Cowgate.] ANCIENT
Both these relics are now preserved in the
Museum of Antiquities.
An act of the Privy Council in 1616 describes
Edinburgh as infested by strong and idle vagabonds,
having their resorts ?in some parts of the Cowgate,
Canongate, Potterrow, West Port, &c., where
they ordinarily convene every night, and pass their
time in all kind of not and filthy lechery, to the
offence and displeasure of God,? lying all day on
CLOSES. 241
Close in 1514; Todrig?s Wynd is mentioned in
1456, when Patrick Donald granted two merks
yearly from his tenement therein for repairing the
altar of St. Hubert, and in 1500 a bailie named
Todrig, was assaulted with drawn swords in his
own house by two men, who were taken to the Tron,
and had their hands stricken through.
Carrubber?s Close was probably named from
? William of Caribris,? one of the three bailies in
THE COWGATE, FROM THE PORT TO COLLEGE WYND, 1646. ( A f b cfdsthumay.)
17. The Cowgate ; 44, Peebles Wynd ; 45, Merlin?s Wynd ; 46, Niddry?s Wynd ; 47, Dickson?s Close : 50, Gnfs Wynd ; 5% St Mad5 w p d ;
h St Mary?s Wpd Suburbs ; I; Cov&e Port ; g, Si M a j s Wynd Port ; 53, The College Wynd ; 54. Robertson?s Wynd ; 55. High
School Wynd ; q, Lady Yeser?s Kirk ; .r, The High School ; w, The College ; y, S i M;uy of the Fields, or the Kirk of Fields ; 25, The
Town Wall.
the causeway, extorting alms with ? shameful exclamations,?
to such an extent that passengers could
neither walk nor confer in the streets without being
impeded and pestered by them ; hence the magistrates
gave orders to expel them wholesale from the
city and keep it clear of them.
The Burgh Records throw some light on the
names of certain of the oldest closes-those running
between the central street and the Cowgate, as being
the residences or erections of old and influential
citizens. Thus Niddry?s Wynd is doubtless connected
with Robert Niddry, a magistrate in 1437 ;
Cant?s Close with Adam Cant, who was Dean of
Guild in 1450, though it is called Alexander Cant?s
79
1454, as doubtless Con?s Close was from John Con,
a wealthy flesher of 1508. William Foular?s Close
is mentioned in 1521, when Bessie Symourtoun
is ordered to be burned there on the cheeks and
banished for passing gear infected with the pest ;
and Mauchan?s Close was no doubt connected
with the name of John Mauchane, one of the bailies
in 1523; Lord Eorthwick?s Close is frequently
mentioned before 1530, and Francis Bell?s Close
occurs in the City Treasurer?s Accounts, under date
1554. Liberton?s Wynd is mentioned in a charter
by James 111. in 1474, and the old protocol books of
the city refer to it frequently in the twelve years
preceding Flodden ; William Liberton?s heirs are
