262 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
Mackenzie, and who sat for nearly half a century on the Bench under the title of Lord
Strichen. From him it derived its present name of Strichen’s Close, and there is little
probability now that any of his plebeian successors will rob it of the title.
The front tenement, which extends between Strichen’s Close and Blackfriars’ Wynd,
presents no features of attraction as it now stands. It is a plain, modern land, re-erected
after the destruction of its predecessor in one of the alarming fires of the memorable year
1824, and constructed with a view to the humbler requisites of its modern tenants ; but
the old building that occupied its site was a handsome stone fabric of loftier proportions
than its plebeian successor, and formed even within the present century the residence of
people of rank. The most interesting among its later occupants was Lady Lovat, the relict
of the celebrated Simon, Lord Lovat, who was beheaded on Tower Hill in 1747 ; in consequence
of which it was generally known as Lady Lovat’s Land. It possesses, however,
more valuable associations than this, its ancient title-deeds naming as the original
proprietor, Walter Chepman, the earliest Scottish printer, who introduced the printingpress
into Scotland in the year 1507, under the munificent auspices of James IT. To
the press of Walter Chepman, the admirers of our early national literature still turn,
not without hope that additions may yet be made, by further discovery of its invaluable
fragments, to the writings of those great men who adorned the Augustan age of Scotland.
The building, however, which perished in the conflagration of 1824, did not appear to
be of an earlier date than the period of the Revolution ; soon after which many of the
substantial stone tenements of the Old Town were erected. The more ancient edifice
seems to have been one of the picturesque timber-fronted erections of the reign of
James IT., and formed the subject of special privileges granted by that monarch to his
valued servitor. In the Registers of the Privy Seal (iv. 173), there is preserved the
following royal licence, dated at Edinburgh, February 5, 1510 :-‘‘ A licence maid to
Walter Chepman,.burges of Edinburgh, to haif staris towart the Hie Strete and calsay,
with bak staris and turngres in the Frer Wynd, or on the forgait, of sic breid and
lenth as he sal1 think expedient for entre and asiamentis to his land and tenement;
and to flit the pend of the said Frer Wynd, for making of neidful asiaments in the
sammyn ; and als to big and haif ane wolt vnder the calsay, befor the for front of the
said tenement, of sic breid as he thinkis expedient; with ane penteis vnder the greissis
of his for star,” &c. The whole grant is a curious sample of the arbitrary manner in
which private interests and the general convenience of the citizens were sacrificed to the
wishes of the royal favourite. The printing house of Chepman & Millar was in the
8outh gait, or Cowgate’ of Edinburgh, as appears from the imprint on the rare edition of
‘‘ The Knightly Tale of Golagros and Gawane,” and others of the earliest issues from
their press in the year 1508 ; and it no doubt was the same tenement with which, in
1528, Chepman endowed an altar in the chapel of the Holy Rood, in the lower churchyard
of St Giles. We would infer, however, from the nature of the royal grant, that the
ancient building at the Nether Bow was the residence of Walter Chepman, who was a
1 The names of streets so common in Scotland, formed with the adjunct gate, rarely if ever refer to a gate or part,
according to the modern acceptation of the word ; but to gait or street, as the King’s hie gait, or, aa here, the south gait,
meaning the south street The Water Gate, which is the only instance of the ancient me of the ward in Edinburgh,
is invariably written yett in early notices of it.
