Paisley Canal Disaster 1810, list of those who died & survived


On the 10th November 1810, 10 days afte the canal opened, the duchess of Eglington, skippered by Thomas Rhodes was returning from Johnstone with an excursion.

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Awaiting the arrival of the boat from Johnstone, there was, in the forenoon, a large assemblage of people, mainly youths and children, who, in the enjoyment of their holiday, had been drawn to the Canal Basin, either from curiosity or with the intention to take a passage in the fly boat to Johnstone. As those desirous to go in the boat far exceeded in number its capacity to carry them, the crowd got excited and unruly, and to secure a passage pressed forward towards the banks of the Canal. No sooner did the boat touch the bank than attempts were made by many, before the Johnstone passengers were landed, to force their way into the boat; and in a few minutes every part of it was filled, and particularly the top deck, where, reckless of all consequences and not for a moment dreading danger, a number far in excess of what the boat could safely carry, were densely packed together, while other parts of the boat were equally overcrowded. The crowd on the banks seeing that the boat was in danger of being overturned from an excess of top-weight, shouted to the crowd of young persons to keep back, and to the boatmen to push the boat away from the warff; but some time before this could be done the boatmen found that they were quite unable to control those already on board, or to prevent others from forcing there way into it. But, alas, it was too late for the safety of those on board, the ropes fastening the boat to the bank were unloosed, and, being pushed a few feet off, the boat instantly capsized, and all the passengers who were on the top deck were thrown into the water, and the cabin was filled with water through the windows, those who were in there were thus also put in great danger, and some were drowned.

The list presented below shows those who died, occupation, address and age. The 2nd table shows those who survived with notes about those who escaped by swimming, and those who were seriously ill follwing the accident. (note s. is son of & d. is daughter of)

