the Third Sunday of Advent, 1878, a new mission was opened in Cambuslang. A congregation of about 1300 souls has been drawn to the locality, which is the centre of steel manufacture in Scotland. The buildings consists of a chapel school and a priests’ house, erected from the designs of R Dalgleish, architect. The morning sermon was preached by the archbishop (Charles Eyre) and the evening sermon by Rev D Munro and at both services there were very large congregations.” This announcement in the Tablet marked the official opening of St Bride’s Church at the turn of the century, although the first parish priest, Rev William Carmichael, had taken up his post at the end of November 1878. On Monday, 16^th December, 1878, St Bride’s primary school opened its doors to seventy-one pupils under the care of Miss Elizabeth Gorman, certificated teacher. On 24^th December, Fr Carmichael baptised the day old Michael Docherty who became the first native member of St Bride’s parish. Thus by the end of 1878 the foundation had been firmly laid and in 1879 there were fifty-six baptisms, one hundred and nine confirmations and four marriages and the parish had contributed £2.16.00 to the diocesan fund.

In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Cambuslang was well on its way to achieving its proud boast of the being “the largest village in Scotland”. Workers had been attracted earlier by the establishment of the Clyde Iron works (1786) and the textile industry was well served by its dye-works, while Kirkhill was noted for its domestic weaving trade. Pits ringed the area at Wellshot, Dechmont. Gilbertfield, Westburn, Toll and Newton. In 1849, Cambuslang had been linked to the main Motherwell line (later many immigrant workers were employed in the Kirkhill line which opened in 1904). In 1873, Hallside Steelworks was opened to be followed in 1888 by Clydebridge. Next