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 CANONGA TE AND ABBEY SANCTUAR Y. 303 on his tomb-which existed in Maitland‘s time in the cemetery attached to Bolyrood Abbey-after having several times filled the office of bailie of Canongate.’ Both of these, we may infer from the inscription on the old tenement, were zealous and successful wielders of the Golfing Club-a virtue which they bequeathed to the younger John Paterson, the hero of the traditional tale, along with the old land which bears his name. The styIe of the building conilrms the idea of its having been rebuilt by him, with the spoils, as we are bound to presume, which he won on Leith Links from “our auld enemies of England.” The title-deeds, however, render it probable, as we have hinted, that other stakes had been played for with less success. In 1691, he grants a bond over the property for 21200 Scots. This is followed by letters of caption and homing, and other direful symptoms of legal assault, which pursue the poor golfer to his grave, and remain behind as his aole legacy to his heirs. Paterson appears, from other evidence, to have been immediately succeeded in the old mansion by John, eecond Lord Bellenden, who died there in 1704; since which time the Golfer’s Land has run its course, like the other tenements of this once patrician burgh, and is now occupied by the same class of plebeian tenants as has everywhere succeeded to the old courtiers of Holyroodx Whiteford House, a comfortable modern mansion, originally occupied by $3 John Whiteford, standa immediately behind Janet Hall’s humble dwelling, surrounded by open gardens, forming the sight of the ancient mansion of the Earls of Wintoun. George, the fifth Earl, was attainted in consequence of his share in the ill-concerted insurrection of 1715, and the old edifice, being then forsaken by its noble owners, was abandoned to solitude and decay. The ground is marked in Edgar’s map as the ruins of the Earl of Wintoun’s house; and from the importance of the family, and their love of sumptuous buildings, a8 well as the extensive space the ruins appear to have occupied, it may be presumed that ‘‘ my Lord Seaton’s house in the Canongate,” where the French Ambassador Manzeville lodged in 1582,” in no way belied the charming glimpse of its gloomy quadrangle, with its heavy architraves adorned with armorial bearings and religious devices, afforded in the lively pages of the ‘‘ Abbot; ” or of its lofty hall, surrounded with suits of ancient and rusty armour, interchanged with huge massive stone escutcheons, blazoned with the Seton Arms j all which were 80 utterly thrown away on the headstrong young page, Roland Grsme. Whiteford House was latterly occupied for many years-till his death in 1823-by Sir William Macleod Bannatyne, a remarkably pleasing specimen of a gentleman of Old Edinburgh, before its antique mansions and manners had altogether fallen under the ban of modern fashion. He was a nephew of Lady Clanranald, who was confined in the Tower for affording protection to Prime Charles during his wapderings 1 Maitland, p. 160. The {unerul letter of Lord Bellenden, from whence we have derived the information in the text, affords an 4- dence of the change of manners since it was iaaued. It ia a~ follows :-“ The honour of your presence to accompany the corps of my Lord Bellenden, my father, from his lodgings in Paterson’e Land, near the Canongate foot, to his burial place in the Abay Church, upon Sunday the Bdjnstant, at 8 of the clock in the morning, L8 earnestly desired by John Bellenden.” Some curious information is given in an “Act in favora of Jamee Donaldmn, to print Buriall Letters, Mar. 10, 1699;” wherein it appears “That the petitioner bath fallen upon a device for printing or stamping them in a fine wryt character, . . . by this device the leidges may be both cheiper and sooner served than ordinar, Buriall Letters being oft times in haste ; Besides thc decency a d ornament of a Border of skeletons’ m o w , and other emalm of mortality, which the Petitioner has so contrived that it may be added or abstracted at pleasure I”-Documenta relative to Scottish printing. Mait, Misc. vol. ii. p. 233-4. * Moyse’s Memoirs, p. 77.

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