C a n d l d a Raw.] GEORGE BROWN. 269 ?
school ; but Lord Hailes, after removing from
Todrig?s Wynd, occupied a house in ?The So-
. ciety,? before locating himself in New Street.
Brown Square, now nearly swept away, was a
small oblong place, about zoo feet east and west,
by 150 north and south. During the long delay
which took place between the first project of having
a New Town, and building a bridge that was to
lead to it, a rival town began to spring up in
another quarter, which required neither a bridge
nor an Act of Parliament, nor even the unanimity
of several interested proprietors to mature it, and
it soon became important enough to counteract for
some years the extension by the ridge of the Lang
In this quarter a fashionable boading-school
for young ladies was established in the middle of
$he last century by Mrs. Janet Murray, widow of
Archibald Campbell, collector of the customs at
Prestonpans. She died in the Society in 1770,
and the establishment was then conducted by her
friends under the name of ? Mrs. Murray?s Boarding
School?
To those who remember it in its latter days the
locality seems a strange one for a young ladies?
On the ground acquired so cheaply he proceeded
at once to erect, in 1763-4, houses that were
deemed fine mansions, and found favour with the
upper classes, before a stone of the New Town
was laid. Repenting of their mistake, the magistrates
offered Mr. Brown Az,ooo for the grouid;
but he, perceiving the success of his scheme, demanded
Lzo,ooo, so the city relinquished the
idea The square was quickly finished on nearly
three sides, including the Society, znd one old
mansion having an octagon turnpike stair, dated
17 18, at the north-east corner next Crombie?s Close,
and became filled with inhabitants of a good class
while George Square rose collaterally with it.
~
Dykes. This might have been prevented had the
magistrates contrived to acquire a piece of ground
south of the Old Town, which was offered to them
for only ~ I , P O O , but which was purchased by a
builder and architect namedGeorge Brown, abrother
of Brown of Lindsaylands and Elliston. He was
the projector and builder of George Square, and
Jso built the large house of Bellevue (for General
Scott of Balcomie), which stood so long in Dmmmond
Place.
THE CUNZIE HOUSE, CANDLEMAKER ROW,
