Port-Glasgow

Port-Glasgow, a town of Renfrewshire, on the southern shore of the Firth of Clyde, 3 miles ESE. of Greenock and 20 WNW. of Glasgow. It was founded in 1668 by the magistrates of Glasgow as a harbour for their city, the deepening of the Clyde (q.v.) not having yet been thought of. In 1710 it was constituted the head custom-house on the Clyde, and for a while took the lead of Greenock; in 1775 it was incorporated as a municipality; and by the Reform Bill of 1832 it was raised to the rank of a parliamentary burgh, uniting with Kilmarnock, &c. to return one member. Built on low alluvial ground, and backed by hills 700 feet high, it has a Doric town-house (1815), a public hall (1873), ruined Newark Castle (1597), a wet-dock of 12 acres (formed since 1834), a large graving-dock (1874), extensive timber-ponds, ship-building-yards, iron and brass foundries, &c. Pop. (1841) 6938; (1881) 10,802; (1891) 14,685.