Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time

All Books Kay's Originals Vol. 1 Kay's Originals Vol. 2 Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time Edinburgh Past and Present Old and New Edinburgh Vol. I Old and New Edinburgh Vol. II Old and New Edinburgh Vol. III Old and New Edinburgh Vol. IV Old and New Edinburgh Vol. V Old and New Edinburgh Vol. VI

Go to: « Kay's Originals Vol. 1 « Kay's Originals Vol. 2 Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time Cover Title Pages Contents List of Illustrations Preface Part 1: Historical Associations Part 1 Ch 1: Earliest Traditions Part 1 Ch 2: From The Accession of The Stuarts to the Death of James III Part 1 Ch 3: From the Accession of James IV to the Battle of Flodden Part 1 Ch 4: From the Battle of Flodden to the Death of James V Part 1 Ch 5: From the Death of James V to the Abdication of Queen Mary Part 1 Ch 6: From the Accession of James VI to the Restoration of Charles II Part 1 Ch 7: Historical Incidents after the Restoration Part 2: Local Antiquities and Traditions Part 2 Ch 1: The Castle Part 2 Ch 2: King's Stables, Castle Barns, and Castle Hill Part 2 Ch 3: The Lawnmarket Part 2 Ch 4: The Tolbooth, Luckenbooths, and Parliament Close Part 2 Ch 5: The High Street Part 2 Ch 6: The High Street and Nether Bow Part 2 Ch 7: The Canongate and Abbey Sanctuary Part 2 Ch 8: St Leonard's, St Mary's Wynd, and The Cowgate Part 2 Ch 9: The West Bow and Suburbs Part 2 Ch 10: Leith, and The New Town Part 2 Ch 11: Ecclesiastical Antiquities Appendix » Edinburgh Past and Present » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. I » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. II » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. III » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. IV » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. V » Old and New Edinburgh Vol. VI

178 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH. I., who hoped thereby to gain him over from the Presbyterians. In this, however, the King was completely disappointed. At the period of his acquiring Gourlay’s house, he was actively engaged in organising the national resistance of the liturgy, and in framing the Covenant, which was subscribed in the following year by nearly the whole of Scotland. He appears, from his Diary,’ to have taken a minute and affectionate interest in all that concerned the members of his numerous family, long after they had left the parental roof. The ancient mansion seems to have been purchased for his son, Sir Thomas, who, with his elder brother, Sir John Hope of Craighall, both sat on the bench while their father was Lord Advocate ; and it being judged by the Court of Session unbecoming that a father should plead uncovered before his children, the privilege of wearing his hat while pleading was granted to him, and we believe still belongs to his successors in the office of King’s Advocate, though fallen into disuse. From Sir Thomas Hope the upper part of the old mansion was purchased by Hugh Blair, merchant in Edinburgh, and grandfather, we believe, of the eminent divine that bore his name. From him it came into the possession of Lord Aberuchill, a Senator of the College of Justice ; and various other persons of rank and note in their day occupied the ancient dwelling ere it passed to the plebeian tenantry of modern times. The most interesting of its latter occupants was the celebrated lawyer Sir George Lockhart, the great rival of Sir George Mackenzie, appointed, in the year 1658, Advocate to the Protector during life, and nominated Lord President of the Court of Session in 1685. He continued at the head of the Court till the Revolution, and would undoubtedly have been reappointed to the office, had he not fallen a victim to private revenge. Chiesly of Dalry, an usuccessful litigant, exasperated, as it appeared, by a decree of the Lord President awarding an aliment of 1700 merks, or g93 sterling, out of his estate, in favour of his wife and ten children, conceived the most deadly hatred against him, and openly declared his resolution to be revenged. On Sir James Stewart, advocate, seeking to divert him from the purpose he avowed, he fiercely replied,--“ Let God and me alone ; we have many things to reckon betwixt us, and we will reckon this too ! ” The Lord President was warned of Chiesly’s threats, but unfortunately despised them. The assassin loaded his pistols on the morning of Easter Sunday, the 31st March 1689; he went to the New Kirk,-as the choir of St Giles’s Church was then styled,-and having dogged the President home from the church, he shot him in the back as he was entering the Old Bank Close, where he resided. Lady Lockhart,-the aunt of the witty Duke of Wharton,-was lying ill in bed. Alarmed at the report of the pistol, she sprang up, and on lea,rning of her husband’s murder rushed out into the close in her night-dress, and assisted in raising him from the ground. The assassin, on being told that his victim had expired immediately on being carried into the house, coolly replied,--“ He was not used to do things by halves.” The murderer being taken red-Band, and the crime having been committed within the city, he was brought to trial on the following day before Sir Magnus Prince, the Lord Provost, as High Sheriff of the city. Although he made no attempt to deny the crime, he was put . 1 The following entry appeara in his Diary, “ 7 January 1641, Payit to David cfourlay, Jc merks, quhilk he afimit to be awio to him of the pryce off his tenement sauld to my son Sir Thomas, and thin gevin be him to his sone Thornam Gourlay quhen he waa going furth off the country.” On 25th December 1644, is the brief entry, “Good David Gourlay departit at his hous in Prestounpannis, about 8 hours of nycht.”-Hope’s Diary, Bann. Club, pp. 123, 210.

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