Editing Alloa (section)

== History ==
Alloa grew up under the protection of [[Alloa Tower]] which may have been built before 1300 AD.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Beveridge|first1=David|title=Between the Ochils and Forth: A Description, Topographical and Historical of the Country between Stirling Bridge and Aberdour|date=1888|publisher=W. Blackwood|location=Edinburgh and London|pages=307–311|url=https://archive.org/stream/betweenochilsan00bevegoog#page/n232/mode/2up|access-date=3 July 2017}}</ref> The name of the town has had different spelling at different periods. In the charter granted by [[Robert the Bruce|King Robert the Bruce]] in the year 1315, to Thomas de Erskyne, it is called Alway; in some subsequent ones, Aulway, Auleway; and more recently Alloway.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brodie|first1=William|title=The new statistical account of Scotland|date=1845|publisher=W. Blackwood and Sons|location=Edinburgh and London|pages=1–65|edition=Vol 8|url=https://archive.org/stream/newstatisticalac08edin#page/458/mode/2up|access-date=9 June 2017|ref=Parish of Alloa}}</ref> Dr Jamieson stated that the most probable etymology of the name was from Aull Waeg – the way to the sea.<ref>{{cite book|title=Alloa and its environs. A descriptive and historical guide|date=1861|publisher=James Lothian|location=Alloa|page=5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=87pYAAAAcAAJ|access-date=4 November 2017}}</ref>

===14th century===
Sir Robert [[Clan Erskine|Erskine]] was granted the lands of Alloa and its environs in 1368 for services to [[King David II]] and he and his descendants were good stewards, developing the estates and innovating.

===17th century===
One of the earliest maps of the area was made by surveyor and [[cartographer]] [[John Adair (surveyor)|John Adair]] in 1681.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Adair|first1=John|title=A map of Strath Devon and the district between the Ochils and the Forth|url=http://maps.nls.uk/rec/69|website=National Library of Scotland|access-date=6 July 2017}}</ref>
Alloa also has a history of [[Alloa witches|persecution of witches]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137355942 |title=Scottish Witches and Witch-Hunters |year=2013 |pages=131, 180 |doi=10.1057/9781137355942 |isbn=978-1-349-47033-4 |language=en|editor-last1=Goodare |editor-first1=Julian }}</ref>

===18th century===
[[John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1675–1732)|John Erskine]], the 6th [[Earl of Mar]] oversaw many far-reaching developments including substantial harbour improvements, a customs house, a "New Town" area of housing,<ref name="MS12">{{cite journal |last1=Stewart |first1=Margaret |title=John Erskine, 6th and 11th Earl of Mar (1675–1732): Architecture, Landscape and Industry |journal= Architectural Heritage|date=November 2012 |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=97–116 |doi=10.3366/arch.2012.0035 }}</ref>{{rp|111}} and commissioning the building of the [[Gartmorn Dam]], which was designed by [[George Sorocold]].<ref name="MS12"/>{{rp|101–107}} Erskine owned many of the coal mines, and [[Robert Bald]], a local mining engineer, was contracted to provide water power from the Gartmorn Dam to operate the mines and other industries.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brodie|first1=William|title=The new statistical account of Scotland|date=1845|publisher=W. Blackwood and Sons|location=Edinburgh and London|pages=26–27|edition=Vol 8|url=https://archive.org/stream/newstatisticalac08edin#page/26/mode/2up|access-date=9 June 2017|ref=Parish of Alloa}}</ref> Good water supplies and the availability of barley from the carselands encouraged George Younger to set up a brewery in the 1760s and he was soon followed by others. Alloa became one of Scotland's premier brewing centres.<ref name="Hutton 2002 3"/>

The 6th Earl of Mar was forced to flee the country and forfeit his lands after disastrously backing the [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]] cause in 1715. However, his brother was allowed to purchase the forfeited lands and future generations continued the tradition of creative industry by launching a glass-works in 1750 and laying one of Scotland's earliest railways (a waggonway) from the [[Sauchie]] mines to down to the harbour in around 1766.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hutton|first=Guthrie|title=Old Alloa|year=2002|publisher=Stenlake Publishing|location=Catrine|isbn=9781840332230|pages=3|url=http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=273}}</ref>

Before 1775, the colliers were attached to the properties in which they were born and were virtual serfs or slaves, supported by the master.  After the [[Colliers and Salters (Scotland) Act 1775]] abolished the system, the colliers could move between collieries at will, and they were supported in their needs by the Alloa Colliers' Fund or Friendly Society which was founded in 1775.

