Scotland > 1825-1826 - Pigot & Co.'s new commercial directory of Scotland for 1825-6

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EDINBURGH
ISircfton)
market : was founded in tlie year 1()12. The spire,
which was used a.i a poAvdei-magaziiie,- was unfor-
tunately destroyed liy an cxplcsiou, on the 7th of
]May, 1718. Tlie magistrates tinished a new church
at the western end of the old one in 1721, at an
esjiense of 3015/. Botli the.se churches have been
lately newly seated and repaired.
CttnongtiCe Church, a Gothic bnildin.tr in the form
of a crO.s.i, founded in KiSS, was miilt at tlie
expense of 2,400/ from a legacy left by one Thomas
Rloodie, a |)ious citizen of Ediuburu;h.
St. CiUhhert's Church, or the West Kirk, .situate
near the foot of the rock, on whicii the Castle
stand.s, has nothing particular to recommend it to
notice, except that it i.s con.-'idered to be the
largest place of worship in Edinburgh.
St, Andrew's Church sland.s on the north side of
George's-street, in the New Town. It i.s surmounted
with a fine tapering .spire, 168 feet high, in wliich is
a chime of eight bells. The whole is elegantly
finished.
St. George's Church, on the west side of Charlotte
Square, forms the terminating object of George'.s-
.•^treet. Tr.e dome, which is seen to advantage in
almost every direction, was intended as a miniature
representation (rf tiiat of St. Paul's. The building
cost 33,000/, and is calculated to contain l(JOb
people.
Scottish Episcopal Church. The clergy are sup-
ported by their coiigvegations ; but a fund has
Dcen raised by subscriptions, the interest of
which is to be divided into annual stii)end8. St.
Paul's Chitpel standi; on the north side of York
Place. It is a handsome Gothic building, crcted
at the expense of 12,000/ raised by voluntary sub-
scription among the members of the congregation. —
St. John's Chapel, near the western extremity of
Prince's-street, is of the florid Gothic architecture,
and was finished in 1818, at an expense of more
than 15,000/.— 5<. George's Chapel, in York Place,
is finished entirely in the Gothic style, and is very
ta!?tefully fitted up. It was built bv subscription in
1794.
Roman Catholic Chapel. This handsome Gothic
chauel stands at the head of Leith Walk, and close
to tne Caledonian Theatre. It was built by sub-
criptiou in 1813, from a plan of Mr. Gillespie's.
The adoption of the Gothic style, in this chapel,
has led to the use of a similar style of architecture
in the chapels, which have since been erected in
Edinburgh. It possesses a verj' fine organ ; and
above the altar is an excellent painting by Vandyke,
lepresenting a Dead Saviour. This building cost
8,000/.
The Methodist Chapel, in Nicholson's Square,
was built in 1814, with a minister's house, and
schools attached, at a cost of upwards of 5,000/.
Dr. Jamiesou's Chapel, at the south end of Nichol-
son's-street, in connection with the United Associate
Synod, was finished in 1820. This building vvas
designed by Mr. Gillespie, and the piinci])a) door is
very elegant. Dr. IJuU's Chapel forms a grand
termination to the east end of J^ronghton-street,
and contains seats for about 1600 people. — The ar-
chitecture of the other places of worship in Edin-
burgh is not such as to lequire them to be particu-
larly noticed.
Among the Religious Establishments may be men-
tioned the following ;— The Society for Piopagatiiig
Christian Knowledge, The ikiciety for Promoting
lleligious Knowledge among the Poor, The Gratis
Sabbath School Society, The Sabbath School Union
for Scotland, Parochial Institutions, The Lancaste-
rian School, The Edinburgh Education Society,
The Ediubuigh IMissionary Ssciety, The Edi;iburgli
Auxiliary Missionary Society, The Society for the
Support of Gaelic Schools," The Religious Tract
Society, The African and Asiatic Society, The
Edinburgh Bible Society, and The Scottish Bible
Society.
