Rutherglen's Royalty Boundary Stones

Rutherglen Heritage Society has been involved in a project to

identify and record the remaining boundary or ‘march’ stones in

Rutherglen.

The stones were originally erected around the royalty

boundary of the burgh to mark its territory and maintain its identity.

According to tradition, every new burgess (a citizen granted privileges in

the burgh) was required to provide, at their own expense, a boundary

stone marked with their initials and the year.

The oldest stone, known only from photographs, was dated 1574.

Many stones are marked with a letter ‘R’ for Rutherglen. The size and style of

the stones vary a great deal, although stones erected in the same year are often very similar.

These stones are typical of those known from 1876 (below left) and 1885 (below right).

The boundary and stones were inspected by the Provost, magistrates and

burgh ofﬁcials at least once every three years. The ﬁrst record of this

inspection is from 1664 and it became known as the Redding or Riding of

the Marches, later taking place on Landemer Day. Any stones found to be

missing or damaged would be ordered to be replaced.

Historical records reveal that at one time there were 370 stones, but only

130 had survived by the 195Os. This number had reduced to around 70

by 1974 and by 1983 only 57 stones were known to be in situ, with

another 5 having been taken into the museum collections to ensure their

preservation. Stones were sited all over the burgh often following natural

features such as burns. Many of the remaining stones now sit in church

grounds, commercial premises or private gardens.

Rutherglen boundary stone 1881 Bogleshole Road

Rutherglen boundary stone Cambuslang Road

A stone incorporated into the bridge in Bogleshole Road.

Another stone sits next to the bus stop in Cambuslang Road

Some of the stones have sunk low in the ground and can be difﬁcult to

trace. Members of the Heritage Society have excavated 4 of the stones to

reveal inscribed dates and names.

Rutherglen Boundary stone Larchfield Drive

Above, a stone from 1885 near Larchﬁeld Drive before and after excavation.

The name on the stone is R. Cross who was a grocer on Main Street. He later emigrated to Canada.

Heritage Society members used old maps and written records, such as the

council minutes and old copies of the Reformer, to help identify the

locations of boundary stones. These sources continue to provide valuable

information on the stones, the burgesses who erected them and the riding

of the marches.

The project on the boundary stones has been supported by

the West of Scotland Archaeological Service and information gathered on

the stones will be included in their database. There is still a huge amount

of research to undertake and we are hopeful that more existing stones will

be discovered.

A paper produced by West of Scotland Archaeology Service (WoSAS) about our Boundary Stones project

Ruthrglen Boundary stones Heritage Society

WoSAS Pins 9283 and 9284, image copyright Rutherglen Heritage Society

WoSAS Pin 9287, image copyright Rutherglen Heritage Society

In 2011, the West of Scotland Archaeology Service was approached by members of the newly-formed Rutherglen Heritage Group, who were working with the Museum
Service of South Lanarkshire Council to develop a project to locate, photograph and record all of the surviving boundary stones marking the limits of the medieval royal
burgh of Rutherglen.

Rutherglen is believed to have been made a royal burgh by King David I (1124-1153), meaning that it is older than its nearby neighbour, the baronial burgh of Glasgow.

The town's royal status did not ensure its prosperity however, and it was soon eclipsed economically by Glasgow. Nevertheless, throughout its history the town remained
fiercely protective of its independence, and erected a large number of boundary stones to physically delineate the burgh lands as a means of asserting its separate trading
rights and distinct identity.

WoSAS Pin 9293, image copyright Rutherglen Heritage Society

The system of burgh boundary stones was vigorously maintained into the latter part of the nineteenth century, but suffered from increasing neglect and erosion during the
succeeding century. Records indicate that at one time there were around 370 stones, but only 130 had survived by the 1950s. Fifty-seven stones were known to exist in the
1980s, but the Heritage Group hoped to establish how many were still standing, and to record their exact locations. As part of the project, staff from the Archaeology
Service provided members of the Heritage Group information and assistance, in the form of detailed maps and site reports on the recorded locations of known stones, and
advice on recording techniques.

The Heritage Group has recently completed the first stage of the project, and has located, described, photographed and mapped 60 stones.
While some of those recorded in the 1980s could not be found, 14 previously-unrecorded examples were identified, and information on these, along with updated details for
the other stones, will be integrated back into the HER to ensure that these locally important monuments are protected into the future. The photographs on this page
illustrate some of the different styles of stone identified during the course of the survey.

Boundary Stones by Richard Brown, 2001

…..These boundaries are distinguished by march stones, set at small distances from each other. In some places there are two rows, about seven feet distant……

From ‘The History of Rutherglen”

On this site there are two march, or boundary, stones which in the past were used as markers to define the legal limits of the Royal Burgh of Rutherglen. The carved stones sited here (in part inspired by the drawings and ideas of local school children) represent the history of the Burgh and the Farme Cross area from its inception to the present day as follows:
1. A sword with the crest of the Burgh as the pommel, representing the granting of ‘Royal Burgh’ status in 1126 and the event of parliament sitting in Rutherglen in 1300.

2. A rope leads from a pit-wheel, through river paddle steamers, to a spinning wheel producing a spray of woven cloth. These images represent the varied industry of the area from mining, rope making and ship building through to weaving and dye work.

3. A spark-plug, with road detail behind, in reference to the site’s former use as a garage, the areas connection with taxi firms and its position as a gateway to and from Glasgow.

4. The future is symbolised by an ‘exploded’ atom and a DNA double helix strand; referring to advances in medical and biological science. A circuit board design and ‘netted’ Globe relate to international communications and the World Wide Web.

An Environmental Improvement/Public Art Partnership between:
Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire Council.