The public edifices of Paisley arc numerous, but, with two exceptions, do not lay claim to any very particular no tice, as architectural efforts. Among them are five places of worship of the establishment. The Abbey Church, a venerable remain of the olden time, demands to be first noticed. In the year 1164, according to Spotiswood, but 1160 according to Crawford, Walter, son of Allan, (Alan,) and Lord High Steward of Scotland, founded, on his lands of Paisley, a priory, afterwards advanced to an Abbey of Benedictines ; whom, thirteen in number, he brought, along with their prior-elect, from the Cluniac Monastery of Wenloek, in the county of Salop. The founder him self liberally endowed the house, and his descendants add ed greatly to its possessions. Other benefactions it also, from time to time, received, so that it became one of the richest monastic foundations in Scotland. By King Ro bert the Third, all the abbey lands were erected into a re gality, honorem Dei, heat virginis Maria, et bead Jacobi Apostoli, et sailed rvlirinit confessoris." By King James II. this charter was confirmed. The abbey lands were thus constituted one entire and free barony, holding gc in pure and perpetual regality of the crown." In 1553, the ill-fated John Hamilton, Bishop of Dunkcld, after wards Archbishop of St. Andrew's, resigned it, the Queen consenting, in favour of Lord Claud Hamilton, third son of James, Duke of Chatelherault. Lord Claud, generally, as Abbot Titular, styled Connnendator, was at this time a mere child ; but taking, when mature in years, the part of his unfortunate royal mistress, in whose cause he fought at Langside, he was attainted, and the abbey lands were held as having devolved upon the Regent Murray. By him they were bestowed on Robert, son of William, Lord Semple, heritable bailie and justiciary of the regality of Paisley. To Lord Claud, they, however, soon reverted, and in his favour were, in 1537, erected into a temporal lordship. The noble proprietor was, in 1591, made a Lord of Parliament, by the title of Lord Paisley. His son, James, became first Lord Abercorn, and in the Abercorn family the lordship has since continued.
Of this great establishment few remains exist, in addi tion to those of the Abbey Church. Of the choir, which appears to have had no aisles, no more is left than about ten feet in height of the exterior wall. The inclosed space is, as well as a large piece of ground lying to the north of the church, used for interments. Some low trefoiled niches appear on the inner side of the southern wall of the choir, towards the east end. Of the transept, which projects northward, the walls yet stand, but are roofless and mouldering t They include, nevertheless, a feature that gives to the whole fabric a peculiar grace. This is the great northern window of the church ; one of noble size and excellent proportions; decorated§ in character, as is indeed most of the structure ; and still retaining,along with its central mullion, portions of the tracery that once adorned its head. The nave, a lofty, and, including its aisles, very spacious pile, is in pretty good repair, form ing the church to a very extensive country parish, in the heart of which Paisley, with its town parishes, lies ; and of which the New Town is considered a part. Four large
windows to the north aisle, a porch, and a row of thickly set clerestory windows in the upper part of the building, comprise the chief exterior features of the south side of the nave. But the west end, or rather front, now laid open to Abbey Close, is an enriched and beautiful specimen of ancient ecclesiastical architecture. Its chief component parts are a door-way of early English, deeply recessed, and rich in mouldings; three large windows of decorated work, the tracery somewhat elaborate; and a couple of lancet-shaped windows. The interior of the church ex hibits three tiers of arches, the lowest tier bold, pointed, and rather plain; the uppermost one pointed, narrow, and unornamented ; but the middle tier at once exceedingly beautiful in effect, and, we believe, uncommon, if not pe culiar, in conformation. A mean looking window of mo dern insertion, at the east end of the nave, is filled with particoloured glass.II Beneath it is a large white marble monument, commemorative of the late William M•Dow all, Esq. of Garthland.li A few other monumental tablets, of recent date, appear on the walls, as do sundry rather ancient memorials of the kind, so placed with a view to their preservation. South of this part of the church is the area of the Cloisters ; no part of the arcade of which, however, remains. But on the eastern side of the court is yet standing entire a building now called the Abereorn Chapel, or the Sounding Aisle. In this structure, which has a very good east window of decorated work, and the adjoining church having always been used parochially, was, we think, the private oratory of the Religious, a se ries of ancient mural sculptures, an elaborate altar, and tomb, the latter bearing a recumbent effigy of Marjory, daughter of Robert the Bruce, and wife of Walter the great steward of Scotland, to whom she bore King Robert the Second, merit notice. King Robert II. his first con sort, Elizabeth More, and Euphane Ross, his second wife, as well as alter, the great steward, and his lady, were among the distinguished personages interred here. The chapel is now used as a burying-place by the Abercorn family. When the abbey was in its glory, gardens and orchards lay contiguous to its multiplied edifices.** Around the entire precincts, which were in circuit about a mile, Abbot Gcorge Sc.haw, afterwards lord high trea surer of Scotland, built. in 484, a high and strong wall, of which pal t remains. On this, at certain points, inscrip tions were placed. One of them is yet visible, having been built into the front of a tenement constructed near Wall Neuck, a spot on which formerly stood the north west angle of the wall. A chronicle written by the Reli gious of Paisley, is often mentioned in history as the Black Book of Paisley. It is thought to contain little more than a copy of Fordun.