CHJIRITJIBLH INSTITUTIONS.
The Jioi/ul- Injirmar^ wm first projected iu 1721;
24
and a small house was opened for the reception <>t
the »ick in 1729. The foundation of the present
structure was laid in 1738, and the building was
speedily executed. During the infancy of the esta-
blishment, for five and twenty years, the Earl of
Hopetoun bestowed on it annually 400/. In 1750
Dr. Archibald Kcr bequeathed to it 200/ a year;
and in 1755 the Lords of the Treasury made a dona-
tion to it of 8,000/, for the expense attending the
recei)tion of sick soldiers. The building, vvhich
stands a little to the eastward of the New College,
consists of a body 210 feet long, and two wings, all
of vvhich contain three floors, besides the attics.
The male and female patients are kept separate,
and there are beds for 228 invalids. In the theatre,
which is well lighted, upwards of 200 students may
attend, when surgical operations are performed.
The attending surgeons are appointed by the mana-
gers ; and the regulations and conveniences in other
resj)ccts are excellent. The ninnber of patients re-
ceived hito the h(mse iu the year 1822 was 2381.
The funds amount to about 5000/. per annum.
The Piihlic Dispensary, which was founded in
1776, oives its creation to Dr. Andrew Duncan se-
nior, aiul is a useful sui)plenient to the Royal
Infirmary. Advice, medicine, and vaccine inocula-
tion are gratuitous. The building stands on the
south side of West Richmond-street. — Tlie New
Town Dispensary , which is of a similar nature,
was founded in 1815, for the accommodation of the
poor in the northern part of the city. — There are
also two Dispensaries for Diseases of the Eye.
The Lying-in Hospital, and the Limatic' Asylum,
though probablv not yet arrived at their extent of
utility, are still highly beneficial and praiseworthy
establishmeuti, and deserve the support of the
public.
HerioVs Hospital, one of the richest in Edinburgh,
owes its foundation to George Heriot, jeweller to
King James VI. He devised considerable sums of
money in trust to the magistrates of Edinburgh to
found and endow an hospital " for the maintenance,
relief, and bringing up of so many poor and father-
less boys, freemen's sons of the town of Edinburgh,
as the sura shotild be sufficient for." This mag-
nificent building was completed in 1660, at an
expense, it is .said, of more than 27,000/. It is a
square, whose external sides measure 162 feet.
Over the gateway is a spire with a clock. The
upper corners of the building are ornamented witii
turrets. The windows, of which there are up-
wards of 200, are all differently ornamented at the
top. Boys are admitted between the ages of seven
and ten, and are, in every way, most comfortably
nrovided for till they are fourteen, and sometimes
beyond that period. The number of boys, main-
tained in the Hospital in 1823, was 180; and the
revenue, vvhich principally consists in land of rapidly
increasing value, is upwards of 5,000/. This esta-
blishment is in the southern district of the city
opposite to the Castle Hill, and is managed by a
treasuier, who is ap])ointed by the magistrates;
under him are a house-governor, housekeeper, and
the masters in the different branches of learning.
IVatson's Hospital, so called from its founder
George Watson, stands a little to the southward of
the former. In 1723 Mr. Watson left 12,000/ for the
maintenance and education of the childi-en and
grandchildren of decayed members of the Merchant
Company of Edinburgh. In 1738, when the .sum
had accumulated to 20,000/, the present building
was erected at the expense of 5,000/. About 80
boys receive a classical and polite education in this
hospital.
Gillespie's Hospital stands in a beautiftzl situation
on the soutli-west border of the dty. It owes its
erection to the beneficence of the'late Mr. James
Gillespie, of Spylaw, who, in 1796, bequeathed con-
siderable property for the purpose of founding and
endowing an hospital for old men and women, and
a free-school for the instruction of 100 poor boys in
reading, writing, and arithmetic. The present build-
ing was begun in 1801, and contains about 50
inmates.