In 1450, Bishop Turnbull obtained from King James a charter, erecting the town and the patrimonies of the bishopric into a regality. He also procured a bull from Pope Nicholas V. for erecting a university within the city, which he endowed, and on which he bestowed many privileges.
The establishment of this seat of literature contributed, more than any thing that had formerly been done, towards the enlargement of the town, which, before this period, was so inconsiderable as not to contain more than 1500 inhabitants. In the year 1488, the bishopric of Glasgow was erected by act of Parliament into a metropolitan see, and the tempora lities and liberties of the church after this confirmed by a charter of James VI.
Prior to the year 1400, it would appear that the inhabi tants chiefly resided in the vicinity of the cathedral, and in that part of the High Street which is bounded by the ca thedral and the convent of the Black Friars, (now the Col lege Church.) On the establishment of the university, the number of buildings gradually increased downwards to where the cross now is, and from thence eastwards on the Gallowsgate (now Gallowgate.) Some time after thiS pe riod, the citizens founded a collegiate church in the Tron gate, which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin ; and this circumstance naturally induced, the citizens to continue their buildings as far west as this place of worship, which now bears the name of the Tron Church. It then became necessary for the inhabitants to form the Saltmarket Street, so as to procure an easy approach to the Clyde. As ma ny of the citizens supported themselves by fishing in the river, they were incorporated into a society ; and in order that they might be at hand to prosecute their business, they built a considerable part of the Fishersgate Street, which has since gone under the name of Bridgegate Street.
Notwithstanding this apparent extension, Glasgow at this time held but an inferior rank among the towns of Scot land ; for it appears that, even in 1556, at Queen Mary's taxation, it held only the eleventh place. This inferiority has been attempted to be explained in various ways ; among others it has been remarked, that in proportion as the re formed religion preponderated, the money which had been expended in the town by the bishop, and the other digni taries of the church, would be directed into other channels; and as the early reformers undervalued human learning, if they did not entirely despise it, the influence of the college was for a time suspended ; it may be also remarked, that Glasgow suffered severely during the civil wars, and af terwards experienced the miseries of famine and pesti lence. In 1652, a great fire broke out, which destroyed a
considerable number of the houses in the Saltmarket, Tron gate, and High Streets, which at that time were formed of timber. By this calamity, the habitations of nearly one thousand families were completely destroyed, and their for tunes nearly ruined ; so that they were under the necessity of applying to other towns for relief. Nothwithstanding these discouraging circumstances, we find that Glasgow had so far recovered from her disasters, that in 1695, at the assessment of the burghs, she was rated as the second in Scotland in point of wealth.
From the year 1450, when the town and the patrimony of the bishops were incorporated, down to the Reformation, the bishops, or certain lay lords in their right, nominated the magistrates. Although the parliament, in 1633, de clared the burgh to be royal, with freedom of election, we find it afterwards disturbed by Cromwell and the Privy Council.
In 1690, the town was again declared free by a charter of William and Mary, which was confirmed by an act of Parliament in the same year, to the effect that the town council should have power to elect their own magis trates, as fully and freely in all respects as the city of Edin burgh, or any other royal burgh within the kingdom. This freedom of election has continued ever since.
Prior to the union between England and Scotland, the river was not in a state to bring up vessels of burden to the city ; the magistrates, therefore, purchased eleven acres of ground near the village of Newark, to enable them to form a sea-port town. In 1710, we find that wharves, docks, and storehouses, had been erected, a baillie appointed, and i the town, which was now called Port-Glasgow, formed into a separate parish, with right of patronage.