David Allan's view of the River Clyde below Govan, c 1835. The sailing boat appears to be a heavily laden merchant vessel making its way to the city.
The factory on the right is Morris Pollok's Govan Silk Works, opened on the outskirts of the village of Govan in 1824. By 1840 the silk mills employed around 250 Govanites (the majority of them children) from a population of less than 2,500.
The spire of Govan Old Parish Church can be seen behind the mill. The banks of the Clyde were still used for cattle grazing on this stretch of the river during the 1830s.
Reference: Mitchell Library G 941.435 EYR
Reproduced with the Permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries, Information and Learning
Keywords:
cargo boats, cattle, church spires, churches, cows, farming, Govan Old Parish Church, Govan Silk Works, grazing, River Clyde, sailing boats, silk mills