Page:Origin and history of Glasgow Streets.djvu/53

 is on the Broomielaw Croft, a portion of which had been acquired by the Smithfield Company, founded in 1734, and of which Mr. Robertson of Plantation was managing partner. It was, when first opened, called Madeira Street.

. This thoroughfare comes next to the Drygate in point of age, and it must have been a place of importance in the olden time, for at its eastern end, at the intersection of High Street and Drygate Street, stood the Cross of the town; in proof of which it is recorded in the protocols of the city that on 11th October 1575 James Rankin is "fund in the wrang and amerciament of the Court for the taking down at his ain hand of ane great croce in Rattonraw pertaining to the town, and therefore he is becoming in the Provost and Bailies will and dwme given thereupon." Mr. Renwick, Depute Town Clerk, who has edited the protocols up to date, seems to doubt that this was the Town Cross, from the fact that it was not supported by historical evidence. (In regard to the historical argument, see Bridgeton.) Had this been a holy cross to the memory of a saint or bishop, the indictment would have mentioned it, and the dignitaries of the Church would most likely have taken the punishment in hand, or at least have had a say in it, but the Church is silent, and the Cross is clearly stated to belong to the town, and, standing in the position it did, points almost indubitably to it being the Town Cross. As to the origin or meaning of the name Rottenrow, papers innumerable on this subject have been written, and the most commonly accepted finding is that it arises from Routine Row, a mixture of French and English; but this is too far-fetched. The word at present is mis-spelled, and it was the first part of the name (rotten) that upset theorists. Rottenrow Street is a misnomer; it was not at first called Rottenrow Street, but the Ratton Raw, as it still is denominated by the older generation of plain-speaking Scotch people, Row by this class being invariably pronounced Raw; and the original meaning of the word Ratton or Rattoun having been forgot, it easily became altered to Rotten, and it was this which bred so many "rotten" theories respecting the name. In a book of Scottish Pasquils of date 1568-1715, it occurs in the Bannatyne MS., and was published by James Maidment, advocate, Edinburgh, in 1868 for the first time. A ballad in this volume, entitled