and New Kilpatrick became a District Council. The boundaries of the civil parish were modified by the formation of Milngavie Burgh in 1875, the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929. The district council was dissolved in 1958 on creation of Bearsden Burgh, which was itself dissolved in 1975. Control then passed to Bearsden and Milngavie district within Strathclyde Regional Council until 1996. The local government of the original parish area is now administered by East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow and Stirlingshire Councils. Economy and geography In 1672, the Scottish Parliament heard a petition from John Douglas of Mains to hold markets in the parish on 1 May and 21 October each year. The purpose of this was to encourage the local economy, and the bill was passed. John Douglas was a heritor of the parish and was the 11th Laird of Mains, registering his coat of arms in 1672. The geology of the area runs east–west through the parish from Dunbarton to Maryhill and has supported various industries. Devonian Old Red Sandstone (415–360 million years old) is overlaid by the Carboniferous Limestone series (360–300 million years old); in particular, the Hurlet Limestone and Hurlet Coal of the lower limestone group are prominently developed. A yellow sandstone of quite different character from the Old Red Sandstone extends from the Clyde at intervals to Netherton and Garscube. This stone easily chiselled, but hardens on exposure, making it a useful building material. Local industry has historically included some coal-mining and lime manufacture, and an iron works at Garscube. Coal was mined at Baljaffray until 1910 and used for burning limestone (also found there) to make lime. However, the presence of significant pyrite deposits in the coal made it poor quality and unsuitable for further exploitation. By 1911, the Encyclopædia Britannica described New Kilpatrick as a town in Dumbartonshire, N.W. of Glasgow, with a railway station on the Milngavie branch line. Key public buildings are listed as the Schaw Convalescent Home, Buchanan Retreat (now Boclair House), house of refuge for girls, a library, and St Peter's College. Current church and related parish The original parish church was built in 1649 from local stone. This can be confirmed by the passing of an Act of the Scottish Parliament (in July 1649) in favour of the parishioners of New Kilpatrick and against one of the parish heritors, Sir Umphra Colquhoun of Balvie