Rutherglen is a town in
South LanarkshireSouth Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
,
ScotlandScotland 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...
. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of
GlasgowGlasgow 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...
. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the
South LanarkshireSouth Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
council areaFor local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils"...
.
History
Rutherglen received the status of
Royal BurghA royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
in 1126 by Royal Charter from King
David I of ScotlandDavid I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
who ruled from 1124 to 1153. In the 14th century
Walter StewartWalter Stewart was the 6th hereditary High Steward of Scotland. He was also the father of King Robert II of Scotland.-Biography:...
, father of
King Robert IIRobert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
, was granted
Farme CastleFarme Castle was located in Rutherglen, to the south-west of Glasgow, Scotland. It stood east of Farme Cross where the A724 meets the A749 trunk road. The castle keep acted as one corner of a courtyard, formed by an extension in the form of a castellated mansion. High walls and subsidiary...
. This was located close to Farme Cross in the east of Rutherglen, and stood until the 1960s.
Rutherglen was a centre of
heavy industryHeavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
, having a long
coal miningThe goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
tradition which died out by 1950. J&J White’s Chemical Works in Shawfield, which was in existence from 1820 to 1967, produced more than 70% of the UK’s
ChromateChromate salts contain the chromate anion, CrO42−. Dichromate salts contain the dichromate anion, Cr2O72−. They are oxyanions of chromium in the oxidation state +6. They are moderately strong oxidizing agents.- Chemical properties :...
products. Today there is a significant legacy of
chromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
waste in the area. Rutherglen, and most of the towns encircling the city, are now dormitory
suburbThe word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Glasgow.
Governance
Rutherglen was a parliamentary burgh represented in the
UK ParliamentThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
as a component of Glasgow Burghs constituency from 1708 to 1832, and as a component of
Kilmarnock BurghsKilmarnock Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
from 1832 to 1918. In 1918, the
Rutherglen constituencyRutherglen was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005...
was created, which became Glasgow Rutherglen in 1983.
In 1999, the
Scottish ParliamentThe Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
ary constituency of
Glasgow RutherglenGlasgow Rutherglen was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
was created, with the same boundaries as the then UK parliamentary constituency.
In 2005,
Scottish constituencies for the UK parliament were mostly replaced with new constituencies, and Rutherglen is now within the
Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituencyRutherglen and Hamilton West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which was first used in the general election of 2005...
. The
Scottish ParliamentThe Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
constituencies remain unaltered.
Transport
Rutherglen Main Street is served by
Rutherglen railway stationRutherglen is a railway station in the town centre of Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, and lying on the Argyle railway line. The station is served by a single island platform, connected to the street by a footbridge...
and there are also numerous bus links into Glasgow City Centre. Completion of the M74 Extension means that there is a motorway going through the town, that will allow easier access to places such as
Glasgow AirportGlasgow Airport may refer to:*Glasgow International Airport, in Renfrewshire, the primary airport serving Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.*Glasgow Airport , also known as Wokal Field, in Glasgow, Montana, United States.It may also refer to:...
and the
English BorderThe Anglo-Scottish border is the official border and mark of entry between Scotland and England. It runs for 154 km between the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. It is Scotland's only land border...
.
Non-denominational schools
- Bankhead Primary School, Bankhead Road, Rutherglen, G73 2BQ
- Burgh Primary School, 41 King Street, Rutherglen, G73 1JY
- Burnside Primary School, Glenlui Avenue, Burnside, Rutherglen, G73 4JE
- Calderwood Primary School, Buchanan Drive, Rutherglen
- Rutherglen High School, Reid Street, Rutherglen, G73 3DF
- Spittal Primary School, Lochlea Road, Spittal, Rutherglen
- Stonelaw High School
is a non-denominational state high school located in Rutherglen, Scotland near the city of Glasgow. It was established in August 1970 as a four-year school based in the former building at the corner of Stonelaw Road and Melrose Avenue. Eventually Stonelaw High became a six-year school and was...
