Editing Gorbals (section)

==History==
[[File:Main Street, Gorbals, Looking South (-36) LACMA M.2008.40.98.35.jpg|thumb|Main Street, Gorbals, Looking South, 1868 by [[Thomas Annan]]]]
[[File:Main Street, Gorbals, Looking North (37) LACMA M.2008.40.98.36.jpg|thumb|Main Street, Gorbals. Looking North, also 1868 by Thomas Annan]]
[[Govan]] parish was one of the oldest possessions of the church in the region. The ''merk'' land of "Brigend and Gorbaldis" is referred to in several sources. The village of Brigend was named after the bridge which Bishop [[William Rae (bishop)|William Rae]] had built in 1345 over the [[River Clyde]]; it lasted until the 19th century. 

Lady Marjorie Stewart of Lochow was said to have had a hospital built for lepers and dedicated to [[St Ninian]] in 1350, although this year is contested by current historians' estimates dating her life and activities.  The lands on which the hospital was built were named St Ninian's Croft. They were later incorporated into [[Hutchesontown]].<ref name="Aird"/>

After the [[Protestant Reformation]], in 1579 the [[Church of Scotland|church]] granted the land for ground rents (''feued'' the land) to Sir George Elphinstone, a merchant who was [[Lord Provost of Glasgow|Provost of Glasgow]] (1600–1606). The [[Scottish feudal barony|barony]] and [[regality]] of the Gorbals was confirmed in 1606 by a charter of [[James I of England|King James VI]], which vested Elphinstone's son, [[George Elphinstone|also named George]], and his descendants. These powers descended to Sir Robert Douglas of Blackerstone, who in 1650 ''disponed'' (legally transferred) the Gorbals to Glasgow's magistrates for the benefit of the city, the Trades' House, and [[Hutchesons' Hall|Hutchesons' Hospital]]. The magistrates from then on collected the rents and duties and divided them: one fourth to the city, one fourth to the Trades' House, and the remaining half to Hutchesons' Hospital.<ref name="Aird"/>

In 1790 the lands were divided into lots for development; the city acquired the old ''feus'' of Gorbals and Bridgend, and also the Kingston portion of the Barony of Gorbals. The Trades' House obtained a western section; and the remaining section lying to the east and south was allocated to Hutchesons' Hospital. The Hutcheson's Trust sub-feud a portion of their lands to an ambitious builder, James Laurie. (His grave, along with those of many other builders of Gorbals, is marked with well-carved masons' implements, indicating his Master status. The gravestones are visible at the Burial Ground, established in 1715 and now called the Gorbals Rose Garden). Laurie built the first house in St Ninian Street in 1794.<ref name="Aird"/>

The districts are now known as the Gorbals, [[Laurieston, Glasgow|Laurieston]], [[Tradeston]], [[Kingston, Glasgow|Kingston]] and Hutchesontown. The Little Govan estate, including a small village of the same name, were replaced by the eastern parts of Hutchesontown and [[Oatlands, Glasgow|Oatlands]]. 

By the late 19th century, The Gorbals was a successful industrial suburb, and attracted many Protestant and Catholic immigrants from [[Ireland]], especially from [[Ulster]] (in particular from [[County Donegal]]), and [[Italy]], as well as Jewish immigrants from the [[Russian Empire]] and Eastern Europe. At one time most of the Jews in Scotland resided in this area. Industrial decay and over-population overwhelmed the area, which became a centre of poverty in the early 20th century.<ref name=Aird>[http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/airgli/airgli0110.htm Andrew Aird (1894), ''Glimpses of Old Glasgow''], Glasgow Digital Library, accessed 22 October 2010</ref><ref name="Forgotten48">[https://www.scotland.org.uk/history/glasgow-gorbals The Forgotten Gorbals], A.L. Lloyd, Picture Post, 31 January 1948. Via Travel Scotland</ref> [[Gorbals railway station]] opened on 1 September 1877. Changes in the area meant a decrease in business, and it closed to passengers permanently on 1 June 1928.

