Dalziel, a central parish of the middle ward of Lanark shire, containing the village of Craigneuk, and, at its western border, the greater part of the police burgh of Motherwell, this being 2½ miles NE of Hamilton, 12½ ESE of Glasgow, and 5¾ SSE of Coatbridge. Bounded NW and N by Bothwell, NE by Shotts, SE by Cambusnethan, and SW by Hamilton, it has an utmost length from NW to SE of 3¼ miles, an utmost breadth from NE to SW of 23/8 miles, and an area of 3085 acres, of which 45¾ are water. South Calder Water traces all the Shotts and most of the Bothwell boundary as it meanders westward to the Clyde, which itself flows north-westward for 21/8 miles, and again for 3¾ furlongs, along the Hamilton border. Sinking beside the Clyde to less than 100 feet above sea-level, the surface thence rises eastward to 259 feet near North Motherwell, 308 near Windmillhill Street, and 322 near Middle Johnston, and forms in the centre and towards the SE a flattish ridge or low plateau. The rocks, belonging to the Carboniferous formation, abound in coal, ironstone, and sandstone flag, whose working, conjointly with the establishment of iron and steel works at Motherwell, has led to the abnormal growth of population. The soil on the low grounds along the Clyde is fertile alluvial loam, and elsewhere is mostly a heavy yellow clay. About 50 acres are disposed in orchards, and woods or plantations cover 400 more. The Roman Watling Street ran through this parish from ESE to WNW; and a bartizaned summer-house in the grounds of Dalzell House, commanding a brilliant view, was built in 1736 on the site of a Roman camp. This Dalzell House, ¼ mile from the Clyde's right bank, and 1¾ SSE of Motherwell, was built in 1649 by Hamilton of Boggs, two years after his purchase of the estate from the Earl of Carnwath, whose ancestors, the Dalzells, had held it from time immemorial. Described by Hamilton of Wishaw as ` a great and substantial house,' it adjoins a much older peel-tower, 50 feet high, with walls 8 feet in thickness; its owner, John Glencairn Carter Hamilton, Esq. (b. 1829; suc. 1834), possesses 2460 acres in the shire, valued at £14,959 per annum, including £10,779 for minerals. Six other proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 16 of between £100 and £500,20 of from £50 to £100, and 26 of from £20 to £50. In the presbytery of Hamilton and synod of Glasgow and Ayr, this parish is divided ecclesiastically into Dalziel and South Dalziel, the latter a quoad sacra parish constituted in 1880, its church the old parish church (1789; enlarged 1860; 658 sittings) in Windmillhill Street. Dalziel itself (a living worth £210) has now its church in Merry Street, Motherwell, under which and Craigneuk other places of worship are noticed. Five schools-Craigneuk, Dalziel, Muir Street, Motherwell Iron-works, and Motherwell Roman Catholic-with respective accommodation for 666,448,400,425, and 238 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 350,433, 271,473, and 317, and grants of £293,18s., £340,11s., £150,12s., £402,13s. 6d., and £233. 14s. Another Roman Catholic school, at Craigneuk, was opened in 1880. Valuation (1860) £21,956, (1880) £61,325, (1882) £55,942. Pop. (1801) 611, (1831) 1180, (1861) 5438, (1871) 9175, (1881) 13,864.—Ord. Sur., shs. 23,31, 1865-67.
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errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from
the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be
different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original
text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity.
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