Volume contents
Continued entries/extra info
[Page] 40
[Continued from page 39]
the wall ran for a short way in easterly direction; then turning, it proceeded due south, passing behind Mr. Harper's Chapel,
and nearly parallel with Cobourg Street, untill it reached Cromwell Street. From this point it took a westerly Course,
running in a line with Couper Street, and extending to within a short distance of the west end; where it turned down to
the sea, thus enclosing a space of about four English acres. Within a few yards of the east end of a row of small
brick houses, lately erected, fronting the dock wall, and not far from its western extremity, another fragment of the rampart
may still be seen. This portion of the wall has, at a little distance the appearance of a shapeless isolated mass of earth; but
when closely examined, we discover that it is the remains of another arched passage, which led into the Citadel through the ramparts.
Being, however, but of small dimmensions, it must have been a private entrance into the fort. This passage was
for some time occupied as a byre, into which was it was converted by building up one end of the arch, which
may readily be traced by examining the west Side of the Mass. The wall of the Citadel, judjing from the
very entire specimen on which Mr. Gray's workshops are erected, seems to have been of great strength, being
formed of earth, strongly faced with large unhewn stones." x x x "On the ground on which Monk had fixed
as the site of his fortifications, stood the ancient Chapel of St. Nicholas, with its hospital and burying ground
As it was necessary that these should be removed on the formation of the Citadel, Monk gave intimation to the -
inhabitants that such as thought proper might remove the remains of their deceased friends and bury them in the
new cemetry-ground by the side of the river; a great many were accordingly removed from St. Nicholas' Church-yard
and re-interred in what is now called North Leith Burying-ground, which was first devoted to that purpose
on this occasion. After the restoration of Charles II, that monarch bestowed the citadel, which had been ordered to
be demolished, on Lord Lauderdale, who afterwards Sold it to the town Council of Edinburgh for the enormous sum
of £6000."
Campbells History of Leith, Page 357
Transcriber's notes
This Name Book refers to Edinburgh 1852 - Sheet 12
OS large scale Scottish town plans, 1847-1895 - Scale: 1:1:1056
Ordnance Survey - Midlothian county, OS Name Books - Midlothian county - Volume 83 - Parishes of North Leith and South Leith, OS1/11/83
This volume contains place name information from the parishes of North Leith, and South Leith.
Ordnance Survey - Midlothian county
Ordnance Survey was established in the 18th century to create maps, surveys and associated records for the entirety of Great Britain. These records are arranged by county. This entry has been created to enable searching for Ordnance Survey records for the county of Midlothian, which is in the east of Scotland. The boundaries of the county were altered by the Boundary Commissioners in 1891.