In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Menstrie like this:
Menstrie, a village in the Clackmannanshire portion of Logie parish, 21/8 miles W of Alva, 4 NW by N of Alloa, and 43/8 NE of Stirling. It stands, 75 feet above sea-level, on the left bank of Menstrie Burn, at the southern base of the Ochils, with Dunmyat (1375 feet) to the NW, and Myreton Hill (1240) to the NE. ...
Powerlooms, for weaving Scotch blankets and other woollen goods, were introduced early in the present century; and to the factory of Messrs Archibald the larger Elmbank Mill was added in 1864, which is worked by a steam-engine of 90 horse-power, and yearly consumes raw wool material to the value of £33,000. The Dolls or Glen-ochil Distillery (1760) stands 1 mile ESE; and Menstrie besides has a post and telegraph office, a station on the Alva branch (1863) of the North British, gasworks, an Established chapel of ease (1880), and a handsome public school (1875). A quaint old house in the village is pointed out as the birthplace of the poet Sir William Alexander (1580-1640), first Earl of Stirling, and also of Sir Ralph Abercromby (1734-1801), the hero of Aboukir Bay. The beauty of the landscape is celebrated in the old-world rhyme, ascribed to a miller's wife, whom the fairies had sprited away'Oh! Alva woods are bonny. Tillycoultry hills are fair; But when I think o' the bonny braes o' Menstrie, It maks my heart aye sair.' Pop. (1841) 518, (1861) 455, (1871) 658, (1881) 918, of whom 462 were females. Houses (1881) 185 inhabited, 9 vacant, 1 building.—Ord. Sur., sh. 39, 1869.
Menstrie through time
Menstrie is now part of Clackmannanshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how Clackmannanshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Menstrie itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Menstrie in Clackmannanshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/21537
Date accessed: 05th November 2024
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