the Red Clydeside movement in the early 20th century ...

, resident in Govan while helping to organise the Glasgow Rent Strikes *

Isabella Elder Isabella Ure Elder (15 March 1828 – 18 November 1905) was a Scottish Philanthropy, philanthropist who took a particular interest in education, especially of women, and in the welfare of the people of Govan in Glasgow. In Govan alone, Elder ...

, philanthropist who gifted

Elder Park Elder Park is a public open space in the city of Adelaide, South Australia on the southern bank of the River Torrens and that is bordered by the Adelaide Festival Centre and North Terrace, Adelaide, North Terrace. It is part of Park 26 of t ...

and to the people of Govan, as well as many other projects. * Hugh Binning child genius, professor of philosophy and minister of Govan * Leo Blair (senior), father of former Prime Minister

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...

and high court judge Sir William Blair, raised on Golspie Street *

Ivor Cutler Ivor Cutler (born Isadore Cutler, 15 January 1923 – 3 March 2006) was a Scottish poet, singer, musician, songwriter, artist and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recor ...

avant garde performer *

Sir Alex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former professional football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as the greatest manager of all time and ...

football manager ''Football Manager'', also known as ''Worldwide Soccer Manager'' in North America from 2004 to 2008, is a series of football management simulation video games developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game beg ...

and

player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who i ...

widely known for managing

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

from 1986 to 2013 (won more trophies than any other manager, considered one of the greatest of all time) * James Hedderwick, poet and newspaper proprietor, born and raised in Govan. *

Jimmy Speirs James Hamilton Speirs MM (22 March 1886 – 20 August 1917) was a Scottish footballer who represented his country on one occasion, scored the winning goal in the 1911 FA Cup Final, and received the Military Medal during the First World War. ...

, footballer (scored the winning goal in the 1911 FA Cup Final, received the Military Medal during the First World War) *

James Kelman James Kelman (born 9 June 1946) is a Scottish novelist, short story writer, playwright and essayist. His fiction and short stories feature accounts of internal mental processes of usually, but not exclusively, working class narrators and their ...

, writer *

George MacLeod George Fielden MacLeod, Baron MacLeod of Fuinary, (17 June 1895 – 27 June 1991) was a Scottish soldier and clergyman; he was one of the best known, most influential and unconventional Church of Scotland ministers of the 20th century. He ...

, minister of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

(founded the

Iona Community The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of people from different walks of life and different traditions within Christianity. It and its publishing house, Wild Goose Publications, are headquar ...

, whose offices are still based in Govan) * David Meiklejohn, Rangers and Scotland footballer *

Andrew Melville Andrew Melville (1 August 1545 – 1622) was a Scottish scholar, theologian, poet and religious reformer. His fame encouraged scholars from the European continent to study at Glasgow and St. Andrews. He was born at Baldovie, on 1 August 154 ...

minister of Govan, reformer and scholar at Glasgow and St Andrews (exiled) *

Belle Moore Isabella "Belle" McAlpine Moore (23 October 1894 – 7 March 1975), later known by her married name Belle Cameron, was a Scottish competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in the Olympics. At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Swe ...

, Olympic Gold Medalist *

Thomas Ashburton Picken Thomas Ashburton Picken (c. 1818 – 23 January 1891), known professionally as T. Picken, was a Scottish-born Watercolor painting, watercolourist, Engraving, engraver and Lithography, lithographer working in England between around 1834 and 187 ...

, lithographer *

Johnny Quigley John Quigley (28 June 1935 – 30 November 2004) was a Scottish Association football, football midfielder and coach. His career peaked when he won the 1959 FA Cup Final with Nottingham Forest. Playing career Celtic He began his career as a pro ...

, footballer *

Jimmy Reid James Reid (9 July 1932 – 10 August 2010) was a Scottish trade union activist, orator, politician and journalist born in Govan, Glasgow. His role as spokesman and one of the leaders in the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders work-in between June 1971 ...

, trade unionist *

Iain Robertson Iain Robertson (born 27 May 1981) is a BAFTA award-winning Scottish actor. He portrayed "Lex" in the cult Glasgow gang film ''Small Faces.'' Robertson is also known for his work in the long-running children's drama ''Grange Hill'' and '' The D ...

, actor"Iain Robertson"
, Sunny Govan *

Chick Young Charles "Chick" Young (born 4 May 1951) is a professional association football pundit (expert), pundit who regularly appears for BBC Scotland on ''Sportscene'' and ''Sportsound''. He is known for his trademark laugh and speech patterns, which h ...

, football pundit * Johnny Beattie, actor and stand-up comedian * Bill Martin, songwriter, music publisher and impresario * Lady Elish Angiolini KC,

Lord Advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (), is the principal legal adviser of both the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolution, devolved powers of the Scottish P ...

of Scotland and former

Solicitor General for Scotland His Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland () is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Scottish Government on Scots Law. They are also responsible for the Crown Office and P ...

, brought up in Govan * Peter Barr, nurseryman and merchant better known as "The Daffodil King" * Jim Craig, Celtic player and Lisbon Lion *

George Rossi George Rossi (28 September 1961 – 5 January 2022) was a Scottish actor, best known for playing Duncan Lennox in ''The Bill'' from 1998 to 2003. Early life and education Rossi was born in Govan, Glasgow, on 28 September 1961. He was of Itali ...

, Scottish actor

Notes

References

External links

Govan Community Council

Get into Govan Govan, the Place and the People

Fairfield Heritage

Govan Maps 1857–1934, National Library of Scotland
{{authority control Areas of Glasgow Ports and harbours of Scotland Parishes in Lanarkshire Burghs