Traces of the waggonway and the Gartmorn Dam can still be seen today, and although the dam is no longer used for energy production or water supply, it is well used for fishing and leisure purposes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/culture/gartmorndam/|title=Gartmorn Dam Country Park and Nature Reserve|author=((Council Countryside Ranger, Clackmannanshire))|website=www.clacksweb.org.uk|language=en|access-date=27 January 2017}}</ref> The Clackmannanshire Library was founded at Alloa in 1797 and it contained upwards of 1500 volumes. As the 18th century closed a [[Alloa#Malt distilling|whisky distillery]] was established at Carsebridge by John Bald.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Campbell|first1=Valerie|title=Walk in the Past: History of Carsebridge Distillery|url=http://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/15669143.Walk_in_the_Past__History_of_Carsebridge_Distillery/|access-date=14 February 2018|agency=Alloa Advertiser|date=22 November 2017}}</ref>

In the 18th century the staple business of the port was coal with about 50,000 tons a year exported.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sinclair|first1=John|last2=Frame|first2=James|last3=Erskine|first3=John Francis|title=The statistical account of Scotland. Drawn up from the communications of the ministers of the different parishes|date=1791|publisher=W. Creech|location=Edinburgh|page=637|url=https://archive.org/stream/statisticalacco05sincgoog#page/n639/mode/2up|access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>

===19th century===
In 1813 the first steamboat started to operate out of Alloa harbour. Rival companies later united into the "Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine Steamboat Company". In 1822 water was brought into the town and in 1828 a gas works was built.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Barbieri|first1=M.|title=A Descriptive and Historical Gazetteer of the Counties of Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan|date=1857|publisher=Maclachlan & Stewart|location=Edinburgh|pages=74–75|url=https://archive.org/stream/adescriptiveand00barbgoog#page/n77/mode/2up|access-date=4 July 2017}}</ref> While building a road to Alloa Academy in 1828, an ancient burial site was found at Mars Hill, with several finds<ref name=Canmore>{{Canmore |num=47240 |desc=Alloa, Mars Hill|access-date=2 April 2009}}</ref> including two gold armlets.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Anderson|first1=Joseph|title=Scotland in pagan times|date=1883|publisher=D. Douglas|location=Edinburgh|pages=62–64|url=https://archive.org/stream/scotlandinpagant02andeuoft#page/62/mode/2up|access-date=31 October 2017}}</ref> [[Alloa Academy]] was built in 1824, being paid for by subscription.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=Samuel|title=A topographical dictionary of Scotland, comprising the several counties, islands, cities, burgh and market towns, parishes, and principal villages, with historical and statistical descriptions: embellished with engravings of the seals and arms of the different burghs and universities|date=1851|publisher=S. Lewis and co.|location=London|pages=38–40|url=https://archive.org/stream/topographicaldic01lewi#page/40/mode/2up|access-date=6 July 2017}}</ref> The [[Alloa Swing Bridge]] was opened to the public on 1 October 1885.

The population was 5,434 in the 1841 census.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol I, A-Arc |date=1848 |publisher=Charles Knight |location=London |page=618 |edition=First}}</ref>

===20th century===
After the improvements were made to the harbour during the 18th century, Alloa thrived as a [[river port]] through which the products of [[Glasgow]] manufacture were exported to continental Europe.<ref name="Hutton 2002 3">{{cite book|last=Hutton|first=Guthrie|title=Old Alloa|year=2002|pages=3}}</ref> At that time, and until the 1950s, the main industry to the north and east of the town was coal mining.