Crawfurd of Cartsburn - the beginning

 The lands of Cartsburn are situated at the eastern end of Greenock on the south bank of the River Clyde in Scotland.

The area known as Cartsburn was erected into a barony by King Charles II by a charter in favour of Thomas Crawfurd in 1669.  This gave the Crawfurd family the right to hold markets and fairs as well as giving the Crawfurds judicial powers in the area.  The Crawfurds built a home there - Cartsburn House.

Cartsburn House was the home or Mansion House of the Crawfurd family for many generations.  It was once surrounded by gardens and parkland and would have had beautiful views over the River Clyde.

The Barony of Cartsburn was bound on the east by a line from what is now Border Street north to the River Clyde at the James Watt Dock Marina (formerly Garvel Estate).  On the west, the line of the Carts Burn marked the limit of the Crawfurd lands, separating them from the land belonging to the Shaw family.  The Shaw family had also acquired the lands of Easter Greenock from an earlier member of the Crawfurd family so that in effect Cartsburn was a separate area surrounded by Greenock. 

The area was also known as Crawfursdyke and was at one time important because it contained a sheltered bay and “dyke” or quay where boats could tie up.  Fishing, especially herring, played an important part in the area’s economy in the 18th century.

The area was described by George Crawfurd in “A general description of the shire of Renfrew” -

“A quarter of a mile west from the Castle of Easter Greenock, at the east end of a large bay, stands the town of Crawfurdsdike, built of one street, with a convenient harbour, capable to contain ships of a considerable burden.  It was erected into a Burgh of Barony, with the privilege of a weekly market and several fairs, in favours of Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn, by a Charter from King Charles II, dated the 16th of July 1669.  The town is chiefly inhabited by seamen and mechanicks.”

Cartsburn later became part of Greenock and the land was bought up for industrial purposes, especially those connected with shipbuilding and engineering.  Those industries having gone, the land is being put to other uses.

See also - An Invitation to Cartsburn House    The Cartsburn Thumbscrews    Kennedy's Mill