King's Inch

Walter fitz Alan (born c. 1110; died 1177), as High Steward of Scotland in the reign of David I (1124-1153), constructed the first castle here in the 12th century. It was probably mainly a wooden fortification with stone foundations on an earth motte surrounded by a flooded moat.[11]

From this base Walter eventually established a power base which acted act as a buffer to protect David I's interests in this part of his kingdom. Somerled of the Isles and Fergus of Galloway had made an alliance in the reign of Malcolm IV and it was the Renfrew lands which were threatened with Somerled, King of the Isles, arriving in 1164 with 160 ships in the Firth of Clyde. The invasion fleet failed, and in battle somewhere near Renfrew, Somerled was killed.[12]

The Castle at King's Inch was abandoned in the 13th century and replaced by a stone castle in what is now the centre of Renfrew.[11]

In the latter half of the 15th century, Sir John Ross (died. c. 1474) was granted the 'Lands of Inch' with the ruins of this first castle and built Inch Castle, a three-storeyed stone fortification on the site of the old castle. In 1732 the last member of this Ross family died here.[11] The castle was a small, 'L' shaped tower house with a stair turret in the re-entrant angle.[12] It had been demolished by 1791. James IV made Sir John Ross the hereditary constable of the original castle.[10]

Paisley Abbey from near Blackhall.

Thirteen monks from Much Wenlock arrived at Renfrew c. 1168 and were lodged at the Steward's castle on King's Inch at a church dedicated to Saints Mary and James. The accommodation at Paisley Abbey was not ready for them at the time. Osbert was appointed as the prior. The monks had fishing rights on the River Clyde. By the year 1172 the monks had moved to Paisley Abbey. Walter gave King's Inch and all the fishings on the Clyde between the island and Partick to the abbey.[13]

The island was granted to Paisley Abbey and remained abbey property until 1208–1213, at which time the priory of Paisley excambied the island to Walter, the grandson of the first Steward in exchange for lands elsewhere. After the initial purpose of the castle was superseded and the monks were in residence it is likely to have been abandoned during this period.[12][14]

A story is recorded of how Sir John came to acquire King's Inch through a man to man contest at the Kempe Knowe near the Knock, how to the Knox family, near Paisley - "The King of England, it is said, challenged Scotland to furnish a man able to fight a famous champion then in attendance on the English Court. The King of Scotland accepted the challenge, but was for some time unable to find a man equal to the task, and in his perplexity offered the Inch as a reward to any one who successfully encountered the Englishman. At last Sir John Ross of Hawkhead offered himself, and arrangements were made for the fight on the Knowe. The moat was filled with water, and a large fire kindled upon the mound. Neither party was expected to give quarter. To escape was to meet death by drowning, and to be vanquished was to perish, if not otherwise, by fire. The Englishman was of large stature; Ross was small but remarkably agile and of great strength. He dressed himself in a tight-fitting skin with the smooth side outwards, and in order to make it more slippery, rubbed it well with grease or oil. The Englishman was unable to get a grip of him, and at last held out his hands, inviting Ross to grasp them. The invitation was "palm my arm." This, it is said, is exactly what Ross wanted. He seized the Englishman by the wrists, and by a sudden jerk, wrenched his arms out of their sockets, and then made and end of him."

The King tried to go back on his pledge and offered Sir John land elsewhere, however the champion offered to serve his sovereign at another time and he would make do with the Inch and its castle for now. He became known far and wide as "Palm-my-arm."[15]

The old Renfrew Ferry basin

Mr Andrew Speirs of Elderslie (1714-1782), a Virginia merchant and Glasgow tobacco lord, purchased the lands in 1760 which together with other lands in Ayrshire became the Barony of Elderslie by Crown Charter in 1767.[16]

Speirs is said to have demolished Inch Castle and constructed another castle, which he then had demolished only a few years later.[11] It seems more likely that Speirs repaired Inch Castle before building Elderslie House in 1777 a little to the north and he incorporated some of the stone from the 15th century castle.[17] It was designed by Robert Adam and was four storeys high with a pavilion roof and faced north.[18] The lake, tree and shrub planting, etc. had been completed by 1782 and Andrew died shirtly after.[18] The 1856 OS map marks the site of the old castle lying to the south-west of the mansion house.[19]

In 1775 a small mansion house is marked with the Pudzeoch Burn running to the Clyde nearby to the north.[20] The 1800 John Ainslie[21] and the 1826 John Thomson's map shows a substantial ornamental lake that was stocked with ornamental fish,[18] lying to the south-east of the mansion house, partly on the line of the old river course,[22] that is absent by 1859.

By 1859 the name King's Inch is still shown at the Elderslie Estate and its boundary from the Pudzeoch Burn at the Renfrew Ferry and upstream the Marlin Ford on the River Clyde delineate the lands of the old King's Inch. The Glasgow and Inchinan boundary line follows the same course at this point with the Braehead Estate on the Glasgow side.[23]

Elderslie House (NS 5140 6762) was in turn demolished in 1924 after the death of the last occupant, William Peacock, a manufacturer of rope and cord in Paisley.[18]

After demolition the Elderslie Estates Company sold the site and in 1951 Braehead Power Station opened at a cost of £5 million as one of the first post-war power stations. In the early 1980s it had become time expired and was demolished. Housing schemes and the Braehead shopping and leisure complex were built on the old island's site.[11][18] Nothing now remains of the castles or estate.