L UCKENBOOTNS AND PARLIAMENT CLOSE. 21 I
The close connection into which the noble family of Wemyss were thus brought with
the Porteous mob, as well as their near vicinity to the chief scene of action, naturally produced
a strong impression on the younger members of the family. They. had probably
been aroused from their beds by the shouts of the rioters assembling beneath their windows,
and the din of their sledge-hammers thundering on the old Tolbooth door, and, when the
rest of the town were settling down again into their ordinary habits after the recent commotion,
they were anew alarmed by the apprehension of William, to all appearance an
honest enough serving-man according to the fashion of the times, whose worst fault waa
his relish for John Lamb’s ale that lay so temptingly at hand, but who suddenly found the
unenviable honour thrust upon him of being accused as the arch-conspirator against the
good city and its liege lady. The event was like to have proved fatal to the family in
more ways than one, for not long after, the Earl of Wemgss,’ then a boy, proceeded
along with his sisters to get up a representation of the stirring scenes of the Porteous
mob, and having duly broken into his prison, and carried off the supposed culprit,
the young romps got so thoroughly into the spirit of their dramatic sports, that they
actually hung up their brother over a door, and had well-nigh finished their play in real
tragedy.
During the greater part of last century, and down to the destruction of the old buildings
in 1824, the north-east corner of the Parliament Close was occupied as John’s Coffeehouse,
where, as Defoe tells us, the opponents of the Union used to meet to discuss
the proceedings that were going on in the neighbouring Parliament House, aiid to concoct
fresh means of opposition to that odious measure. It was also the favourite resort of
the lawyers and judges of last century for professional consultations, as well as for their
meridian, or hall‘ hours, as the mid-day glass of whisky was called, which formed the
indispensable refreshment of all classes at that period. In a note tu Allan Ramsay’s
familiar epistle, he illustrates his remark, “frae the gill-bells to the drum,” by this
characteristic explanation, (‘ From half an hour before twelve at noon, when the music
bells begin to play, frequently called the gill-bells, from people’s taking a wheting
dram at that time, to ten o’clock at night, when the drum goes rousd to warn sober
folks to call for a bill.” Such were the habits of “sober folks,” during the last
century, when every citizen had his chosen homj for daily resort, and when lawyers
and clients, merchants, traders, and men of all degrees, transacted business and spent
many of their leisure hour8 at the club or in the tavern. The more usual places of
resort, however, even among the most reputable citizens, were to be found,-like John
Dowie’s tavern, already mentioned-down the wynds and closes off the High Street. One
or two of these old haunts of bygone generations still exist, and keep alive some of their
favourite customs, known only to a few survivors of last century, or to the favoured
protdgh whom they have initiated into the mysteries practised by their forefathers I
Currie’s tavern in Craig’s Close, once the scene of meeting of various clubs, and a
favourite resort of the merchants in the neighbourhood of the Cross, still retains a reputation
among certain antiquarian bibbers, for an old-fashioned luxury known by the
name of pup-in, a strange compound of small beer and whisky, curried, as the phrase is,
with a little oat-meal !
’
Chambers’s Traditions, vol. ii. p. 204.
212 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
On the south side of the Parliament Close, near to John’s Coffeehouse, was the banking-
house established by Sir William Forbes, the well-known author of the “ Life of Dr
Beattie,” as well as of other works, and one of the most benevolent and public-spirited
citizens of whom Edinburgh ever had to boast. Though descended from the ancient
Lords Pitsligo, attainted for their fidelity to the Stuarts, he commenced life as an
apprentice with the noted bankers, Messrs Coutts, and on their final establishment in
London, he founded the banking company so long known by his name.’ So successful
was he in life, that he accomplished his long-cherished purpose of recovering the
attainted estates of the Barony of Pitsligo, which are now possessed by his descendants.
Adjoining the banking-house of this eminent citizen, Kay, the ingenious delineator of
the (‘ Edinburgh Characters,” kept the small print-shop
where he vended his portraits and caricatures during nearly
the whole of his career as an artist. His windows were
alwaya filled with his newest etching, and formed a centre
of attraction to the numerous loungers of the close,
some of the most noted among whom-both lawyers and
clients-were the frequent subjects of his pencil. An
ancient thoroughfare led from the centre of this range
of buildings to the Cowgate by a broad flight of steps,
latterly called the Back Stairs, of which we furnish a
view, showing the original state of the great south window
of the Parliament Hall. It is occasionally called by
writers of last century the New Stairs, but a passage of
some kind undoubtedly led through the nether kirkyard
to the Cowgate at an early period, affording ready access
from that fashionable suburb, to the collegiate church
of St Giles’s, and the centre of the High Town. For
this the Parliament Stairs were probably substituted
about 1636, and continued from that time to form a convenient
communication between the High Street and
the Cowgate, until their recent demolition to make way for the new Court
Houses.
The booths which disfigured the old cathedral front, forming the north side of the close,
have already been mentioned ; these were almost exclusively occupied by the goldsmiths,
whose hall was attached to the Parliament House, where the lobby of the Signet .Library
now stands. Chambers furnishes in his ‘‘ Traditions’’ an amusing picture of the expectant
rustic bridegroom’s visit to the Parliament Close, on the eve of his marriage, in order to
provide those indispensable household gear, the silver-spunes. On such occasions it was
usual for the goldsmith to adjourn with his customer to John’s Coffeehouse, to receive
the order over a caup of ale or a dram, when the goldsmith was perhaps let into the
whole secret counsels of the rustic, including a history of his courtship,-in return
for which he sought to astonish hii customer with the most recent marvels of city
news. The spunes, however, we rather think, form, according to old-established
,
Now incorporated with other banking companiea under the name of the Union Bank of Scotland.
