RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Midlothian => Topic started by: Mofamily on Friday 09 November 12 19:29 GMT (UK)
-
Hi
I'm hoping someone will be able to help me.
I have discovered that my ancestor, William Nicholson B: 1798, lived at 28 High Street, Fountain Close Edinburgh in 1851 and Weirs Close, Edinburgh in 1861.
What I am wanting to do is to get a "picture" of their way of life and what type of streets they were etc.
Thanks
-
hi
this site might be of interest for you to look at
http://www.edinburgh-royalmile.com/closes/close-fountain.html if you look for the royal mile map fountain close is of niddrys street
also here is a site not with a picture but a drawing of fountain close
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_h/0_lithograph_-_fountain_close.htm
ray
-
You will find Fountain Close on this map, in the top left hand corner, opposite (approximately) to John Knox House:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0s3y/
Weir's Close is on the same side of the road but located roughly in the middle of the top edge of the map. In effect above the words 'Edinburgh & Leith Brewery.'
These were fairly typical of the housing in the Old Town at the time.
You might find more pictures of similar closes here:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0s3z/
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0s40/
Nell
-
Hi All
Great description here, on the site already linked by Ray of 'Close':
CLOSE: An entrance to a tenement, also sometimes providing access to the rear of the building. There was often a gate at the front entrance which was closed at night.
www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_my_p_0/0_my_photographs_0_edinburgh_closes.htm
Monica :)
-
Fountain Close
The name of this close is derived from the fountain or street well which stood opposite the close until 1813 when it was removed further up to where the street was wider. It was here in 1574 that Thomas Bassendyne, printer, produced the earliest edition of the New Testament Bible printed in Scotland. It now houses the Scottish Saltire Society.
Weir's Close no longer exists.
(taken from a book "Close encounters in the Royal Mile" by Alastair M R Hardie
-
Thank you all so much for so much information.
That will keep me busy this weekend.
Thanks again.
Mo
-
Blimey!
What an eye opener. I cannot believe the conditions they must have been living in. Fountain Close is among a group of Closes between Niddry Street and St Mary's Street which included Toddrick's Wynd and World's End Close! My great great grandmother was brought up in Toddrick's Wynd (living there in 1851 when it was known as Murdoch's Close). This was apparently demolished because, and I quote from a builder's journal of 1861: -
"We devoutly believe that no smell in Europe or Asia can equal in depth and intensity in concentration and power, the diabolical combination of sulphurated hydrogen we came upon one evening about 10.00 in a place called Todrick's Wynd".
Before then she lived in Paul's Works, Leith Wynd and a paper states about this place : -
"From a precipitous, narrow, and filthy close, you look up to the heights of hugh mansions, honeycombed into the receptablces of a hundred inhabitants; and at a height which it makes the head giddy to look up to or to look down from, you see two or three heads of children projecting, or filthy and squalid figures of their mothers, or of the other female inmates.
You ascend through the dirt and darkness, stair after stair, every stair leading you in succession to a floor in which every miserable room contains a household, and where, by opening doors and barring up doors, and from the absence of sufficient light even in the day time, you hardly know when you turn yourself whether you are coming or going out of or going farther into the labyrinth. Into these places, parties in recent times have been dragged forcibly, stripped of their clothes and flung out again; and innumerable crimes have been committed of which the world remains in ignorance"
What sort of place was that? A workhouse?
I dare not tell my mother. She has always assumed that as her family came from Edinburgh off the Royal Mile she was posh :)
No the wonder the poor souls moved to Sunderland - Luxury ;D
I've certainly got the "picture" now.
Blimey!!
Mo
-
Blimey indeed, Mo ;D Where did you get these descriptions from? They are so descriptive and emotive.
Monica
-
...which included Toddrick's Wynd and World's End Close! My great great grandmother was brought up in Toddrick's Wynd (living there in 1851 when it was known as Murdoch's Close). This was apparently demolished because, and I quote from a builder's journal of 1861: -
"We devoutly believe that no smell in Europe or Asia can equal in depth and intensity in concentration and power, the diabolical combination of sulphurated hydrogen we came upon one evening about 10.00 in a place called Todrick's Wynd".
Background to the name and modern map location (just click on the map at the top) http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/115461/details/edinburgh+48+50+high+street+murdoch+s+close/
You won't be surprised to learn that Toddrick's Wynd was no better really in the 1600's! www.oldandnewedinburgh.co.uk/volume2/page86.html
See also www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2420108
-
Hi Mo.
My Great granny lived in such a place....Milne's Court just off the Royal mile, up towards the castle, and when there was a high wind the whole building used to sway a bit! Dad was brought up in a 2 roomed tenement with 9 brothers and sisters and my Grandparents which was owned by Edinburgh Corporation as my Grandad worked for them. This was in Kings Stables Road at the foot of the castle.He remembered there being hundreds of horses there, used for all manner of things, breweries, dairies etc, and he remembers when he moved to North East England after WW2 he expected it to be a very dirty place with all the coal mines etc..and he says he was pleasantly surprised at how clean it was compared to where he came from! My ancestors moved from the farmlands of East Lothian into the city and the living conditions mustve been a BIG shock :)
-
Is this Weir's Close possibly named after Major Weir the Warlock?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major-Weir
Skoosh.
-
Weir's Close named for George Weir, brewer in Edinburgh prior to 1709, who built a great stone tenement Weir's Land here in the east side of the close.
-
Hi
I'm hoping someone will be able to help me.
I have discovered that my ancestor, William Nicholson B: 1798, lived at 28 High Street, Fountain Close Edinburgh in 1851 and Weirs Close, Edinburgh in 1861.
What I am wanting to do is to get a "picture" of their way of life and what type of streets they were etc.
Thanks
I know this post is a long time after the first one, but my great, great grandfather also lived at the same address in the 1851 census. The household members are shown as John Duffie Head, who at 32 is a shoemaker (carpet) who employs 10 men - all from Ireland. My ancestor, William Carolan, immigrated to Scotland as part of the mass migration caused by the potato famine. In subsequent census he is shown as a shoemaker journeyman, a qualified, but not experienced shoemaker, so Mr Duffie gave him a good start in Scotland. Did he carry out his shoemaking business in Fountain Close as well as living there? Im in the process of trying to find out.
Your ancestor isn't shown as part of the Duffie household so this would bare out the horrendous living conditions shown in the rest of this thread.
I would belatedly like to thank everyone who has posted on this thread as it's been a huge help with my research. If anyone else has any information about John Duffie I'd be very grateful.
Many thanks
-
I spent my first two years in life at the foot of Abbeyhill opposite Queen Mary's Bath House at Holyrood Palace, we lived in what was called a single end just one room where you slept, ate, and entertained oh and also had a portable bath, there was no room for a cot so my mother used the bottom drawer in a chest of drawers, I think she may have shut me in a few times. LOL
She could not take the Pram upstairs so she just left it at the main entrance door at the foot of the stairs, this was a new Kings Cross Pram like the Rolls Royce of Prams, you could not do that today it would be stolen like a snap of the fingers. In 1947 my parents were given keys to a new house a Prefab down at Joppa, this had all the mod cons that many a person would haven their eye teeth for.
Cheers.
Archie.