THE BATTLE OF THE
GALLOWGATE
Stories of battles in the Gallowgate
probably come as no surprise to Glaswegians, but they may be more amazed to know
that these have not been limited to the sporadic gang warfare of recent decades.
Two major conflicts have occurred in the vicinity, one being the Battle of the
Butts in 1544 and the other an actual Battle of the Gallowgate fought on 2nd
June, 1679.
With the death of Oliver Cromwell,
the Stuarts had been restored to the throne in 1660 in the person of Charles II.
The King had resumed the attempts of his father to establish the Episcopal
Church in Scotland and this had led to the violent reaction of the Covenanters
who supported a Presbyterian church order.
Archbishop Sharp of St. Andrew's was
murdered in May, 1679 and his assassins fled to the West where open rebellion
was in the offing. In response to disturbances in the Rutherglen area, the
King's man, John Graham of Claverhouse (the "Bonnie Dundee" of later
years) was despatched with his dragoons to deal with the unrest and any unlawful
gatherings.
In the course of his mission, Graham
was confronted by a large, armed band of Covenanters at Drumclog. In the face of
their superior strength he was forced to flee to Glasgow where his troops built
barricades to defend the position. The Covenanters pursued Graham and attacked
along the College Vennel and the Gallowgate but could not overcome the
defenders. They feigned a retreat to Tollcross (which at that time extended
west to Janefield), drawing Graham's men out after them, and then turned upon
them. The King's troops again beat a hasty retreat to Glasgow and the Battle of
the Gallowgate was concluded.
Glasgow itself had not been too
welcoming when Graham had descended upon it and in an act of revenge he allowed
his men to pillage the town. He asked for permission from the Duke of Monmouth
to burn Glasgow for its lack of support but fortunately this was refused.
A few weeks after the engagement at
Glasgow, the Covenanters were defeated in a major battle at Bothwell Brig where
Graham commanded the cavalry. In later years Graham supported the displaced
James VII when William of Orange came to the Scottish and English thrones and
was created 1st Viscount Dundee for his continued loyalty to the Stuart cause.
He died in battle at Killiecrankie in July, 1689.
© 2005 Gordon Adams
Macgregor, George (1888):
"Glasgow Ancient and Modern." Glasgow, Hay Nisbet & Co.
