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"Glasgow is, indeed, a very fine city; the four principal streets are the fairest for breadth, and the finest built that I have ever seen in one city together. The houses are all of stone, and generally equal and uniform in height, as well as in front..." -- Daniel Defoe

The city Defoe was describing had arisen on the same street plan as an earlier Glasgow that suffered major destruction when Cromwell's forces occupied it over fifty years before Defoe's visit in 1707.

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"On Saturday [9 June, 1652] (...) I heard from my wyfe the strainge sad news of the burning [of] the most pairt of the toune of Glascow upon the shot of a musket in a thak [thatched] house by on[e] of the Inglisches, whither of sett designe or not I knowe not...

On Tuesday [22 June], I got the mor full storye of the Lord's sad stroake on Glasgcou in burning a 3[r]d. part of the toune, which for riches was the best halfe, and the strange waye of the fyre crossing the streets and leaping over George Porterfield's (...) house, brunt every wheir about but not it, and tho it begoud [began] at an honest man's house, yet it hes lighted most on the heape of the Malignants* and substantious men in the toune...
-- diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston

* derogatory term applied to royalists by the more uncompromising faction of Covenanters

"Thursday the 17 Junii 1652. It pleased God to lay the toun of Glasgow desolat by a violent and suddent fyre, quhairby the far best pairt of the foir streitis and moist considerable buildings were brint, togidder with above fourscoir [four score] laynes and clossis, quhich were the duellings of above ane thowsand famileis, and almost all the chops and wayrhousis of the merchantis, many quhairof ar neirby ruyned. Besydes, a great many moir of wedowis, orphanes, and distrest honest famileis, quho haiffing loist quhat thai haid, are now put to starving and begging. The lyke of this fyre hes not bene formerlie h[e]ard of in this natioun." -- Diary of John Nicoll