, 140 Calderwood Road, Rutherglen, G73 3BP
Roman Catholic schools
- St Anthony's Primary School, Lochaber Drive, Rutherglen, G73 5HX
- St Columbkille's Primary School, Clincarthill Road, Rutherglen, G73 2LG
- St Mark's Primary School, Kirkriggs Avenue, Blairbeth, Rutherglen, G73 4LY
- Trinity High School, Glenside Drive, Eastfield, Rutherglen, G73 3LW
Football
Rutherglen has one football club,
Rutherglen Glencairn F.C.Rutherglen Glencairn Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Rutherglen,...
who play in the Scottish Junior West Region Super Premier League. The club was formed in 1896 and has won the famous
Scottish Junior CupThe Scottish Junior Cup, known as The Emirates Junior Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual football competition organised by the Scottish Junior Football Association for all its member clubs. The competition has been held every year since the inception of the SJFA in 1886 and as of the...
on 4 occasions (1901–02, 1918–19, 1926–27, 1938–39).
Rutherglen Glencairn recently moved into a brand new stadium (The Clyde Gateway Stadium) situated in the Burnhill area of Rutherglen following the demolition of the old ground (Southcroft Park). The side had played at their old ground for over 100 years. A new social club was also built for Rutherglen Glencairn and is situated on Glasgow Road near the site of the old stadium.
In 2008 Rutherglen Glencairn won the Central District League First Division Championship with a record points total. The 2009/2010 season saw Glencairn record back to back Championships when they won the West Region Super League Division One Championship at the first attempt.
Clyde Football Club used to play in the area before moving to the former
new townA new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
of
CumbernauldCumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
. The immediate area could be considered the cradle of Scottish football, with
Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, the
national stadiumMany countries have a national football stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very...
and home to Scotland's oldest football club
Queen's Park F.C.Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
being close by as well as
Cathkin ParkCathkin Park is a municipal park in Glasgow, Scotland. The park is maintained by the city's parks department, and it is a public place where football is still played...
, the home of the defunct Third Lanark F.C. and not far to the north,
Celtic ParkCeltic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
, the home of
Celtic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
- all of which (apart from Clyde's former ground) are located in the City of Glasgow. The local junior football team is Rutherglen Glencairn, who have recently moved into a new ground adjacent to their old stadium on Glasgow Road.
Notable people
Rutherglen was the birthplace of
Archie JacksonArchibald "Archie" Jackson , occasionally known as Archibald Alexander Jackson, was an Australian cricketer who played eight Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1929 and 1931. A teenage prodigy, he played first grade cricket at only 15 years of age and was selected for New South Wales at 17...
, the Australian cricketer. Comedian/actor
Robbie ColtraneRobbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
was also born in Rutherglen, as was
Marie CassidyProfessor Marie Therese Jane Cassidy was appointed state pathologist in the Republic of Ireland in January, 2004. She succeeded Dr John Harbison....
, State Pathologist for Ireland. Scotland's oldest man until his passing on 13 August 2009, 109 year old Bob Taggart was a lifelong Rutherglen resident. Midge Ure of the band Ultravox went to Stonelaw academy in Rutherglen.
Alistair MacLeanAlistair Stuart MacLean was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers or adventure stories, the best known of which are perhaps The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare, all three having been made into successful films...
was a teacher at Gallowflat High in Hamilton road. Television script writer. Craig Patrick, the artist who contributed to the design of the font
Comic SansComic Sans MS is a casual script typeface modeled on fonts used in American comic books for several decades. Sans is short for sans-serif. The modern Comic Sans was designed by Vincent Connare and released in 1994 by Microsoft Corporation...
was born in Rutherglen and
Stan LaurelArthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
also lived in Rutherglen, attending Rutherglen Academy. Folk singer Matt McGinn was born in the Calton, but lived in Rutherglen for many years and wrote songs which mention Rutherglen like "Ru'glen Jean" and "Rosy Anna".
Pre-war footballer
Peter RoneyPeter Roney was a professional footballer who played in goal for Norwich City and Bristol Rovers prior to the First World War....
was born in Rutherglen in 1887. More recently footballer and football manager
Steve ArchibaldSteven Archibald is a former Scottish football player and manager.- Club career :He first came to prominence playing in midfield for Scottish First Division side Clyde, but was converted to striker when he signed for Aberdeen, forging a prolific partnership with Joe Harper...
was raised in Rutherglen attending Burgh Primary School. At one point in his career he played with Clyde F. C. when it was located at Shawfield Stadium
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), Thomas S. Monson, states his family lineage to have originated in Rutherglen.
External links