This tower, with its spire, stands in the Trongate, the most crowded
thoroughfare of the city of Glasgow, and, as will be seen (Fig. 1548),
it projects on to the street. It is believed that it is in contemplation
to remove it; and as the old college buildings were got rid of a few
years ago without much regret being expressed, the removal of a small
steeple like this will, doubtless, be regarded as a very simple matter.
Yet its destruction will deprive us of a very interesting example of a
genuine seventeenth century spire, of which few were erected or now
survive in Scotland. This steeple was erected in 1637. It has clearly
been built in imitation of that of the cathedral, having similar
features translated into the style of its time, and with rather a happy
effect.
The steeple was attached to a church of older date, which was burned
down in 1793. This was the Collegiate Church of St. Thenaw, which was
erected in 1525, with the consent of the archbishop, Gavin Dunbar.
From the proximity of the public weighing machine or Tron to the church,
it gradually came to be known as the Tron Church, and latterly the
instrument itself stood in the ground floor of the steeple, which was
then enclosed with solid walls. About forty years ago the Tron was
removed, and the ground floor of the building was opened up to form an
open passage along the street pavement. The wide arches on the street
floor are thus modern.