Pollok
Encyclopedia
Pollok is a large district on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow
, Scotland
. It was built to house families from the overcrowded inner city. Housing 30,000, it was built from the 1920s to the 1950s.
The main features of the area are the nearby park, Pollok Country Park
, and the adjacent Crookston Castle
where Mary, Queen of Scots, was once held.
knights in the retinue of Walter fitz Alan, Steward of Scotland to David I
. Both families came via Shrewsbury
, from Dol-de-Bretagne
on the Brittany
-Normandy
border, around 1080, where Alan fitz Flaad was seneschal
.
The founder of the dynasty was called Fulbert, a Norman name (in fact the same name as William the Conqueror's father in law, but not the same person). The name 'Pollock' is Celtic
from Pollog, "people who live by a pool", and Robert de Steinton (Stenton in East Lothian
) and his brother Peter appear to have been given land by the FitzAlan family in return for armed support, and perhaps changed their name and abode to Robert de Pollok, and Peter or Petrus de Pollok. They both have wax seals in the British Museum
. Robert's shows a man on a horse with his hunting dog, and Peter's, a boar with an arrow in its left shoulder. Pollock tradition says it was granted by a king for saving his life hunting an old and wily boar that had unseated the king and was about to gore him to death. This boar has become a notable Pollock crest. These two seals are believed to be the earliest family seals (excepting kings and nobles) known in the UK as landed gentry -- the Norman French "de" denotes their town of origin.
Sir Walter Scott heard this family legend from a descendant and adopted it for his hero in his novel Quentin Durward
, also a name for a Glasgow pub, Quentin Durward pub, established in 1823.
Most descendant Pollocks from Scotland or Ireland (Pollocks of Newry), use this "Boar passant quarterly or and vert, pierced through the sinister shoulder with an arrow passant proper". The family moved from farming to growing flax and becoming merchants, and one branch moved to Northern Ireland around Newry
, where Mountaintowns House is still owned by Pollocks. Robert & Peter's names appear as witnesses to charters in Paisley Abbey
, so they were men of wealth and importance in the area, vassals of the fitz Alans, precursors of the Dukes of Norfolk and Arundel
, and of the royal family of the House of Stewart. Peter de Pollock was also recorded as builder of Rothes castle near Elgin in the Spey
valley, before it became the Leslie Clan stronghold. This crest is believed to be the oldest yeoman (ie non noble family crest), denoting loyal followers from an early merchant class.
Pollok was later divided into Upper and Nether Pollok. It is believed that later Pollocks had land confiscated and given to the Maxwell family for supporting Edward I's puppet "Scottish" king, Edward Balliol
, against Robert the Bruce. A Pollock castle existed until it was destroyed by a fire at the start of the twentieth century. The little known "Pollock Tartan
" (red, green, pale green and white) is similar to the Maxwell tartan and several Pollok daughters married Maxwell clansmen. There is a Clan Pollock Society in the United States, and the 11th President of the United States (1844-1849) was James Polk (1795-1849), descended from Pollok ancestors. A Democrat, Polk served only one term, but is considered to have been one of the more aggressively productive men ever to hold the office, and presided over the Mexican War
.
The modern town of Pollok has two secondary schools, Rosshall Academy
in the north and St. Paul's High School, which recently gained national coverage for its rise up the league tables. This was attributed to the highly controversial streaming of pupils, introduced by Headteacher Rod O'Donnell. St Paul's High School is recognised as one of the schools of ambition in Scotland. There is also Pollokshields, an area built as a dormitory town for Glasgow.
Pollok House is a Georgian
building with many finer paintings, and Pollok Country Park
was chosen to house the "Burrell Collection" in a modern contemporary and clean air green space.
which opened in October 2007, replacing the old Pollok Centre. The centre, the largest of its kind in Scotland, has brought many hundreds of jobs to the area. Key stores include a 24-hour Tesco
Extra adjoining the centre. This was the largest store in Scotland when it opened in July 2006. Other key anchor stores are M&S
, Debenhams
and Next. Altogether, the Centre houses 95 shopping units and 14 restaurants and cafés.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, 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 was built to house families from the overcrowded inner city. Housing 30,000, it was built from the 1920s to the 1950s.
The main features of the area are the nearby park, Pollok Country Park
Pollok Country Park
Pollok Country Park is a large country park located in Pollok, south Glasgow. Prior to the building of the M77 motorway it was the largest urban green space in Europe. In 2007 it was named the best park in Britain...
, and the adjacent Crookston Castle
Crookston Castle
Crookston Castle is located in the Crookston area of south-west Glasgow, Scotland. The castle is located some 5 miles south-west of the city centre, and 3 miles east of Paisley, overlooking the Levern Water, just before its confluence with the White Cart Water.-History:Crookston is surrounded by...
where Mary, Queen of Scots, was once held.
History
Pollok is an area south west of Glasgow, near Paisley. It is believed the name was adopted by some BretonBreton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
knights in the retinue of Walter fitz Alan, Steward of Scotland to David I
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
. Both families came via Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, from Dol-de-Bretagne
Dol-de-Bretagne
Dol-de-Bretagne , cited in most historical records under its Breton name of Dol, is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine département in Brittany in north-western France.-History:...
on the 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...
-Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
border, around 1080, where Alan fitz Flaad was seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
.
The founder of the dynasty was called Fulbert, a Norman name (in fact the same name as William the Conqueror's father in law, but not the same person). The name 'Pollock' is Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
from Pollog, "people who live by a pool", and Robert de Steinton (Stenton in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
) and his brother Peter appear to have been given land by the FitzAlan family in return for armed support, and perhaps changed their name and abode to Robert de Pollok, and Peter or Petrus de Pollok. They both have wax seals in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. Robert's shows a man on a horse with his hunting dog, and Peter's, a boar with an arrow in its left shoulder. Pollock tradition says it was granted by a king for saving his life hunting an old and wily boar that had unseated the king and was about to gore him to death. This boar has become a notable Pollock crest. These two seals are believed to be the earliest family seals (excepting kings and nobles) known in the UK as landed gentry -- the Norman French "de" denotes their town of origin.
Sir Walter Scott heard this family legend from a descendant and adopted it for his hero in his novel Quentin Durward
Quentin Durward
Quentin Durward is a historical novel by Walter Scott, first published in 1823. The story concerns a Scottish archer in the service of the French King Louis XI ....
, also a name for a Glasgow pub, Quentin Durward pub, established in 1823.
Most descendant Pollocks from Scotland or Ireland (Pollocks of Newry), use this "Boar passant quarterly or and vert, pierced through the sinister shoulder with an arrow passant proper". The family moved from farming to growing flax and becoming merchants, and one branch moved to Northern Ireland around Newry
Newry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
, where Mountaintowns House is still owned by Pollocks. Robert & Peter's names appear as witnesses to charters in Paisley Abbey
Paisley Abbey
Paisley Abbey is a former Cluniac monastery, and current Church of Scotland parish kirk, located on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, in west central Scotland.-History:...
, so they were men of wealth and importance in the area, vassals of the fitz Alans, precursors of the Dukes of Norfolk and Arundel
Arundel
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
, and of the royal family of the House of Stewart. Peter de Pollock was also recorded as builder of Rothes castle near Elgin in the Spey
Spey
Spey may refer to:*Spey River*Spey casting, a fly fishing technique developed on the River Spey*Rolls-Royce Spey, an early turbofan engine*HMS Spey, the name of seven ships of the Royal Navy...
valley, before it became the Leslie Clan stronghold. This crest is believed to be the oldest yeoman (ie non noble family crest), denoting loyal followers from an early merchant class.
Pollok was later divided into Upper and Nether Pollok. It is believed that later Pollocks had land confiscated and given to the Maxwell family for supporting Edward I's puppet "Scottish" king, Edward Balliol
Edward Balliol
Edward Balliol was a claimant to the Scottish throne . With English help, he briefly ruled the country from 1332 to 1336.-Life:...
, against Robert the Bruce. A Pollock castle existed until it was destroyed by a fire at the start of the twentieth century. The little known "Pollock Tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
" (red, green, pale green and white) is similar to the Maxwell tartan and several Pollok daughters married Maxwell clansmen. There is a Clan Pollock Society in the United States, and the 11th President of the United States (1844-1849) was James Polk (1795-1849), descended from Pollok ancestors. A Democrat, Polk served only one term, but is considered to have been one of the more aggressively productive men ever to hold the office, and presided over the Mexican War
Mexican War
Mexican War may refer to:*Mexican War of Independence *Mexican–American War *French intervention in Mexico *Mexican Revolution *Mexican Civil War *Cristero War *Mexican Drug War...
.
The modern town of Pollok has two secondary schools, Rosshall Academy
Rosshall Academy
Rosshall Academy is a secondary school in the Crookston area of Glasgow. The school was formed in August 1999 to merge together Penilee Secondary School and Crookston Castle Secondary School, and moved to a new building on Crookston Road in 2002...
in the north and St. Paul's High School, which recently gained national coverage for its rise up the league tables. This was attributed to the highly controversial streaming of pupils, introduced by Headteacher Rod O'Donnell. St Paul's High School is recognised as one of the schools of ambition in Scotland. There is also Pollokshields, an area built as a dormitory town for Glasgow.
Pollok House is a Georgian
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
building with many finer paintings, and Pollok Country Park
Pollok Country Park
Pollok Country Park is a large country park located in Pollok, south Glasgow. Prior to the building of the M77 motorway it was the largest urban green space in Europe. In 2007 it was named the best park in Britain...
was chosen to house the "Burrell Collection" in a modern contemporary and clean air green space.
Shopping
Pollok is home to the Silverburn CentreSilverburn Centre
Silverburn is an 'out of town' shopping centre located on Barrhead Road in Pollok, Glasgow, Scotland. The development replaces the 75 acre Pollok centre with a brand new shopping centre, anchored by Tesco, Next, Marks & Spencer and Debenhams....
which opened in October 2007, replacing the old Pollok Centre. The centre, the largest of its kind in Scotland, has brought many hundreds of jobs to the area. Key stores include a 24-hour Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Extra adjoining the centre. This was the largest store in Scotland when it opened in July 2006. Other key anchor stores are M&S
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
, Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
and Next. Altogether, the Centre houses 95 shopping units and 14 restaurants and cafés.