[[File:Main street gorbals 1911.jpg|thumb|left|Main Street, Gorbals, 1911]]
[[File:Eglinton street gorbals 1939 demolished.jpg|thumb|left|Eglinton Street, Gorbals, 1939]]
In the 1870s, the City Improvement Trust cleared away the old Gorbals village and redeveloped the area to form the new Gorbals Cross,<ref>[https://www.glasgowhistory.com/glasgows-crosses.html Glasgow's Crosses], Glasgow History, 28 May 2016</ref> at the same time developing new workers' tenements around the former Oatlands Square.<ref name=Smith>Smith, Ronald P A, ''The Gorbals & Oatlands - A New History, Volume 1: The Gorbals of Old,'' Stenlake Publishing, 2014</ref>

Much of the early Gorbals village was replaced by modern tenements in the street grid system being adopted in the city centre and notably in the south side, including neighbouring Tradeston, [[Kinning Park]] and Hutchesontown. Along the riverside the classical terraces of Laurieston had taken shape.<ref name="ReferenceA">''The Second City,'' by CA Oakley, 1975</ref><ref name="maver">''Glasgow,'' by Irene Maver, 2000</ref>{{page needed|date=November 2024}}
  
By 1914, the population of Gorbals and Hutchesontown was working locally and in commerce in the city centre, factories and warehouses nearby of carpetmaking, garment making, food manufacturing, ironworks, chemical works, railways, docks, shipping, construction and engineering. The area supported some 16 schools, 15 churches, three synagogues, swimming baths and libraries, and a range of picture-houses, dance halls and two theatres.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="maver"/>{{page needed|date=November 2024}}<ref>''The Glasgow Herald Year Book 1914''</ref> One theatre, the Royal Princess, has survived as the [[Citizens Theatre]] today. 

Of the suburb's 19,000 houses, 48% were now classed as overcrowded. To remedy over-crowding and lack of modern facilities for water and sanitation within houses, local authority housing was started in the 1920s on new areas being brought in by the city's expansion of boundaries. The combination of redevelopment and loss of industrial jobs resulted in the population of Gorbals and Hutchesontown falling by 21% between 1921 and 1951.<ref>''The Third Statistical Account of Scotland : City of Glasgow,'' published 1958</ref> By 1964 there were 12,200 houses.<ref>''Glasgow Corporation, Facts & Figures,'' published 1965</ref>

As took place in London and other major cities, in the post-war planning of the 1950s, [[Glasgow Corporation]] joined with other authorities in deciding to demolish much sub-standard housing of inner districts including Gorbals and Hutchesontown. Families were dispersed to new outlying housing estates such as [[Castlemilk]],<ref name=lads>[https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/whatever-happened-castlemilk-lads-2473041 "Whatever happened to the Castlemilk Lads?"], Peter Ross, ''The Scotsman'', 24 June 2012</ref> in overspill agreements with New Towns such as [[East Kilbride]]. Other families were rehoused within the area but in huge, concrete, multi-storey towers. These changes broke up many close-knit communities, adding to the residents' distress.

[[File:Queen Elizabeth Flats 5 - Demolition.jpg|thumb|The [[Hutchesontown C|Queen Elizabeth Square flats]] were demolished in 1993.]]
Glasgow Corporation's replacement of old, outdated and crowded housing with new high-rise towers of social housing in the 1960s greatly improved some physical conditions but had adverse social consequences. Lack of awareness of the effects of concentrating families resulted in poor design. The low-quality construction of the concrete, 20-storey flats led to various social and health problems among the residents. Many of the blocks developed mould and structural problems. Their designs prevented residents from visually controlling their internal and external spaces, adding to issues of social dysfunction. The [[Hutchesontown C|Queen Elizabeth Square flats]], designed by [[Basil Spence|Sir Basil Spence]], were demolished in 1993 to make way for a new generation of housing development.

In 2004, Glasgow Housing Association announced plans to demolish more of the decaying high-rise blocks, and to comprehensively refurbish and re-clad others. Two of the Area D blocks (Caledonia Road), as well as the entire Area E (Sandiefield) and Laurieston (Stirlingfauld / Norfolk Court) high-rise estates, were demolished between 2002 and 2016. In 2021, it was announced that the two remaining Area D multi storey blocks would also be condemned.<ref name="caley2025">[https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/24824206.gorbals-residents-share-thoughts-caledonia-road-demolition/ Glasgow Gorbals residents share thoughts on Caledonia Road demolition], Morgan Carmichael, ''Glasgow Times'', 6 January 2025</ref> The Area B or "Riverside" estate, designed by [[Robert Matthew]], will be the only high-rise flats left in the wider Gorbals area. New housing has been developed at lower density, 