 NameOccupationAddressAge
1Thomas CrawfordweaverCorse st.47
2Jean  Craig,  wife of Robert Andrew,do.46
3Helen Andrew,  d. of Robert  tambourerdo.15
4Janet  Andrew, d. of Robertdo.4
5Ann Andrew, d. of Robertdo.1
6Jean  Hill, d. of John,do.17
7Janet  Hill, d. of John4
8John Warnock, s. of Andrew,  drawerdo.11
9Agnes Warnock, d. of Andrewdo.16 months
10John Baird, step-sisters. of Wm. Nish drawerCotton St.11
11William  ParkerweaverGauze st.22
12James  BaillieweaverWilliamsburgh24
13Catherine Wright, d. of Duncan, Pollockshaws14
14John Finlaysonweaver and florist seedsmanSeedhills63
15William Smith, s. of Robert, weaverNew st.12
16James Devatt, s. of Widow, drawer New st.10
17James Craig Barr,  s. of Allan, weaverShuttle st.13
18Jas.  Pinkerton,   s. of James,drawerCanal st. 13
19Matthew Morris, s. of Alexander,   weaver  do.13
20Duncan Keith, or McGee,  s. of Duncan, weaverdo.12
21Jean Ronald, d. of John, manufacturerdo.11
22Agnes Ronald, d. of John.do.do.9
23Andrew Brown,  s. of Thomas, weaverStorie st.13
24John Fisher,  s. of Hugh, weaverdo.12¾
25John Shedden,  s. of Robert, weaverdo.13½
26Jean Colquhoun, d. of James, clipper do.14
27Betty Ewing, d. of Robert, do.5
28Janet Thomson, step-d. of Robert Ewing,clipper do.14
29Isabella Boag, d. of George,clipper do.12
30Jean Boag, d. of George, clipper do.10
31Jean Whitehill, d. of James, clipper High st.16
32John Anderson, s. of James,drawerdo.
33Alexander Calder,  s. of Davd, drawerdo.12
34James Campbell, s. of Widow, drawerdo.9
35Alexander Brown,  s. of Widow, weaverWellmeadow14
36Mary McKegg,  d. of John, darnerLady Lane21
37James Lochhead, s. of Widow, do.13
38Jean Robertson,  d. of Robert, clipperWellmeadow 14
39Barbara Mitchell,  d. of William, tambourerWestbrae15
40Archibald Combe, an orphan, Lonewells10
41William Smith, s. of Thomas, drawer do. 11
42Michael Houston, Backrow, weaver Sandholes 60
43Margaret Turnbull, d. of James, Broomland st. 14
44George Turnbull, s. of James, do. 10
45Robert Stevenson, s. of Robert,cooper do.15
46Margaret Elliot, d. of William, clipper King st. 14
47Margaret Russell, d. of Malcolm, Broomlands 13
48Eliz. Neil,  d. of John, tambourerdo. 14
49Joseph Wilson, s. of Joseph, weaver Millerston 12
50William Hamilton,  s. of William, weaverdo. 13½
51Peter Burgess, weaver Maxwellton24
52Janet Beith, wife of J. Hopkins, weaver Maxwellton 22
53Margaret McGregor,  d. of Walter,clipperdo. 10
54William Beith, weaver do. 50
55John Beith, s. of William, drawer do. 11
56Agnes Beith,  d. of William, drawerdo. 9
57Peter Livingstone, orphan, weaver do. 15
58John Tunks, weaver Newton st.20
59Thomas Tudhope, s. of William, weaver do. 16
60James Gibb,  s. of Widow, weaverWest st.16
61David Kirkwood,  s. of Wm., weaverMaxwellton st.18
62Ann Niven,  step d. of D. McIntyre, clipperQueen st.17
63Mrs. Peacock, wife of Allan, Castle st. 50
64Allan Peacock, s. of Allan, drawer do. 11
65William Peacock, s. of Allan, do. 6
66Robert Watson, s. of Robert, do. 13
67John Rowand, weaver Ralston square29
68Agnes Rowand, d. of John 6 months.
69Elizabeth Downie,  d. of William, clipperGeorge st.15
70John Douglas, s. of Hugh, drawer Carriagehill10
71David Gilmour,  s. of William,weaverdo. 20
72James Kennedy,  s. of George, weaverLylesland16
73Robert Sproul,  s. of John, weaverLylesland16
74James King, s. of James, do.13
75William Dunn, s. of Alexander, drawer do.10
76Maxwell Cunningham, d. of Robert, Causeyside14
77Thomas Watson, s. of Thomas, soldier in the Argyleshire Militia.drawer Causeyside9
78John Allison,  s. of John, weaverGordon’s lone14
79Janet Morrison, d. of widow,clipper Prussia st.30
80John McDonald, s. of widow, weaver do.23
81John Blair, s. of John, manufacturer, Orchard st.5
82Walter Carswell, s. of Robert, merchant, Moss st 12
83Alexander Biggar,  s. of John, stocking makerdo.13
84John McLachlan, s. of Peter, weaver do 14
85Margaret Craig, d. of James. Uplay Muir, Neilston22

Additional list of people who were on the deck of the COUNTESS OF EGLINTON when she capsized, on the 10th November, 1810, and were saved.

