The history of Edinburgh : from its foundation to the present time. Containing a faithful relation of the publick transactions of the citizens; accounts of the several parishes; its governments, civil, ecclesiastical, and military; incorporations of trades and manufactures; courts of justice; state of learning; charitable foundations, &c. With the several accounts of the parishes of the Canongate, St. Cuthbert, and other districts within the suburbs of Edinburgh. Together with the antient and present state of the town of Leith, and a perambulation of divers miles round the city. With an alphabetical index. In nine books / By William Maitland. The whole illustrated with a plan of the town, and a great variety of other fine cuts of the principal buildings within the city and suburbs.
- Maitland, William, 1693?-1757.
- Date:
- 1753
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The history of Edinburgh : from its foundation to the present time. Containing a faithful relation of the publick transactions of the citizens; accounts of the several parishes; its governments, civil, ecclesiastical, and military; incorporations of trades and manufactures; courts of justice; state of learning; charitable foundations, &c. With the several accounts of the parishes of the Canongate, St. Cuthbert, and other districts within the suburbs of Edinburgh. Together with the antient and present state of the town of Leith, and a perambulation of divers miles round the city. With an alphabetical index. In nine books / By William Maitland. The whole illustrated with a plan of the town, and a great variety of other fine cuts of the principal buildings within the city and suburbs. Source: Wellcome Collection.
![examinablePerfons,four thousand three hun- j This Hofpital, which is fituate on the dred and fixty one in Number. Weftern Side of the aforefaid Kirkgate, and There being only one other Place of Wodhip in South Leith.-, it is a fmall Con¬ gregation of the Epifcopal Communion of the Church of England, but have no Burying- g round. The Inhabitants of Leith, as Vaffals to Edinburgh, having no Government of their own, the Edinburghers appoint yearly one of their old Magiftrates to be Baron Bailiff and Judge Admiral of Leith. And of late nominate a Perfon refiding in Leith as the faid Baron Bailiff’s Deputy, who not only a&s as Confervator of the Peace, but pre¬ sides in the Court held here, wherein are tried Caufes both Civil and Criminal, other than in Capital Cafes. The Officers in this Town are the aforefaid Baron Bailiff and his Deputy; a 1’own Clerk, Fifcal, Con- ftables, and four Officers belonging to the Magiftrates. Note, The Baron Bailiff, to defray the Expence of his Office, has an an¬ nual Allowance from the Edinbttrghers of Fifty Pounds Sterling. The Inhabitants of Leith, as above men¬ tioned, are divided into four Claftes, name¬ ly, the Mariners, Maltmen, Trades, and Traffickers ; the firft whereof confift of the Mafters of Ships and Sailors, the fecond ot Malt-makers, and Brewers •, the third of Coopers, Bakers, Smiths,Taylors, Wrights, Weavers, &c. ; and the fourth or laft are Dealers or Merchants. The charitable Foundations in South Leith are two in Number, viz. King James’s Hof¬ pital, and that of the Mariners •, both fi- tuated in the Kirk-gate or Church Street. King James’s Hofpital, which Hands on the Eaftern Side of the Kirkgate, and at the Southweftern Corner of the Church-yard .was founded by the Church Seffion of South Leith, in the Year 1-614, and indowed with certain Lands and Tenements antiently be¬ longing to the Preceptory of St. Anthony in Leith, and the Chapel of St. James at New- haven -, the Profits whereof, together with the Contributions made by the Maltmen, Trades, and Traffickers in Leith were ap¬ propriated tor the Intertainment of agv.d Women belonging to the faid Crafts, who feldom exceed twelve in Number •, each of whom has a convenient Apartment, with Fire and Candles, and a weekly Penfion for their Subftftence. confirmed by the Charter of King James above specified, it received the Appellation of King James’s Hofpital. The Mariners FXofpital is of an anticnt- er Foundation than that of King James’s, as appears by the following Inlcnption on the Front thereof. at the North-eaftern Corner of the Lees Quarter Wynd, is a handfome Building for the Reception both of Men and Women ; though at prefent are only fix Women there¬ in, who have convenient Apartments, with an Allowance of Two Pounds Sterling each yearly. To this Ploufe likewife belong fifty Out-penfioners who are paid monthly and quarterly-, the former have an Allowance of Three Shillings and four Pence Sterling each, and the latter about Four Shillings of the fame Money : Beiides the Children of both are put to School and taught to read Englijh. The Remarkables in follows. South-Leith are as At the South-weftern Corner of St. Antho¬ ny’s Wynd, near the Kirkgate, flood the Preceptory and Hofpital of the Knights Templers of St. Anthony, which being dif- folved at the Reformation, the Church Seffion of South Leith bought certain of its Lands and Tenements as already menti¬ oned. At the lower End of the folbooth-wynd, near the Shore, is fituated the Tolbootn or Town-houfe, wherein is not only tranfa&ed ths Town’s Affairs, but it ferves for a Pri- fon ; and underneath the Stair-cafe is the Guard-room for the King’s Troops in Leiibt% The Building of this Edifice, which was fi- nifhed in the Year 1565, was greatly op- pofed by the Edinburghers, as I have de- monftrated by the Queen’s Letters, in the Hiftory of the City. Fronting the Shore or Quay of Leith, betwixt the Lanes at prefent denominated the Weigh-houfe-wynd on the North, the Broad-wynd on the South, and the Nether Clofe, and Part of the Rotten-row on the Eaft, was fituated a large Building, called fhe King’s Work. The firft Mention I find of this fpacious Edifice is in the Year 1477, when King James III. granted out of it aRec ParL perpetual Annuity of Twelve Marks Scoti/h,Hon^ for Support of a Chaplain to officiate atiib.8. No. 62. the Altar of the upper Chapel in the colle¬ giate Church of the blcffed Virgin Mary of Left air ig, founded by the faid King. _ i This Structure was burnt by the Earl of This Foundation being’] Hertford, General or the Englijh Army, in VI. | the Year 1543, and the Site thereof on the ' 21 ft of October, anno 1564, fet in Feu to John Chiefhohn, Comptroller of the Artillery, at a Ground-rent of Forty Shillings yearly. This Edifice, in the Year 1647, appears Coun Regi(h to have been either repaired or re-built, by Edin. vo!.° its confifting of divers Tenements, a Galle-XVI. f. 17s- ry, Clofe, or Court, and a Garden, Which the Common Council of Edinburgh at this Time purchafed of Sir William Hick, Knight, for the Sum of Forty five thoufand Marks, Scotifh In the Name of the Lord, ve Mafteris and Marenelis bylis this Nous to the l out, anno 1555*](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30451644_0553.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
