Paisley Abbey is the standout subject in this collection. Walter FitzAlan, the first High Steward of Scotland, founded it as a Cluniac priory in 1163, and it was raised to abbey status in 1245. In 1316, Marjory Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce, died at the abbey giving birth to the future Robert II, the first Stewart king, earning Paisley Abbey its lasting title as the cradle of the Royal House of Stewart.
The Paisley pattern is another subject that recurs throughout this collection. The teardrop motif originated in Persia and India, but Paisley's weavers became so associated with reproducing it cheaply on shawls, using Jacquard looms from the early 1800s, that the pattern took the town's name across Europe. By the mid-19th century Paisley had over 7,000 looms and employed around 6,000 weavers, with its shawls worn by fashionable women including Queen Victoria.
Postcards from Renfrew, Johnstone and Erskine appear in this collection too, and we add new stock regularly.
