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

268 MEAfORIA L S OF EDINBURGH. the very finest specimens of this ancient style of building in Edinburgh, having the main timbers and gables of its oaken fapade richly carved, in the fashion of some of the magnificent old timber fronts of the opulent Flemings in Bruges or Ghent. The roof was surmounted by a range of crow-steps of the form already described as peculiar to the fifteenth or earlier part of the sixteenth centuries; and an outside stair led to the first floor, whose ancient stone turnpike staircase was decorated with the abbreviated motto, in fine ornamental Gothic characters :-DE0 HONOR * ET GLIA - Another inscription, we are told, existed over the entrance from Toddrick’s Wynd, being only covered up with plaster by a former tenant to save the expense of a signboard. A little way down this wynd, on the east side, a favourite motto appeared, in bold Roman letters, over an ancient doorway, repeating with slight variation the same sentiment already noticed in other instances. It occurred on an . aucient tenement which bore evident tokens of having at one time been the reaidence of rank and fashion; and an old iron-nobbed door on one of the floors possessed the antiquated appendage of a risping pin. Toddrick’s Wynd acquired a special interest from its association with a memorable deed in the bloody annals of our national history. It was by this ancient alley that the Earl of Bothwell and his merciless accomplices and hirelinp proceeded towards the gate of the Blackfriars’ Monastery, in the Cowgate, on the 9th of February 1567, to fire the powder by which the house of the Provost of the Kirk-of-Field was blown into the air, and’ Lord, Darnley, with his servant, Taylor, slain. The closes between this and the Netherbow mostly exist in the same state as they have done for the two last centuries or more, though woefully contaminated by the slovenly habits of their modern inmates ; this portion of the town being occupied now by a lower class than many of the ancient alleys described in the higher part of the town. South Gray’s, or the Mint Close, however, forms an exception. It is a comparatively spacious and aristocratic looking alley; and aome feeble halo of its ancient honours still lingers about its substantial and.picturesque mansions. It affords a curious instance of a close retaining for centuries the name of a simple burgess, while it has been the residence of nobles and representatives of ancient families, in striking contrast to the variable nomenclature of most of the alleys of the Old Town. It is mentioned by its present name in a charter dated 1512, in which “ umpb John Gray, burgess of Edinburgh,” is the author of earlier titles referred to. By an older deed, the ground on which it is built appeare to have formed part of the lands of the Monastery of Greyfriars. the Inventer and THE FEIR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGENINGP OF VISDOME. Iu Thia ancient tenement is thus described in a disposition by Sir Michael Preston to Lawrence Kenrison, dated 1626, and preserved in the Burgh Charter Room :--“That tenement or land, aome time waste and burnt be the English ; some time pertaining to umquile Mr John Preston, some time President of the College of Justice, and my father ; on the south part of the King’s High Street, and on the east side of the trance of the wynd, called the Blackfriars’ Wynd, betwixt the said trance and land above, pertaining to the heirs of umquile Walter Chepman, upon the west,” &c. It is pointed out in Chambers’s Traditions aa that of Lord Fentonbarns. The allusion to its burning shows the date of ita erection to be somewhat later than 1544. But it again suffered in the civil wars that followed, though probably not so completely aa to preclude repair, notwithstanding its appearance among the list of houses destroyed during the siege of Edinbuqh in 1572 :-“ Thir ar the houssis that wer distroyit this moneth (May) ; to wit, the Erle of Maris, now present Regent, lugeing in the Cowgait, Mr Johne Prestonis in the Frier Wynd, David Kinloch Baxteris house in Dalgleish Closs,” &a-(Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 299.) The last mentioned is that of a wealthy burgess of the period, whose name was borne by the close immediately below Niddry’s Wynd, the same, we presume, tht is alluded to here. Ita site i s now occupied by the east aide of Niddry Street.

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