62 EDINBURGH PAST AND PRESENT.
The great east window has been allocated to the Right Hon. the Lord Provost,
Sir James Falshaw, Bart. The design, which is expected to be placed in the
Church within a year from the present time, will be the gift of his Lordship
to the city, We give an Engraving of the upper hall of the Signet Library,
and also of the great hall in the Parliament House.
Proceeding southward, by George IV. Bridge and Forrest Road, to the
northern approach to the Meadows, we notice on the right the New Royal
Infirmary-of which there is an Engraving at page 48-a noble building
still in course of erection; the foundation-stone was laid by His Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales on 13th October 1870. The ground to the
left, now occupied by Park Place and Teviot Row, is that on which the New
University Buildings are to be erected. Park Place, of which an engraving is
given, has an interesting history. Just a hundred years ago, Islay Campbell
of Succoth, Lord Advocate of Scotland, and his friend John Tait of Harviestoun
and Cumloden, W.S., being desirous to emerge from their more primitive
dwellings, resolved to feu and build in a beautiful park, situated immediately
to the east of h e north end of the middle walk of the Meadows, of which
the more southern part was formed on a causeway through the partially
drained waters of the South bch, afterwards forming the Meadows.
On the most northern portion, the Lord Advocate erected No. I Park
Place, a large mansion, having an extensive garden behind. Immediately
to the south, and adjoining that of his friend, Mr. Tait built No. 2, another
large house with garden attached ; a few years later, Mr. Honyman, Advocate;
established himself in No. 3, and not long afterwatds, Mr. Hope Vere of
Craigie Hall took possession of what was to be No. 4, thus completing the
joint erection. ‘Park Flace’ was fixed on as the name of this private street,
which with its gardens and pertinents covered a surface of several acres.
‘ Ross House,’ which became the residence of the Commander-inchief in
Scotland, stood in its park directly to the emf of the Park Place houses j and
the large houses on the north and east sides of GEORGES QUARE,be ing then
in course of erection, the locality became the most coveted and aristocratic of
that day. Visitors, levees, dinners, evening parties, balls, were unceasing ;
and every one of the four houses possessing large families of children, the
small private street then teemed with life. The intimacy among the inhabitants
being so great, those-of Park Place, from their stable lane, allowed a
passage for pedestrians towards the north-west corner of George Spare. Islay
Campbell soon afterwards became Lord President of the Court of Session,
which he continued to be for twenty years, and on his resignation he was
