230 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
The carriage, however, the plainest imaginable, contained no other inscription
than the initials ‘( J. G.” Until within a year or two of his death, when no
longer able to walk any distance, he almost never made use of it-not even on
Sabbath, for the church of Colinton is not above five or ten minutes’ walk from
Spylaw. He, notwithstanding, held Cameronian principles, and regularly
attended the annual tent-meetings of that body at Rullion Green.
Mr. James Gillespie survived his brother John about two years, and carried
on the business till his death, which occurred at Spylaw on the 8th of April
1797, in the seventy-first year of his age. He was buried in the churchyard of
Colinton, in the same vault with his brother John.
By his will, executed in 1796, Mr. Gillespie bequeathed his estate, together
with %12,000 sterling (exclusive of 52700, for the purpose of building and
endowing a School), ‘‘ for the special intent and purpose of founding and endowing
an Hospital, or charitable institution, within the city of Edinburgh, or
suburbs, for the aliment and maintenance of old men and women.” In 1801,
the Governors, on application to his Majesty, obtained a charter, erecting them
into a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of “ The Governors
of James Gillespie’s Hospital and Free School.”
‘The persons entitled to be admitted into, and maintained in the Hospital,
are-“ lst, Mr. Gillespie’s old servants, of whatever rank they may be. 2d,
Persons of the name of Gillespie, fifty-five years of age and upwards, whatever
part of Scotland they may come from. 3d, Persons belonging to Edinburgh,
and its suburbs, aged fifty-five years and upwards. 4th, Failing applications
from persons belonging to Edinburgh and its suburbs, persons belonging to
Leith, Newhaven, and other parts in the county of Mid-Lothian. 5th, Failing
applications from all these places, persons fifty-five years, of age, coming from
all parts of Scotland.” It is further provided, “That none shall be admitted
who are pensioners, or have an allowance from any other charity. And seeing
the intention of Mr. Gillespie, in founding the Hospital, was to relieve the poor,
none are to be admitted until they shall produce satisfactory evidence to the
Governors of their indigent circumstances ; and the Governors are required to
admit none but such as are truly objects of this charity; and it is hereby
ordained and appointed, that none but decent, godly, and well-behaved men and
women (whatever in other respects may be their claims) shall be admitted into
the Hospital ; and the number of persons to be constantly entertained shall be
so many as the revenue of the Hospital can conveniently maintain, after deducting
the charge of management, and of maintaining the fabric, and keeping up
the clothing and furniture of the house.”
The Board of Management consists of the Master, Treasurer, and twelve
assistants of the Merchant Company ; five members of the Town Council, who
are elected by that body ; and the ministers of the Tolbooth and St. Stephen’s
Churches,
The Hospital, a commodious and not inelegant structure, designed by the
late Mr. Burn, is built on the site of a property called Wrytes House, an ancient