Eaglesham ( ) is a village in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, situated about south of Glasgow, southeast of Newton Mearns and south of Clarkston, and southwest of East Kilbride. The 2011 census revealed that the village had 3,114 occupants, down 13 from the 2001 census (3,127). Eaglesham is distinctive in being built around the Orry, a triangular park area of common land about in length, interspersed with trees and divided in the centre by the Eaglesham Burn. The ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton. In the 17th century Eaglesham was a small market town. Today's village was founded in 1769 by Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton. It had at one time handloom weaving and a cotton-mill. Many of its buildings are category B or C listed buildings, and the planned village area is a conservation area. Eaglesham was designated Scotland's first outstanding conservation area in 1960. It is likely that there has been a place of worship here since the 5th or 6th centuries. The village is an example of an early Scottish planned village. History Origin of the name The name Eaglesham means a 'settlement with a church or belonging to a church'. The first element is ultimately a Brittonic word for 'church', a loan-word from Latin ecclesia. The second element derives from Old English hām (settlement; cf. Scots hame, English home) The Middle Ages The parish of Eaglesham formed part of the district of Mearns, and together with other lands were bestowed to Walter fitz Alan, Steward of Scotland (1106 - 1177), a member of the FitzAlan family, by David I. It is almost certain that Walter granted Eaglesham to Robert de Montgomerie, one of his principal followers, who appears to have originated from the Shropshire lands of the FitzAlans. Situated in the Orry, is the Motte or Moot Hill, a flat-topped mound situated on the north-west bank of the Eaglesham Burn in the Orry used for judicial and local assemblies. In 1361, Sir John de Montgomerie of Eaglesham and Eastwood married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Hugh de Eglinton and niece of King Robert II. Sir John obtained the baronies of Eglinton and Ardrossan upon Sir Hugh's death in 1374. Afterwards the Montgomeries made Eglinton Estate their chief residence. In 1388, Sir John de Montgomerie captured Sir Henry Percy at the Battle of Otterburn. It is believed that Sir John accepted a ransom for his prisoner and