The Renfrew Ferry

The River Clyde was shallow in places and often in summer people and cattle could wade across while in winter when the river ran fast a raft pulled on ropes was used. This was often dangerous and occasionally fatal. The crossing point for the first ferry was about a half mile upstream from the present one and the road connecting it to Renfrew ran through the King's Inch property of Elderslie House. The owner objected to the road in its proximity to his mansion and offered an alternative route. Several disputes arose between Mr. Spiers and the Burgh and finally in 1796 he built, at his own expense, two quays and ferry houses with stables at Yoker and Renfrew and completed a road between the town and the ferry, the present Ferry Road, at a personal cost of £3000.

The first steam driven ferry began  in 1868 but it had only one chain, and it's landing platforms were hand operated and not easy to use.

The second steam ferry 

[Picture courtesy of European Library - used with permission]

A second ferry came into service in 1897, larger and faster, operating with two chains and carrying five carts.

In 1912 a third ferry, the Govan Ferry, was brought in by the new owners The Clyde Trust. This again carried more, up to ten vehicles.

In 1935 Renfrew's fourth ferry began service, with a capacity for up to eighteen vehicles.

The first diesel-electric ferry was put into service in 1952, larger still and the first providing shelter for passengers and an upper deck. 

Coaches, Buses and Tramcars

In 1763 a new coach service came into being, running from Glasgow to Greenock by way of Bishopton. The fare per passenger was five shillings [to sit inside] or three shillings [to sit outside] for the three and a half hour journey. There were tolls at different places, and the charges paid for  the maintenance of the dirt roads. The toll for a coach with four horses was two shillings. A service was run between Renfrew and Glasgow, the coach leaving  Renfrew High Street every day except on Sunday and returning from Glasgow Trongate in the late afternoon. These coaches were the parcel service of its day. The bad state of the roads meant the service was discontinued in 1813, the mail being carried on horseback. The coaches returned in the 1820's but by 1830 both passengers and  parcels were mostly carried by the many steamers that plied up and down the Clyde.

Renfrew Station

The new railway system, operating between Renfrew and Paisley, was opened  in 1873, with a large procession complete with bunting and flags. In the beginning three steam engines were in use but in 1842 these were removed and replaced by - a horse! A former student of Paisley Grammar School who used this horse drawn train wrote in 1860 that he was allowed to drive the horse or collect the fares.