NameOccupationAddressRelated to Person No.
86ɤ Mrs Crawford, wife of Thomas,1
87Robert Andrew, husband of Jean Craig,2
88Jean Andrew, daughter of Robert,87
89John Hill, wife (90), and d. Margaret (91),6
92Andrew Warnock, wife (93), and d. Elizabeth (94),8
95Robert Finlayson, s. of William, Lawn st.
96Ϯ Robert Lang, weaver Cotton st.
97Ϯ Mrs. Robert Lang and Ϯ child (98),96
99Robert Boyd, weaver Cotton st.
100James Robertson, weaver Thread st.
101֍ John Sclater, starcherAbbey st.
102Allan Clark, do.
103Ϯ John While, weaver Croft st.
104James Reid, s. of James, do.
105Ϯ Christian Thomson, Sneddon.
106Daniel McKellar, weaver Love st.
107James Parker, s. of James, Glen st.
108Rachel Wright, d. of Peter, Canal st.
109James and Robert Barrie (110), sons of John, do.
111Alexander McIntyre, weaver Storie st.
112Hugh Boyd, do., 
113Alexander Monro, do., 
114James Thomson, do., 
115Robert Fulton, do., 
116Robert Ross, drawerdo.
117Peter M’ Alpine, do.
118Allan McFarlane, s. of Dugald, do.
119Andrew Sheddan, s. of Andrew, High st.
120Ϯ Lydia Lang, d. of Robert,do.
121Humphry Wilson, s. of Mrs. W., do.
122William, Robert (123), and Adam (124) McGibbon, do.
125Jean Cleland, d. of John, do.
126Margaret Wilkie, do.
127Edward Graham, drawer do.
128David and John Fisher (129), s. of David,do.
130Alexander Smith, s. of William, Lady-lane.
131Ϯ James Adam, weaver do.
132Robert Adam, s. of James,129
133֍ Robert Erskine, s. of James, Lady-lane.
134John Auld, s. of Thomas, do.
135AlexanDer Kerr, s. of John, Ferguslie.
136֍ Thomas Rhodes, captain of the boat.
137֍ Archibald Storie, assistant do.
138Rt. and Wm. (139) McMillan, s. of James.,Lonewells.
140Daniel Young, weaver do.
141James Millar, s. of John, weaver Sandholes.
142Ϯ Janet Henderson, d. of Mrs H., do.
143John Wright, s. of Walter, Broomland st.
144Peter Milton, s. of Peter, do.
145Andrew Chirrey, s. of James, do.
146Alexander McMath, s. of James, do.
147John Remy, s. of John, do.
148Ϯ Peter McAlpin, s. of Alexander, John st.
149James, Ann (150), and Helen (151) Hamilton, King st.
152Janet Thomson, d. of James, do.
153Ϯ Mary Leckie, d. of John, John st.
154William Wallace, s. of William, Broomlands.
155Mary Crawford, d. of James, Ferguslie.
156Wm. Mitchel, weaver burnlip, Millerstone.
157John Smith, s. of John, do.
158John Millar, s. of John, do.
159James Beith, s. of John, Maxwellton.
160Ϯ Elizabeth Boag, do.
161Mary and Ϯ Helen (162) McFarlane, do.
163Janet Chalmers, d. of Tarbet, do.
164Agnes McGregor, wife of Peter Burgess.
165John Hopkins, husband of Janet Beith.
166James Wood, grandson of David Gordon.
167Andrew Cochran, s. of John,Maxwellton st.
168Jean Gibson, d. of John, do.
169֍ Allan Peacock, weaver Castle st.63
170Ϯ Jean Peacock, d. of Allan, do.63
171Ann Whiteford, d. of Mrs. W., do.
172Mrs. Rowand, wife of John,67
173Ϯ John Rowand, s. of John,67
174Ϯ James Morrison, s. of Wm., Ralston sq.
175֍ David Patterson, weaver do.
176֍ Alexander Laird, s. of Alex., George st.
177֍ Finlay Kerr,weaver do.
178Ϯ James Tannahill, s. of Matthew, do.
179William Grierson, weaver Carriagehill.
180John Lambie, s. of William, Causeyside.
181Isabel Brown, d. of Archibald, do.
182Ϯ Andrew McAlpin, s. of Mrs. McA., do.
183William Pullar, s. of William, do.
184֍ William Rowand, weaverCauseyside.
185John Bryson, drawer do.
186John Fyfe, s. of the late Archd. do.
187Jean Allison, d. of John, 78
188Mrs. Murdoch M’Donald, Prussia st.
189Jean and Margaret (190) Swan, d. of Robert.
191Ϯ John Murray,  TaylorMoss st.
192֍Robert Walker, , reed-makerMoss st.
193John Stevenson, Moss st.
194֍ Alexander Whitehill, weaver Sclates.
195John Clark, weaver do.
196Hugh Aitken, weaverJohnstone.
197John Rowand, do. do.
198Margaret Craig, do.
199John Robertson, drawer Canal st.
200John Rowand, weaver Johnstone.

Those marked Ϯ were extremely ill; those marked ֍ made their own way out by swimming; and those marked ɤ later died.


The information presented her was originally published in Vanduara, or Odds and Ends published by William Hector in 1880.

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© 10 November 2020 in this format.

Paisley Canal Disaster 1810, list of those who died & survived – The Urban Historian
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