Govan

Govan seems to have been the destination of choice for Kilkie family members who moved out of the Gorbals in the late 1950s. It is also possible that the Kilkies were following work to the then successful shipyards.

Streets that were important to us were Lettoch Street and Broomloan Road. The particular part of Govan had the posh nickname “Wine Alley” and was a “quaint” tenement scheme with private landlords, just down Broomloan Road from Ibrox Park where Rangers played.

Govan is situated where the rivers Clyde and Kelvin meet. It was once surrounded by fertile lands and woods. The place name of Govan has its roots in Gaelic with similar words found in Celtic and Welsh (Britons). Gofan, Gowain, Gwvane, Govaine, Gohan and Goven translate to mean Smith or Land of the Smith.

Govan may have been named for its reputation as an area where metal was worked. Indeed the presence of Doomster Hill and the round shaped graveyard of Govan Old Parish Church would suggest that there was a community long before the Romans arrived. There was a very interesting edition of the TV series “Time Team” that investigated the moat and bailey castle and the churchyard.

It was not until around 1147 that the name of Govan was historically recorded when King David 1 gave to the Church of Glasgu, “Guven” with its ‘marches free and clear for ever’. It was during this period that the church in Govan was made a prebend (an associated church) of Glasgow Cathedral in or around 1153.

Govan