Old and New Edinburgh Vol. VI

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 « 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 Plates Ch 20: Leith - Historical Survey (continued) Ch 21: Leith - Historical Survey (continued) Ch 22: Leith - Historical Survey (concluded) Ch 23: Leith - The Kirkgate Ch 24: Leith - The Kirkgate (concluded) Ch 25: Leith - Tolbooth Wynd and Adjoining Streets Ch 26: Leith - Rotten Row, Broad Wynd, Bernard Street, Baltic Street, and Quality Street Ch 27: Leith - Constitution Street, The Shore, Coal Hill, and Sheriff Brae Ch 28: North Leith Ch 29: Leith - The Links Ch 30: Leith - The Sands Ch 31: Leith - The Harbour Ch 32: Memorabilia of the Shipping of Leith and its Maritime Affairs Ch 33: Leith - The Docks Ch 34: Inchkeith Ch 35: Newhaven Ch 36: Wardie, Trinity, and Granton Ch 37: The Environs of Edinburgh Ch 38: The Environs of Edinburgh (continued) Ch 39: The Environs of Edinburgh (continued) Ch 40: The Environs of Edinburgh (continued) Ch 41: The Environs of Edinburgh (continued) Ch 42: The Environs of Edinburgh (continued) Ch 43: The Environs of Edinburgh (concluded) General Index Contents List of Illustrations

Leith.] THE KING'S WARK. 237 ~ Arnot adds. It was to keep one of the cellars in the King's Wark in repair, for holding wines and other provisions for the king's use. This Bernard Lindsay it was whom Taylor mentions in his '' Penniless Pilgrimage " as having Moreover, the King's Wark was placed most advantageously at the mouth of the harbour, to serve as -a defence against any enemy who might approach it from the seaward. It thus partook somewhat of the character of a citadel; and this BERNARD STREET. given him so warm a welcome at Leith in 1618. That some funds were derivable from the King's Wark to the Crown is proved by the frequent payments with which it was burdened by several of our monarchs. Thus, in the year 1477 James 111. granted out of it a perpetual annuity of twelve marks Scots, for support of a chaplain to officiate at the altar of c'the upper chapel in the collegiate church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Restalrig." seems to have been implied by the infeftment granted by Queen Mary in 1564 to John Chisho!ia, Master or Comptroller of the Royal Artillery, who would appear to have repaired the buildings which, no doubt, shared in the general conflagrations that signalised the English invasions of 1544 and 1547. and the queen, on the completion of his work, thus confirms her grant to the comptroller :- U Efter Her Heinis lauchful age, and revocation made in parIiament, hir majestie sett in feu farme

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238 OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH. [Leith. -to hir lovite suitore, Johne Chisholme, his airis and . assignais, all and hailk hir lands callit the King?s Werk in Leith, within the boundis specifit in the infeftment maid to him thairupon, quhilkis than -war alluterlie decayit, and sensyne are reparit and re-edifit, he the said Johne Chisholnie, to the policy .and great decoration of this realme, in that office, place, and sight of all strangeris and utheris re- - sortand to the Schore of Leith.? In 1575 it had been converted into a hospital - for the plague-stricken ; but when granted to Bernard Lindsay in 1613, he was empowered to keep four taverns in the buildings, together with the tennis-court, for the then favourite pastime of ?catchpel. It continued to be used for that purpose till the year 1649, when it was taken pos- 2 session of by the magistrates of Edinburgh, and . converted into a weigh-house. ? In what part of the building Bemard Lindsay commenced tavern-keeping we are unable to say,? observes Campbell, in his ? History of Leith,? ? but .are more than half disposed to believe it was that old house which projects into Bernard Street, and is situated nearly opposife the British Linen Com- ,pany?s Bank.? ?? The house alluded to,? adds Robertson on this, ?has a carved stone in front, representing a rainbow rising from the clouds, with a date 165-, the last figure being obliterated, and -can hatre no reference to Bernard Lindsay.? The tennis-court of the latter would seem to have been frequently patronised by the great Marquis of Montrose in his youth, as in his ?? Household Accounts,? under date 1627, are the following entries .(Mait. Club Edit.) :- ?? Item to the poor, my Lord taking coch . . qs. Item, carrying the graith to Leth . . . . 8s. Item, to some poor there . . . . . . 3s Item, to my Lord Nepar?s cochman . . Item, for balls in the Tinnes Court of Leth.. . . 6s. Sd. 16s.? The first memorial of Bernard Lindsay is in the Parish Records ? of South Leith, and is dated 17th July, 1589 :-? The quhilk days comperit up Bemard Lindsay and Barbara Logan, and gave their names to be proclamit and mareit, within this date and Michaelmas.-JoHN LOGANE, Cautioper.? Another record, 2nnd September, I 633, bears that the Session ? allowis burial to Barbara Logane, -.elict of Bernard Lindsaye, besyde her husbande in the kirk-yeard, in contentation yairof, 100 merks to be given to the poor.? From Bernard Lindsay, the name of the present Bernard Street is derived. Bernard?s Nook has long been known. ?? In the ? Council Records? of Edinburgh, 1647,? says Robertson, ?is the following entry :-? To the purchase of the Kingis Werk, in Leith, 4,500 lib. Scot.? A previous entry, 1627, refers to dealing with the sons of Bernard Lindsay, ?for their house in Leith to be a custom-house. . . .? We have no record that any buildings existed beyond the bounds of the walls or the present Bernard Street at this time, the earliest dates on the seaward part of the Shore being 1674-1681.? The old Weigh-house, or Tron of Leith, stood within Bernard?s Nook, on the west side of the street ; but local, though unsupported, tradition asserts that the original signal-tower and lighthouse of Leith stood in the Broad Wynd. Wilson thus refers to the relic of the Wark already mentioned :-?? A large stone panel, which bore the date 1650-the year immediately succeeding the appropriation of the King?s Wark to civic purposes-appeared in the north gable of the old weigh-house, which till recently occupied its site, with the curious device of a rainbow carved in bold relief springing at either end from a bank of clouds.? ? So,? says Arnot, ?? this fabric, which was reared for the sports and recreations of a Court, was speedily to be the scene of the ignoble labours of carmen and porters, engaged in the drudgery of weighing hemp and of iron.? Eastward of the King?s Wark, between Bernard?s Street and chapel, lies the locality once so curiously designated Little London, and which, according to Kincaid, measured ninety feet from east to west, by seventy-five broad over the walls. ? How it acquired the name of Little London is now unknown,? says Camphell, in his ? History ? ; ?but it was so-called in the year 1674, We do not see, however,? he absurdly remarks, ?that it could have obtained this appellation from any other circumstauce than its having had some real or supposed resemblance to the [English] metropolis.? As the views preserved of Little London show it to have consisted of only four houses or so, and these of two storeys high, connected by a dead wall with one doorway, facing Bemard Street in 1800, Campbell?s theory is untenable. It is much more probable that it derived its name from being the quarters or cantonments of those 1,500 English soldiers who, under Sir Williani Drury, Marshal of Berwick, came from England in April, 1573, to assist the Regent Morton?s Scottish Companies in the reduction of Edinburgh Castle. These men departed from Leith on the 16th of the following June, and it has been supposed that a few of them may have been induced to remain, and the locality thus won the name of Little London, in the same

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