294 MEMURIALS OF EDINBURGH.
Moray House, which is one of the most remarkable objects of interest in the Canongate,
formed until 1835 part of the entailed estate of the noble house of Moray, in whose
possession it remained exactly two hundred years, having become the property of Margaret,
Countess of Moray, in 1645, by an arrangement with her younger sister, h u e ,
then Countess of Lauderdale, and co-heiress with her of their mother, the Countess of
Home, by whom Moray House was built.’ This noble mansion presents more striking
architectural features than any other private building in Edinburgh, and is associated with
some of the most interesting events in Scottish history. It was erected in the early part
of the reign of Charles I. by Mary, Countess of Home, the eldest daughter of Edward,
Lord Dudley, and then a widow. Her initials, M. H., are sculptured over the large
centre window of the south gable, surmouuted by a ducal coronet; and over the corresponding
window to the north are the lions of Home and Dudley, impaled on a lozenge,
in accordance with the ancient laws of heraldry. The house was erected some years
before the visit of Charles I. to Scotland, and his coronation at Holyrood in 1633. It
can scarcely, therefore, admit of doubt that its halls ’have been graced by the presence of
that unfortunate monarch, though the Countess soon after contributed largely towards the
success of his opponents, as appears by the repayment by the English Parliament, in
1644, of seventy thousand pounds which had been advanced by her to the Scottish
Covenanting Government-an unusually large sum to be found at the disposal of the
dowager of a Scottish earl.
On the first visit of Oliver Cromwell to Edinburgh, in the summer of 1648, he took
up his residence at “ the Lady Home’s lodging, in the Canongate,” as it then continued to
be called; and entered into friendly negotiations with the nobles and leaders of the extreme
party of the Covenanters. According to Guthrie, ‘‘ he did communicate to them his design
in reference to the King, and had their assent thereto ; ” in consequence of which (‘ the
Lady Home’s house, in the Canongate, became an object of mysterious curiosity, from
the general report at the time that the design to execute Charles I. was there first discussed
and approved.”a This, however, which, if it could be relied on, would add so
peculiar an interest to the mansion, must be regarded as the mere cavalier gossip of the
period. Even if we could believe that Cromwell’s designs were matured at that time, he
was too wary a politician to hazard them by such premature and profitless confidence j but
there can be no doubt of the future measures of resistance to the King having formed a
prominent subject in their discussions.
In the year 1650, only two years after the Parliamentary General’s residence in the
Canongate, the fine old mansion was the scene of joyous banquetings and revelry on the
occasion of the marriage of Lord Lorn-afterwards better known as the unfortunate Earl of
Argyle-with Lady Mary Stuart, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Moray. The weddingfeast
took place on the 13th of May, and the friends were still celebrating the auspicious
the cmce of this bruche, thair to remane the space of ane houre.” On the 6th October 1572, the treasurer is ordered
“to vpput and big sufficiently the corce,” which had probably suffered in some of the reforming mobs, and may
have been then, for the first time, elevated on a platform.-Canongate Burgh Register, Mait. Wit. vol. ii. pp. 303, 326.
l The entail was broke by a clause in one of the Acts of the North British Railway Company, who had purchased
the ancient Trinity Hospital for their terminus, and proposed to fit up Moray House in ita stead; an arrangement which
it is to be regretted has not been carried into effect. The name of Regent blul.ray’a House, latterly applied to the old
mansion, is a spurious tradition of very recent origin. - ’ (tuthrie’s Memoira, p. 298. 3 Napier’s Life of Montrose, p, 441.