[[File:Alexander Crescent, Gorbals - geograph.org.uk - 1323370.jpg|thumb|Alexander Crescent, Gorbals, in 2011, with [[Caledonia Road Church]] tower in background]]
Since the late 20th century, much of the area, particularly Hutchesontown, was comprehensively redeveloped for a third time. It has included a mix of private (market rate) and [[social housing]], with design elements to encourage residents' and public safety. Earlier phases of this recent redevelopment tended toward yellow-brick reinterpretations of traditional tenements, in a [[post-modern architecture|post-modern]] style. The neighbouring [[Govanhill]] district to the south (whose residents observed the demolition/modernisation in nearby areas such as the Gorbals and [[Pollokshaws]] with suspicion and successfully opposed the same fate befalling their homes, although they faced other challenges to improve their living conditions)<ref>[http://www.govanhillha.org/about-us/our-history/ Our history], Govanhill Housing Association</ref> offers some reminder of how the district used to look prior to its redevelopment. The tenement buildings faced directly onto the street, connecting the residents to the community. Since the late 1990s, some neighbourhoods have been redeveloped as terraces of tenements in that style.

More recent phases, planned by [[Piers Gough]], have employed noted [[modern architecture|modern]] architects such as Page/Park, Elder & Cannon and CZWG,<ref name="caley2025"/> resulting in more bold and radical designs. Innovative street plans and high-quality landscaping have been added, incorporating many pieces of [[public art]]. The Gorbals Leisure Centre opened in January 2000. The number of shopping facilities in the area is on the rise. In 2005, fire destroyed the Catholic [[Blessed John Duns Scotus Church, Glasgow|Church of Blessed John Duns Scotus]] as a result of a fallen candle. The church was restored and reopened for worship in September 2010.<ref>[http://flourishnewspaper.co.uk/my-books/2010.11.November.Flourish.web.html ''Flourish''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816122502/http://flourishnewspaper.co.uk/my-books/2010.11.November.Flourish.web.html |date=16 August 2011 }} (UK), 11 November 2010</ref> 

After much of the Hutchesontown area of the Gorbals was improved, the [[urban renewal|urban and social-regeneration program]] expanded into the neighbouring [[Laurieston, Glasgow|Laurieston]] area to the west.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clydewaterfront.com/projects/glasgow-city-centre/commercial/laurieston|title=Laurieston Local development strategy: Urban regeneration in Glasgow City Centre|first=Innovation|last=Digital|website=ClydeWaterfront.com|access-date=12 July 2017}}</ref>

In the early 2000s, a local heritage group started a campaign to reinstate the Gorbals Cross fountain, aided by people attracted to the group's Facebook page, known as Old Gorbals Pictures (Heritage Group). The group have discovered that a copy of the original fountain was installed on the [[Caribbean]] island of [[St Kitts & Nevis]]. They are working to engage professional help to digitally scan this object to allow for the manufacture of 'Gorbals Cross, No 3', to be installed in a new development near to where it originally stood.{{Citation needed|date=July 2017}}

Since 1945, the [[Citizens Theatre]] has been based in the area at the former Royal Princess's Theatre, an historic Victorian building. The area also has a local newspaper ''Local News for Southsiders''. The area is served by [[Bridge Street subway station|Bridge Street]] and [[West Street subway station|West Street]] [[Glasgow Subway|subway]] stations and numerous bus routes.

One of the few buildings to survive the mid-20th century redevelopment is a [[pub]] called The Brazen Head, located at the northern end of Cathcart Road. Formerly a railway pub known as the Granite City, much of its clientele is [[Celtic F.C. supporters]]. They have been associated with [[Irish Republicanism]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044036/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/article39493.ece "Inside the Gorbals' hardest pub", Kenny Farquharson], ''Sunday Times'', 7 September 2003</ref> Nearby is the architectural masterpiece of the [[Caledonia Road Church]], a Category A-listed mid-[[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] structure with remaining walls and tower designed by [[Alexander "Greek" Thomson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/895440|title=Caledonia Road United Presbyterian Church (Former), 1, Caledonia Road, Gorbals - Buildings at Risk Register|website=Buildingsatrisk.org.uk|access-date=11 November 2017}}</ref>