The origin of the name of "Elderslie" is
Old English for "field of Elder Trees". It is assumed that
William Wallace was born and grew up in Elderslie. On the site of the ancient Elderslie Castle there stands a monument to commemorate his life, and a commemoration ceremony is held every August. Also on the site is the
Wallace Yew, an ancient
yew tree and the
Wallace Oak stood nearby until 1856.
Auchenbathie Tower a few miles to the south is a site associated with William Wallace in an action against the English. From 1862 until 2004 when the carpet firm merged operations in
Kilmarnock only to go into
receivership a year later the village was the home to Stoddard Carpets which made the carpets for the
Cunard liners , and
Queen Elizabeth 2 which were built by
John Brown & Company in their shipyard in
Clydebank. The firm also produced carpets for
Queen Elizabeth II's wedding in Westminster Abbey, the ocean liner and for the
Concorde aircraft. A remaining example of the work which was carried out here can be seen in the circular carpet which covers the floor of the drawing room in
Culzean Castle designed by
Robert Adam.
Glenpatrick F.C., which took part in the
Scottish Cup in the 1880s, may have been the works side of the Glenpatrick carpet works.
Elderslie railway station operated on the
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway from 1840 to 1966. ==Education==