Help! What was the City Guard??

[atherleigh]

Hi all,
Hoping some knowledgable person will be able to help me as I'm a bit stuck.  I've managed to trace my family tree back to  John Campbell, who in 1762 was a soldier in the City Guard in NewKirk parish. I know this was his occupation as it was stated on the OPR Midlothian Proclamations /banns & marriages when he married Christian Stuart on 25th July 1762.  As the OPRs are pretty useless for parent names etc, this appears to be as far as I can go back with this particular ancestor. I"m probably clutching at straws here, but I'm hoping that if I find out what the City Guard was, I can use this as a line of enquiry..

Any help most appreciated,
Cheryl

[Little Nell]

Cheryl,

I'm assuming that this is Edinburgh where your ancestor married.  I'm just having a bit of difficulty trying to work out what is meant by New Kirk parish.  He was probably involved in guarding the city.  There may well be records at the National Archives of Scotland.
http://www.nas.gov.uk/

In the late 1700s, Edinburgh was just beginning to expand beyond its medieval boundaries, which had confined it more or less to the relatively small area leading from the Castle down to Holyrood.  The buildings were (and still are) some eleven storeys high where the ground falls away to the north and south.  So they were also building new churches, but which one is the New Kirk!  The Tron Kirk was founded in 1637, St Cuthbert's or the West Kirk was built 1760s or so.  Then there is the New Greyfriar's Church which was opened in 1718.

Don't know if that helps you at all.

Nell

[Ken MacLean]

Cheryl,

Some history of Edinburgh Old Town Guard/City Guard here. It appears to have existed 1679-1817.

http://www.oldandnewedinburgh.co.uk/volume1/page147.html

Cheers, Ken