Lesmahagow
Encyclopedia
Lesmahagow is a small town on the edge of moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...

, near Lanark
Lanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....

 in the central belt
Central Belt
The Central Belt of Scotland is a common term used to describe the area of highest population density within Scotland. Despite the name, it is not geographically central but is nevertheless situated at the 'waist' of Scotland on a conventional map and the term 'central' is used in many local...

 of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. It is also known as Abbey Green.

Etymology

The name is possibly a corruption of "Church of St Machutus". The saint was born in Wales and may originally have been known as "Mahagw" prior to emigrating to Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

 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 "church", although Mac an Tailleir (2003) believes the former was altered from the latter in Gaelic.

Religion

The town has two Christian congregations in the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....

, namely Lesmahagow Old Parish Church
Lesmahagow Old Parish Church
Lesmahagow Old Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland within the Presbytery of Lanark. It is the largest church in the South Lanarkshire town of Lesmahagow....

 and Abbeygreen Church
Abbeygreen Church
Abbeygreen Church is a reformed, evangelical congregation of the Church of Scotland in the town of Lesmahagow, South Lanarkshire. It lies opposite the Glebe Park on Abbeygreen. The neighbouring church, the Old Parish Church of Lesmahagow was built, in its present form, in 1803 at the site of the...

, plus churches of other denominations.

Lesmahagow Priory
Lesmahagow Priory
Lesmahagow Priory was a medieval Tironensian monastic community located in modern South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was founded after John, Bishop of Glasgow and King David I of Scotland granted lands at Lesmahagow to Kelso Abbey with which to establish a new priory. It remained a dependency of Kelso...

, founded by Benedictine monks
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...

 in 1144, no longer stands but its foundations were excavated in 1978 and can be seen next to the Old Parish Church off Church Square.
The Scottish branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...

 operates from Lesmahagow.

The population in 2001 was 3,685.

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. Lesmahagow falls under the Clydesdale
Clydesdale
Clydesdale was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1973 from part of the former county of Lanarkshire: namely the burghs of Biggar and Lanark and the First, Second and Third Districts...

 community and consequently became linked to Hemmingen
Hemmingen
Hemmingen is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 6 km south of Hanover.Up until December 2004, Hemmingen belonged to the Regierungsbezirk Hannover, which was dissolved in January 2005.-Districts:...

 in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, and Yvetot
Yvetot
Yvetot is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-History:The name is of Scandinavian origin . The town is most likely of Scandinavian origin too. There is also a locality in Bromölla municipality in southern Sweden bearing the same name...

, in Normandy, France.

Yvetot is a town in Normandy, in the north of France. Clydesdale has been twinned with Yvetot since 1975.

Hemmingen is a town in the Lower Saxony region of Germany. Clydesdale has been twinned with Hemmingen since 1984.

Famous residents

  • Alexander Muir
    Alexander Muir
    Alexander Muir was a Canadian songwriter, poet, soldier, and school headmaster. He was the composer of The Maple Leaf Forever, which he wrote in October 1867 to celebrate the Confederation of Canada.-Early life:...

    , composer of Canadian patriotic song The Maple Leaf Forever
    The Maple Leaf Forever
    "The Maple Leaf Forever" is a Canadian song written by Alexander Muir in 1867, the year of Canada's Confederation. He wrote the work after serving with The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada in the Battle of Ridgeway against the Fenians in 1866....

    , was born in Lesmahagow in 1830 before emigrating to Canada as a child.
  • Jim Holton
    Jim Holton
    James Alan "Jim" Holton was a Scottish football player.Born in Lesmahagow, South Lanarkshire, Holton began his playing career with West Bromwich Albion in 1968, but left three years later without having played a first-team game. He spent a season at Shrewsbury Town before making the big move to...

    , renowned Scottish football centre-half, was born in Lesmahagow in 1951. He died in October, 1993, aged 42, after suffering a heart attack at the wheel of his car.
  • Colin Gallagher, renowned flugel horn and cornet player with the famous Kirkintilloch Band and the Co-operative Funeralcare Band. Winner of the Scottish Brass Band Solo Championship and numerous Scottish Brass Band Championships. Http://www.4barsrest.com

External links

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