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 CANONGATE AND ABBEY SANCTUARY. 291 were removed in 1779. It is not at all inconsistent with the character of the fierce old cavalier that he should have erected.a private chapel for his own use. Death fortunately stepped in, eays his fellow-soldier, Captain Crichton, in allusion to the dilemma in which the General was placed on the accession of James VII., and ‘‘ rescued him from the difEculties he was likely to be under, between the notions he had of duty to his prince on one side, and true zeal f o r his religion on the other.” The main idea that seems to have guided him through life was a chivalrous loyalty. He allowed his beard to grow as a manifestation of his grief on the beheading of King Charles, and retained it unaltered till his death, though it latterly acquired a venerable amplitude that attracted a crowd whenever he appeared in public. The early history of chivalry furnishes many examples in proof of the perfect compatibility of such devoted loyalty with the cruelties which have rendered his name infamous to posterity. The Shoemakers’ Lands, which stand to the east of Jack’s Land, are equally lofty and more picturesque buildings, One of them especially, immediately opposite to Moray House, is a very singular and striking object in the stately range of substantial stone tenements that extend from New Street to the Canongate Tolbooth. A highly-adorned tablet surmounts the main entrance, enriched with angels’ heads, and a border of Elizabethan ornament enclosing the Shoemakers’ Arms, with the date 1677. An open book is inscribed with the first verse of the Scottish metre version of the 133d Psalm,-a motto that appears to have been in special repute, toward8 the close of the seventeenth century, among the suburban corporations, being also inscribed over the Tailors’ Hall of Easter Portsburgh and the Shoemakers’ Land in the West Port, The turnpike stair-the entrance to which is graced by this motto, and the further inscription, in smaller letters, IT IS AN crowned with an ogee roof of singular character, flanked on either side by picturesque gables to the street. The first of the two tenements to the west of this, at the head of Shoemakers’ Close, has an open pannel on its front, from which the inscription appears to have been removed; but the other, which bears the date 1725, is still adorned with the same arms, and the following moral aphorism :- HONOUR FOR MAN TO CEASE FROM STRIFE-rises above the roof Of the building, and is BLESSED IS HE THAT WISELY DO TH THE POOR MAN’S CASE CONSIDER. The hall of the once wealthy Corporation of Cordiners or Shoemakers of Canongate, to whom this property belonged, stood on the west side of Little Jack’s Close, adorned with the insignia of the Souters’ Craft, and furnished for the convivial meetings of the fraternity with huge oaken tables and chairs ; and with a substantial carved oaken throne, adorned with the arms-a paring knife surmounted by a crown-and the date 1682, for the inauguration of King Crispin on the 25th of October, or St Crispin’s Day. It was long the annual custom of the craft to elect a king, who was borne through the town, attended by. his subjects, dressed in all sorts of fantastic and showy attire; after which he held his court at the Corporation Hall, and celebrated his coronation with royal festivities. Unhappily for the Cordiners of Canongate, the sumptuary laws 1 Memoirs of Captain Crichton, Swift’s works, London, 1803, vol. xiv. p. 318.

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292 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH. of the old Scottish Parliaments were not framed to curb the excesses of cobbler kings. King Crispin and his train grew more extravagant every year. He latterly rode in this fantastic annual pageant in ermined robes, attended by prince, premier, champion in armour, and courtiers of all degrees, mounted on horseback, and decked in the most gaudy costume they could procure, until at length the whole wealth and property of the corporation were dissipated in this childish foolery, and King Crispin retired to private life, and the humbler relaxation of cobbling shoes1 Mra Malcolm, an old dame of a particularly shrewish disposition, who inhabited an attic in the Shoemakers’ Land towards the close of last century, was long known by the title of the Princess, her husband having for many years represented the Black Prince, and she his sable c o n s o r t two essential characters in King Crispin’s pageant. There can be little doubt that this frivolous sport was a relic of much earlier times, when the Cordiners of the neighbouring capital, incorporat,ed in the pear 1449, proceeded annually, on the anniversary of their patron saint, to the altar of St Crispin and St Crispinian, founded and maintained by them in the collegiate church of St Gi1es.l Nor is it improbable, that in the Princess a traditional remembrance was preserved of the Queen of the Canongate, mentioned in the Treasury accounts of James IV. The Canongate Tolbooth-a view of which heads this chapter-has long been a favourite subject for the artist’s pencil, as one of the most picturesque edifices of the Old Town. It formed the court-house and jail of the burgh, erected in the reign of James VI., soon after the abolition of religious houses had left this ancient dependency of the Abbey free to govern itself. Even then, however, Adam Bothwell, the Protestant commendator of Holyrood, retained some portion of the ancient rights of his mitred predecessors over the burgh. The present structure is the successor of a much earlier building, probably on the same site. The date on the tower is 1591 ; and preparations for its erection appear in the Burgh Register seven years before this, where it is enacted that no remission of fees shall be granted to any one, “unto the tyme the tolbuith of this burch be edefeit and kggit.”’ Nevertheless, we find by the Burgh Registers for 1561, “ Curia capitalis burgi vici canonicorum Monasterii Sancte Crucis prope Edinburgh, tenta in pretorio ejusdem ; ” and frequent references occur to the tolduith, both as a court-house and prison, in the Registers and in the Treasurer’s accounts, e.g., 1574, “ To sax pynouris att the bailleis command for taking doun of the lintall stane of the auld tolbuith windo, iijs. id.” The very next entry is a fee (‘to ane new pyper,” an official of the Burgh of whom various notices are found at this early period. The Hotel de ViZZe of this ancient burgh is surmounted by a tower and spire, flanked by two turrets in front, from between which a clock of large dimensions projects into the street. This formerly rested on curiously-carved oaken beams, which appear in Storer’s views published in 1818, but they have since been replaced by plain cast-iron supports. The building is otherwise adorned wit,h a variety of mottoes and sculptured devices in the Maitland, p. 305. The earliest notice we have found of the Cordiners of Canongate occurs in the Burgh Register, 10th June 1574, where “ William Quhite, being electit and choain diacone of the cordonaris be his brethir for this present yeir, . . . is reseavit in place of umquhill Andro Purves.” From this they appear to have been then an incorporated body.-Canongate Burgh Register ; Mait. Misc. vol. ii. p. 329. ’ Canongate Burgh Register, 13th October 1584 ; Ibid, p. 353. .

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