Where to find local collections:
Giffnock Heritage Centre
https://www.ercultureandleisure.org/heritage
Portal to the Past
http://www.portaltothepast.co.uk/article/3093/Home
Non-fiction item
Descriptions of the Sheriffdoms of Lanark and Renfrew by William Hamilton of Wilshaw, 1710 [In Publications by Scottish Clubs] https://digital.nls.uk/78835430
Early letters of Robert Wodrow, 1698-1709 edited with notes by L.W. Sharp, 1937 [In Scottish History Society volumes] https://digital.nls.uk/125885880
Native Woodland Survey of Scotland: East Renfrewshire by Forest Commission Scotland, 2010 [part of Forestry Commission Scotland Reports] https://www.nls.uk/scotgov/forestrycommscot/fcs-nwss-east-renfrew.pdf
Book – fiction
The persecuted family: a narrative of the sufferings of the Presbyterians in the reign of Charles II by Robert Pollok, 1829 [Digital version of copy held at ABS.1.78.1.148; record found via LibrarySearch] http://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/1151/0809/115108098.23.pdf
Course in Time by Robert Pollok, circa 1827 [In Antiquarian Books of Scotland] https://digital.nls.uk/117797927
Film
Lots of films can be explored here: https://movingimage.nls.uk
A small selection has been compiled to get you started:
Journey through Barrhead and Revew of the Festival Year 1951, 1951 [In Moving Image Archive] https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/0943
Eaglesham by Templar Films circa 1962 [In Moving Image Archive] https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/5458
Widening of A77, Newton Mearns, attributed to James Anderson (as director) circa 1959/1961 [In Moving Image Archive] https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/7343
Manuscript collection
Notebooks of Christopher Murray Grieve, ‘Hugh MacDiarmid’, kept during his training in precision engineering at Thornliebank Training College, 1942 [In Manuscripts Catalogue] https://manuscripts.nls.uk/repositories/2/archival_objects/50729
Maps
Most of the historic maps of East Renfrewshire include parts of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde. East Renfrewshire Council was formed in 1996. To see key border changes, click on the Boundary viewer here. There are a lot of maps of the area covering East Renfrewshire, please click here to find out more. We have also provided a few examples too:
Map of the parishes and roads in the first or upper district of the County of Renfrewshire by Andrew MacDonald, 1892 [In Map Images] https://maps.nls.uk/view/216442959
Feuing plan of the estate of Braehead near Cathcard, 1881 [In Map Images] https://maps.nls.uk/view/216443633
Air Photo Mosaics of Scotland, NS 55 SE (Renfrewshire) by the Ordnance Survey, 1946 [In Map Images] https://maps.nls.uk/view/75221227
An e-resource
The Making of Scotland’s First Industrial Region: The Early Cotton Industry in Renfrewshire by Stuart M. Nisbet, 2009 [In Edinburgh University Press available after online registration. This article discusses early cotton mills such as the mills in Busby (including one of the first water powered cotton mill) and Dovecothall] https://www-euppublishing-com.nls.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.3366/E1748538X09000314
A business
Clarke’s Barrhead and Neilson Directory by C. Clarke, 1896 [In Scottish Post Office Directories. An example of a Victorian advertisement for clothing] https://digital.nls.uk/85537291
A person
Strike! The Radical Insurrections of Ellen Dawson by David Lee McMullen, 2010 [In Florida Scholarship Online accessed via the catalogue after registration. Ellen Dawson was a political activist born in Barrhead] https://search.nls.uk/permalink/f/1jc5lod/44NLS_ALMA51603125690004341
A song or piece of music
Harp of Renfrewshire edited by William Motherwell, 1819 [In Glen Collection of printed music; this page is a poem by Thomas Spreull who lived in Uplawmoor] https://digital.nls.uk/90396419
Kate Kearny, with the answer, 1816-1820? [In Chapbooks printed in Scotland] https://digital.nls.uk/104186915
A ghost and witches
XVII. Falkland, May 29, 1591. King James the Sixth to the Laird of Caldwell: Hall of Fullbar’s forfeiture for the slaughter of John Montgomerie of Scotstoun — The Laird’s friendly services requested with the Lord Ross of Hawkhead edited by William Mure, 1854 [In Publications by Scottish Clubs; this section of a letter mentions reports of a ghost of a lord of Scotstoun – an account written as part of the estate of Caldwell] https://digital.nls.uk/83268029
Diabolical Renfrewshire in Witchcraft and Folk Belief in the Age of Enlightment by Lizanne Henderson, 2016 [Available via SpringerLink after registration; mentions the accusations of witchcraft against Janet Matthie] https://search.nls.uk/permalink/f/sbbkgr/44NLS_ALMA51637057460004341
A castle or other historic building
Mearns Castle, Renfrewshire in Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok by William Fraser, 1863 [In History of Scottish families] https://digital.nls.uk/96744192
Something about the county town
Andersons Garage attributed to James Anderson (as director) over different dates [In Moving Image Archive. A film covering the changes to Anderson Garage on Ayr Road, Newton Mearns] https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/7342
Something about a village
Telegram from Roosevelt regarding Hess’s capture, 1941 [In Churchill: The Evidence. In 1941, Rudolf Hess took a plane and landed in field near Eaglesham. He was then captured by the Home Guard and held at a Girl Guides camp in Busby (article about capture here and photos of plane here). This telegram discusses Hess’s capture]https://digital.nls.uk/churchill/8.9new.html
Further reading (no more than three suggestions)
Eaglesham : The Farmlands and the Orry by Susan Hunter, and Association of Certificated Field Archaeologists, 2016.
Mearnskirk and Peter Pan : The Story of the Origin of Peter, His Unveiling and a Brief Historical Account of the Hospital in Which He Has Come to Stay by Alex Dale and Glasgow Victoria Hospitals (Board of Management), 1949
The First Hundred Years 1851-1951 by Gilbert M. Shanks, 1951