affection which we bear to the Reverend Father in Christ, William, present Bishop of the said Church, and for his faithful services done to us in time past, therefore, we have given to the said Bishop and his successors, Bishops of the Church of Glasgow, to be for ever held, possessed, and enjoyed by them, in all time coming, the City of Glasgow, Barony of Glasgow, and Lands commonly called Bishop's Forest; to be held in free and pure Regality or Royalty, in fee and heritage, for ever, with their pertinents in woods, plains, meadows, marshes, pasturages, &c. &c.

The original grant, whether it emanated from King James, or any other having power to confer it, was of very small extent when compared with what the Green is at present, being wholly comprehended in what is now known by the name of the Laigh Green, bounded on the west by what was termed the Skinners' Green, now the site of the Gaol and Public Offices; on the north, by the Molindinar and Camlachie Burns; on the south, by the River Clyde; and on the east, by the Lands of Kinclaith, at the west end of the High Green, where the Washing-House is placed. It would appear that this gift, whether royal or clerical, was of very little use for a long period after it became the property of the community, as the principal part of the inhabitants resided at the upper part of the Town, at a great distance from the Green; and when in process of time, they came gradually down to reside in the lower parts of the Town, the Laigh Green, or rather the space now known by that name, lay so low as to be affected by every spring tide, so that pools and islands were formed in it, which have only been removed since the year 1635.

From the year 1638 till 1661, during the Provostships of Patrick Bell of Cowcaddens, John Anderson of Dowhill, and John Campbell of Blythswood, Esquires, the Laigh Green was greatly improven. In 1664, during the Provostship of John Bell, Esquire, the Magistrates and Council, in consideration of the great increase of inhabitants, and the want of at

suitable Park or Green, resolved to purchase such parts of the lands of Kinclaith and Daffiegreen, now called the High Green, as should, from time to time, be brought into the market. Accordingly, in the course of thirty years, the Magistrates and Council had purchased from a great number of individuals, the whole of the High Green, bounded on the west by the east end of the Laigh Green; on the north, by the Redclaith Gott, or Camlachie Burn; on the south, partly by the River Clyde and partly by Provost Haugh; and on the east, by the Boundary of the Royalty, as it was anciently, and is now set off, by land marks. In the year 1686, immediately before the Revolution, and during the Provostship of John Barnes, Esquire, the Magistrates and Council resolved to purchase the run-rigs of Crapnestock, now known by the name of the Calton Green. These purchases, which had been begun by Provost Barnes, were completed by Provost Anderson in 1699. The Lands of Crapnestock were bounded on the west, by a road on the east of Merkdaily Lands, now the continuation of St. Mungo's Lane; on the north, by the Loan leading to Rutherglen; on the south, by the Redclaith Gott, or Camlachie Burn; and on the east, by other Lands of Crapnestock.

In a few years after this last purchase was completed, the Magistrates and Council built a stone wall along the north boundary of the Green, commencing at the Skinners' Green, and terminating at the east extremity. It does not appear that there was any other addition made to the Green till the year 1773, when the Magistrates and Council purchased upwards of twenty-eight acres from Colin Rae, Esquire, of Little Govan, and several smaller lots of the Lands of Kinclaith from other persons, which have since continued to form a part of the Green at the east end: and that the Park might be as extensive and complete as the special localities would possibly permit, the Magistrates and Council, in 1792, purchased from the late Patrick Bell, Esquire of Cowcaddens, the lineal de

scendant of the respectable Provosts of that name, the Lands of Provost Haugh, &c. or Fleshers' Haugh, so called from the pasturage being formerly let out to certain members of that incorporation.

The Lands of Kinclaith, being thus partially acquired, at different periods, from a number of individuals, who all exercised their own mode of improving their property, some by erecting small houses, others by letting out run-rigs for cropping, or for the purposes of trade, as might best suit their respective interests or views, it is not surprising that the surface was irregular; rendered more so in consequence of the Camlachie Burn, which separates the Calton from the High Green, lying considerably under the surface of either. The greater part of the trees in the Green, was planted during the time that Robert Rodger, John Aird, Peter Murdoch, Andrew Aiton, Archibald Ingram, and Arthur Connell, Esquires, held the office of chief Magistrate.

