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Brediland House

Brediland House

Information kindly sent in to paisley.org.uk by Denis Hoare. You can also download the Submission to The Dean of Guild Court for its construction by clicking here.

Also a Blog post has already been done by Ken Berry which you can read more of here.

Edited Draft

Notes on the History of Brediland House and its owners, Lounsdale, Paisley

The land was in the hands of the Maxwells of Brediland for many centuries. They were a branch of the Pollock Maxwells.

Brediland was the name of a fairly large estate in what is now the Foxbar District in Paisley. Brediland House, better described as a mansion, was constructed of red sandstone and the architecture initially appeared to be late Victorian

In 1853 the Estate of Archibald Leckie Esq sold Lonend Dyeworks by Roup in the Saracens Head Hotel, Paisley. Unable to determine to date, if the McGregor’s were the new owners of the Works
The Saracens Head was a Hotel which stood at the Paisley Cross on the site where the War Memorial now stands.

In 1876 the Brediland Estate was sold, according to the Sasine Records, to Mr. Patrick Comyn Mcgregor (36), Chief of the Paisley Highlanders Association.
Note the Estate included a house which was probably the five hundred year old farmhouse existing on the site just below the Candren Burn, and not Brediland House, which was yet to be built.

Patrick and his brother Mr.John Ross McGregor lived at Lonend Cottage near the Dyeworks at Blackhall they were connected with the firm of Leckie, Dyers in Paisley Blackhall. John Ross was married to Maria Julia Marshall.
Patrick Comyn and his brother were partners in the Dyeworks

In 1869/70 P. Comyn McGregor (39/40) Paisley Trades Directory is entered as, of Brediland, (that is the Estate) and living at Lonend House, Blackhall, Paisley
He owned the Brediland Estate, Brediland House had not been built at that time.

In 1881 Census
Patrick Comyn Mcgregor (51) he was unmarried, living with his sisters Mary (48), Christina (45), Jessie (41), they were all spinsters, living at No.2, Lonend Road, Blackhall, Paisley.
John Ross McGregor (41) with his wife Maria Julie (36), Eliza (12), Margaret (9), Eva Mary (7), Gregor (5), Agnes (3), John (1) were living at, No.1, Lonend Road, Blackhall, Paisley

In 1885 Patrick Comyn McGregor (61) died on 29th July at Lonend House, Blackhall. He was single.

In 1891 Census
Christina McGregor (57) was living in Lonend House, Blackhall with her sister Jessie (53) and neice Elisa (17), Christina was the unmarried sister of Patrick and John McGregor
John Ross McGregor (61) was living in Lonend Cottage, Blackhall with his wife Maria (49) and six children, Katherine (25), Margaret (19), Gregor (5), Agnes (13), Patrick (9), Jane (6).

In 1899 John Ross retired from the firm of Lechie & Mcgregor
After the death of his brother he was the sole owner of the firm.

In 1901 John Ross McGregor (61) was living at No.1, Lonend Cottage, Blackhall, with his wife Maria (59), and five children Katherine (35), Agnes (23), John (21), Patrick (19), Jane (16)

In 1902 on the 16th May John Ross Mcgregor made a submission to the Dean of Guild Court for the construction of a Villa on the Lounsdale Road, Brediland Estate. See attached extract of the record.
From Sasines records No.12448 for Renfrewshire, he and his family were residing in Lonend Cottage, Blackhall.

In 1903/4 John Ross McGregor and family were residing in Lonend Cottage, Blackhall.
From the Post Office Directory

In 1904 on 20th February the final inspection was made on the construction of Brediland House and approved

In 1904/5 John Ross McGregor is mentioned in the Paisley Trades Directory and Paisley Post Office Directory as of Brediland House.
In 1905 on 2nd June, John Ross McGregor gives his address as Brediland in the Sasines No. 3320 & 18459 for Renfrewshire

In 1907 on 17th and 18th December,John Ross McGregor gives his address as Brediland in Sasine’s No.1230 and No.1230 for Renfrewshire
In 1911/12 John Ross McGregor and family gives his address as Brediland House, Lounsdale in the Paisley Directory and General Advertiser

In 1913 on the 8th August John Ross McGregor (75) died in Brediland House, ,
In the Paisley Post Office Directory his address is given as Brediland House.

In 1914-1916 Paisley Trades Directory there is a mention of Maria Julie Mcgregor of Brediland, she was the widow of John Ross McGregor.
In the Paisley Post Office Directory her address is listed as Brediland House.

In 1916 Paisley Post Office Directory her address is listed as Brediland House.

In 1918 Maria Julie McGregor (76) died on the 18th May, it is not clear if she died in Brediland House or nearby in Meikleriggs, she was the widow of John Ross McGregor
In 1920 on the 3rd June, Brediland House was sold for £4,600 to a Mr. William Young Fleming an engineer.
He was a partner in Fleming & Ferguson Ltd, ship builders on the River White Cart Water, the Yard was, called the Phoenix, and located on the Inchinnan Road, on the right hand side going towards Renfrew

In 1921 on January 18th Mr. William Young Fleming sold Brediland House for £6,300 to Mr Thomas Noble, butter, egg and provision merchant.
At the same time Mr. Noble bought part of the Brediland Estate from the the McGregor Family Trust set up by P.C. McGregor of Brighton who was deceased. This is confirmed by the Sasine Records.
It appears the family emigrated Brighton.
Extract from Sasine No.1230 for Renfrewshire: –
To Thomas Noble, Egg Importer
25 Poles,18.5 sq.yds, bounded on the North West by the Public Road from Paisley to Lounsdale on the North East other objects belonging to said Grantee and on the South East by the Candred Burn

In 1924 Paisley Trades Directory a Miss. McGregor is residing at Meikleriggs which was near Brediland House; she is possibly the sister of Patrick and John McGregor.

In 1924 Paisley Trades Directory mentions Brediland House, when referring to Thomas Noble of H. Noble & Son.
In 1926 Brediland House and land was transferred to the Noble Family Trustees

In March 1948 Mr. Noble died at Brediland.
At the end of 1949 Babcock & Wilcox of Renfrew converted Brediland House to a hostel for their overseas and non local students and apprentices. The first residents moved in circa May 1950
Babcocks subcontracted the running and management of the House to the YMCA who in turn appointed their employees Mr and Mrs Goudie to the managing post.

In 1983
Brediland House was no longer in use and standing empty.
In July there was a local campaign against demolition of the House. The campaign failed and it was finally demolished by Leech Homes in July of that year and fifty plus houses built on the site.
It was not listed, or part of a conservation area and therefore did not have the protection that either status would have given it.
The demolition of the House was an act of vandalism

Denis Hoare.
Banchory, 29th June 2011.

There is also an excellent website on Paisley Mansion houses which can be found by going here.