History
The original village probably dates back to early times, this being suggested by the very name Eaglesham, which is a com pound of the Celtic ‘eaglis’ signifying church and the Saxon term ‘Ham’ for a hamlet or village. Others derive the name from the ‘Ecclesia-holm’, the church in the hollow; while traditional lore suggests the presence of eagles perching on the holm or low ground, where afterwards the village was built. Following his succession to the throne in 1124, David I appointed Walter Fitz Alan as the first High Stewart and granted him Eaglesham and other land to support the dignity of his office. Walter in turn bestowed part of the lands which included Eaglesham to his friend Robert de Montgomerie thus forging the link between this family and Eaglesham. In(leed the land remained in the family until 1844, when it was sold to Allan and James Gilmour.
Covenanters
Like many other parishes ‘in the West of Scotland, Eaglesham has significant historical connections with the covenanters. The 6th Earl of Eglinton signed the covenant in 1638 and thereafter became known as ‘the pious’. The Earl mustered a force which was present at the battles of Newburn and Marston Moor. Local evidence of this troublesome period is the memorial erected in the church graveyard for the two martyrs. Gabriel Thomas and Robert Lockhart who were killed in 1685 for their beliefs. Picketlaw derives its name from the pickets who were posted to give warning of the enemy during conventicles.
Local Memorial to the Covenanters
Eaglesham Fair
The continued growth of the importance of the village during Le the 18th century resulted in Alexander, eighth Earl of Eglinton, seeking and obtaining an Act of arliament authorising a yearly fair and a weekly market to be held at Eaglesham. Prior to this period the Royal Burghs held exclusive marketing monopolies which stifled the growth of market villages until the end of the 18th century. In his petition to Parliament the Earl says that the village is ‘above six miles distant from any burgh royal or from any other place where markets or fairs are kept, and that lying on the Kings highway it is a most fit and convenient place for keeping markets’. The Act grants ‘ane yeirlie frie fair to be keepit within the kirktoun of Eglishame upon the twentie fourt day of Aprile yeirlie with ane weekly mercat to be kept therat upon each Thursday, for buying and selling of all sort of merchandise and other commodities necessar and useful for the country’. The weekly market has long since been abandoned; for some time, in place of the fair, a flower show was held, but recently a biennial fair has been re-established.
The 2004 Eaglesham Fair - Procession