In 1730, during the time that Peter Murdoch, Esquire, was Provost, the public Washing-House was erected; a lead, or water-course, was afterwards taken from the Camlachie Burn, for driving the machinery by which water was forced from the River into the Washing-House.

In 1756, Provost George Murdoch commenced the formation of walks in the Green, which has been continued by several of his successors. The serpentine walks, which were formed with shrubbery, came to be so much abused by idle and dissolute persons, that it became necessary to root out a considerable part of them.

In 1777, the Arns Well or Reservoir, was opened during the Provostship of Robert Donald, Esquire.

Although it is evident that, from the Revolution downwards, the Magistrates and Council have uniformly paid the strictest attention to the interests of the community, in acquiring and improving this public Lawn, there is still a great deal to be done towards the completion of its improvement. Among

others, the following may be noticed: videlicet, forming a tunnel for conveying the water of the Camlachie Burn westwards, from where it enters the Green to the Episcopal Chapel, and filling up the valley between the Calton and High Greens, so as to form a distinct connection. The Laigh Green still requires to be raised, to protect it completely from the floods, additional trees to be planted, and the general surface ameliorated *.

In the year 1744, during the time that Andrew Cochrane, Esquire, was Provost, the Magistrates and Council would have sold a part of the Laigh Green, but for the general voice of the public being raised against it. At this distance of time, the motives for selling a public property, which had been granted to the community by lawful authority, are not known. It is very probable that the Managers of the Corporation funds were necessitated to raise money to pay the debt contracted by them at the Rebellion, in 1715, or to repay the sums which they had borrowed to make up the heavy contributions which the Town was laid under, by the Pretender or his agents, during the civil wars. In 1793, when the Patrons of Hutchisons' Hospital and others, obtained an Act of Parliament for building a stone bridge across the Clyde, at Hutchisontown, the Magistrates, in consideration of their forming an approach from the Saltmarket-Street to the intended bridge, at a very considerable expense, by the removal of houses, &c., were authorized, as is usual under similar circumstances, to sell or feu a stripe of ground for a range of buildings on each side of the street, now formed in front of the Public Offices. By the same Act, they were also authorized to sell or feu a stripe of the receding part of the Calton Green, adjoining the road leading to Rutherglen.

* Some time ago, a proposal was made to the Magistrates and Council for forming a ride, or carriage-way, around the whole, or part, of the Green. As this scheme involves certain important considerations, it is still under review.

In 1810, the Gaol and Public Offices were erected on the west side of the continuation of the Saltmarket-Street, at the bottom of the Laigh Green, chiefly on the ground which was formerly the Skinners' Green. The ground on the east side of the Street, although authorized to be sold, still forms, and is intended to remain, a part of the Laigh Green. Before the stripe of ground in the Calton Green was brought into the market, the Magistrates, with concurrence of the Trustees on the Muirkirk road, effected a very important improvement, in the formation of Great Hamilton-Street, by widening the old road leading to Rutherglen, from the stripe of ground authorized to be sold. This improvement gave such universal satisfaction, that the Magistrates and Council were requested, by a deputation from the community, to change the name of the road or street, which had been called the Pleasance, to Great Hamilton-Street, in honour of John Hamilton, Esquire, of Northpark, who was at that time chief Magistrate, and under whose auspices the improvement was completed. The opening of this Street is not only of importance as a spacious inlet to the Town, but prepares the way for the transport of coals to the Broomielaw and Port Eglinton, from the east coallieries, by the south side of the Town, passing along the intended Street, by the side of the Episcopal Chapel, and thereby relieving the narrow pass at the Gallowgate Bridge, and other Streets so much incommoded by coal waggons for the export trade.

The history of the Green, in its progressive stages, having been thus shortly noticed, the following will give some idea of its condition in latter times. During the currency of the last twenty-five years, the High Green has been increased nearly one-third. In 1791, there were houses and places of business on what is now the public Green, and walls bounding a cart road leading to Provost Haugh. In 1806, the water-course, connected with the Washing-House, was often so stagnant during the summer months, as to become offensive to the