Parish of Lesmahagow

including the town of Lesmahagow, and the villages of Auchenheath, Blackwood, Boghead, Coalburn, Crossford, Hazelbank, Kirkfieldbank, Kirkmuirhill, New Trow, and Turfholm.

MAP & INDEX of all parishes.

LESMAHAGOW, town and parish in upper ward of Lanarkshire. The town stands on Nethan rivulet, at terminus of branch railway, 13 miles south-east of Hamilton ; is sometimes called Abbeygreen, with reference to a monastery founded at it in 1140 on site of a Culdee cell ; figured much in the history of the Covenanters; and has a post office with all departments designated of Lanarkshire, a railway station, 2 banking offices, Established, Free, and United Presbyterian churches, and 2 public schools. Pop. 1386. —The parish contains also the villages of Kirkfieldbank, Kirkmuirhill, Crossford, Auchenheath, Turfholm, Boghead, Hazelbank, and New Trows. Its length is 11¼ miles ; its greatest breadth 7½ miles; its area 41,299 acres. Real property in 1880-81, £68,578. Pop. 9949. The surface is much diversified, and abounds in picturesque scenery. More than three-fourths of it have a mean elevation of about 500 feet above sea-level; and the rest, situated in the west and the south-west, consists of fine pastoral uplands. The Clyde runs about 7½ miles along the north-eastern boundary, and achieves there all its celebrated falls. Carboniferous rocks underlie a large portion of the surface, and yield a great output of pit coal, cannel coal, and limestone. The mansions are numerous; and a grand antiquity is Craignethan Castle. A chapel-of-ease is at Kirkfieldbank, a Free church is at Crossford, and United Presbyterian churches are at Crossford and Kirkmuirhill. There are 11 schools for 1931 scholars, and 5 of these and enlargements for 1230 are new. The Gazetteer of Scotland, by Rev John Wilson, 1882.