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

THE HIGH STREET. 23 5 him, and vanished. He arose and proceeded immediately to Edinburgh, to inquire into this strange occurrence, and arriving at the home in Mary King’s Close, found the widow in tears for the death of the husband whose apparition he had seen. This account, we are told, was related by the minister, who was in the house on this occasion, to the Duke of Lauderdale, in the presence of many nobles, and is altogether as credible and mell-authenticated a ghost story as the lovers of the marvellous could desire. The house, after being deserted €or 8 while, was again attempted to be inhabited by a hard-drinking and courageou8 old pensioner and his wife ; but towards midnight the candle began to burn blue, the head again made its appearance, but in much more horrible form, and the terrified couple made a precipitate retreat, resigning their dwelling without dispute- to this prior tenant. Several ancient alleys and a mass of old and mostly ruinouv buildings were demolished in 1753 in preparing the site for the Royal Exchange, ‘various sculptured stones belong-’ ing to which were built into the curious tower erected by Walter ROSS, Esq., at the Dean, and popularly known by the name of ‘‘ ROSS’S Folly.” Several of these were scattered about the garden grounds below the Castle rock, exhibiting considerable variety of carving. Another richly carved stone, consisting of a decorated ogee arch with crocquets and finial, surmounted by shields, was built into a modern erection at the foot of Craig’s Close, and nearly corresponded with one which stood in a more dilapidated state in the Princes Street Gardens, tending to show the important character of the buildings that formerly occupied this site. Among those in the gardens there was a lintel, bearing the Somerville arms, and the date 1658, with an inscription, and the initials I. S ., possibly those of James, tenth Lord Somerville; but this was discovered in clearing out the bed of the North Loch. The old land at the head of Craig’s Close, fronting the main street, claims special notice, as occupying the s’ite of Andrew Hart the famous old printer’s heich buith, lyand within the foir tenement of land upone the north syd of the Hie Streit,”‘ and which, by a curious coincidence, became after the lapse of two centuries the residence of the celebrated bibliopolist, Provost Creech, and the scene of his famed morning levees ; and more recently the dwelling of hIr Archibald Constable, from whose establishment so many of the highest productions of Scottish literature emanated. The printing-house of the old typographer still stands a little way down the close, on the east side. It is a picturesque and substantial stone tenement, with large and neatly moulded windows, retaining traces of the mullions that anciently divided them, and the lower crowstep of the north gable bears a shield adorned with the Sinclair arms. Handsome stone corbels project from the several floors, whereon have formerly rested the antique timber projections referred by Maitland to the reign of James IT. Over an ancient doorway, now built up, is sculptured this motto, 3IY * HOIP * IS - CHRYST - with the initials A * S * and M * K -, a curious device containing the letter S entwined with a cross, and the date 1593. An interesting relic belonging to this land, preserved in the museum of the Society of Antiquaries, is thus described in the list of donations for 1828: ‘(A very perfect ancient Scottish spear, nearly fifteen feet long, which has been preserved from time immemorial, within the old printing office in Craig’s Close, supposed to have been the workshop of the celebrated printer, h d r o Hart.” In, the memorable tumult on Andrew Hart’s will.-Bann, Misc. VOL ii p. 247.

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