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

=go MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH. of Eglinton, resided during her latter years, and was visited by Lady Jane Douglas, as appears in the evidence of the Douglas Cause. The other tenants of its numer0usJiTat.s were doubtless of corresponding importance in the social scale ; but its most eminent occupant was David Hume, who removed thither from Riddle’s Land, Lawnmarket, in 1753, while engaged in writing his History of England, and continued to reside at Jack’s Land during the most important period of his literary career. Immediately behind this, in a court on the east side of Big Jack’s Close, there existed till a few years since some remains of the town mansion of General Dalyell, commander of the forces in Scotland during most of the reign of Charles II., and the merciless persecutor of the outlawed Presbyterians during that period. The General’s dwelling is described in the Minor Antiquities a as (( one of the meanest-looking buildings ever, perhaps, inhabited by a gentleman.” In this, however, the author was ‘deceived by the humble appearance of the small portion that then remained. There is no reason to believe that the stern Mmcovite-as he was styled from serving under the Russian Czar, during the Protectorate- tempered his cruelties by an$ such Spartan-like virtues. The General’s residence, on the contrary, appears to have done full credit to a courtier of the Restoratidn. We owe the description of it, as it existed about the beginning of the present century, to a very zealous antiquary’ who was born there in 1787, and resided in the house for many years. He has often conversed with another of its tenants, who remembered being taken to Holyrood when a child to see Prince Charles on his arrival at . the palace of his forefathers. The chief apartment was a hall of unusually large dimensions, with an arched or waggon-shaped ceiling adorned with a painting of the sun in the centre, surrounded by gilded rays on an azure ground. The remainder of the ceiling was painted to represent sky and clouds, and spangled over with a series of silvered stars in relief. The large windows were closed below with carved oaken shutters, similar in style to the fine specimen still remaining in Riddle’s Close, and the same kind of windows existed in other parts of the building. The kitchen also was worthy of notice for a fire-place, formed of a plain circular arch of such unusual dimensions that popular credulity might have assigned it for the perpetration of those rites it had ascribed to him, of spiting and roasting his miserable captives l 4 Our informant was told by an intelligent old man, who had resided in the house for many years, that a chapel formerly stood on the site of the open court, but all traces of it The following advertisement will probably be considered a curious illustration of the Canongate aristocracy at a still later period:-“A negro runaway.-That on Wednesday the 10th current, an East India ne50 lad eloped from a family of distinction residing in the Canongate of Edinburgh, and is supposed to have gone towards Newcastle. He is of the mulatto colour, aged betwixt sixteen and seventeen years, about five feet high, having long black hair, slender made and long-limbed. He had on, when he went off, a brown cloth short coat, with brass buttons, mounted with black and yellow button-holes, breeches of the same, and a yellow vest with black and yellow lace, with a brown duffle surtout coat, with yellow lining, and metal buttons, grey and white marled stockings, a fine English hat with yellow lining, having a gold loop and tassle, and double gilded button. As this negro lad has carried off sundry articles of value, whoever shall receive him, EO that he may be restored to the owner, on sending notice thereof to Patrick M‘Dougal, writer in Edinburgh, shall be handsomely rewarded.”-Edinhwgh Advertiser, March 12th, 1773. An earlier advertisement in the Courunt, March 7th, 1727, offers a reward for the apprehension of another runaway :-“A negro woman, named Ann, about eighteen years of age, with a green gown, and a brass collar about her neck, on which are engraved these words, ‘ Gustavus Brown in Dalkeith, his negro, 1726.’ ” ’ Minor Antiquities of Edinburgh, p. 230. Mr Wm. Rowan, librarian, New College, Fountainhall‘s Deciaiona, vol. i. p. 159. Burnet’s Hut. of his Own Times, vol. i. p. 334.

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