Lesmahagow

Lesmahagow (/lɛzməˈheɪɡoʊ/ listen ; Scots: Lismahagie[2] or Lesmahagae,[3] Scottish Gaelic: Lios MoChuda) is a small town in the historic county of Lanarkshire on the edge of moorland, near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. Lesmahagow was also a civil parish.[4]

Lesmahagow Scottish Gaelic: Lios MoChuda Scots: Lismahagie or The Gow
Lesmahagow Location within South Lanarkshire
Population	3,685 [1]
OS grid reference	NS8139
• Edinburgh	35.8 miles (57.6 km)
• London	324 miles (521 km)
Council area	South Lanarkshire
Lieutenancy area	Lanarkshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LANARK
Postcode district	ML11
Dialling code	01555
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
Scottish Parliament	Clydesdale

It is also known as Abbey Green or the Gow.

Lesmahagow lies west of the M74, and southeast of Kirkmuirhill.

Etymology

The name means "Enclosure (meaning a walled area, like a monastery or fort) of St Machutus". The saint was born in Wales and may originally have been known as "Mahagw" prior to emigrating to Brittany where he became known by the Latinised form of the name and also as "St Malo". It is also possible that the first syllable may mean "garden" rather than "monastery", although Mac an Tailleir (2003) believes the former was altered from the latter in Gaelic.[5][6]

Religion

The town has two Church of Scotland congregations, namely Lesmahagow Old Parish Church and Abbeygreen Church. There is also an Evangelical Hall on the main street and the Roman Catholic residents are served by Our Lady and St John's in the neighbouring village of Blackwood, 3 miles (5 km) away.

Lesmahagow Priory, founded by Benedictine monks in 1144, no longer stands but its foundations were excavated in 1978 and can be seen next to the Old Parish Church off Church Square.

The Scottish branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness operates from Lesmahagow.

Twin towns

Clydesdale International Twinning Association (CITA) was set up in 1975 to promote the benefits of twinning to all sections of the local community. This organisation mainly focuses on the larger towns in the old Clydesdale council area & The Gow is an afterthought in most areas & events

Highland Games

The Highland Games are held annually in June with Pipe Bands competing in Grades 1 through 4. There are also events for Highland dancing, weight over the bar, tossing the caber and archery. The first Highland Games was held in 1960 as a result of a collaboration between Lesmahagow Juniors Football Club and the now defunct Vale of Nethan Pipe Band. Originally held in Craighead Park, it is now held in the Glebe Park and entry is free, mainly due to community fundraising events and a very strong committee.

Development Trust

Lesmahagow Development Trust (LDT) was formed on 28 August 2009. It is an independent, not-for-profit company registered as a charity in Scotland and the UK, The overriding objective of LDT is funding and implementing projects to enhance the facilities and environment of the village of Lesmahagow.

Notable residents

• Billy Boyd, actor, famous for his role as the hobbit Pippin in The Lord of the Rings
• Rev Thomas Burns, founder of the Thomas Burns Blind School in Edinburgh, born there.
• Alexander Cairncross Sir Alexander Kirkland "Alec" Cairncross KCMG FBA FRSE, born in Lesmahagow in 1911. Leading British economist. Professor of Applied Economics at Glasgow University, Economic Adviser to HM Government, Head of Government Economic Service, Master of St Peter's College, Oxford, Chancellor of Glasgow University.
• John Cairncross born in Lesmahagow in 1913 and brother of Alexander Cairncross. Civil servant, intelligence officer and spy in World War II. In 1951, he admitted spying for the Soviet Union. The "fifth man" in the Cambridge Five (along with Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Kim Philby and Anthony Blunt). His autobiography, The Enigma Spy, was published in 1997.
• David Finnie, (1896–1986) Chartered Accountant in Finnie & Co., London, later through mergers became BDO Stoy Hayward
• Edward Glover (1888–1972), MD & psychoanalyst, born there.
• John Greenshields (1795–1835) a short-lived but talented Scottish sculptor responsible for works such as Sir Walter Scott in Parliament House, Edinburgh[7]
• Jim Holton (1951–1993), Scottish football centre-half, was born there. He died, aged 42, after suffering a heart attack at the wheel of his car.[8]
• Rev. Dr Thomas Martin Lindsay DD FRSE (1843–1914), theologian
• Jackie Lockhart née Steele (1965–), World ladies curling champion skip, and later BBC sports commentator
• Alexander Muir, composer of Canadian patriotic song "The Maple Leaf Forever", was born in Lesmahagow in 1830 before emigrating to Canada as a child.[9]

References

1. "Comparative Population Profile: Lesmahagow Locality, Scotland". 2001 Scottish Census. General Register Office for Scotland. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
2. "Names in Scots - Places in Scotland".
3. "Error 403". www.scots-online.org.
4. The Imperial gazetteer of Scotland. 1854. Vol.II (GORDON-ZETLAND) by Rev. John Marius Wilson. pp.324–325 https://archive.org/stream/imperialgazettee02wilsuoft#page/324/mode/2up
5. "Chapter 1 – Derivation of Name.." Archived 7 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine lesmahagow.com. Retrieved 14 February 2008.
6. Iain Mac an Tailleir. "Placenames" (PDF). Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2007.
7. "CPHS Website". www.carlukehistory.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
8. Jim Holton at Scottish Football Association website
9. Alexander Muir Archived 20 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine at The Canadian Encyclopedia