Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1886 - Slater's (late Pigot and Co's) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland

EDINBURGHSHIRE
EDINBURGH
SLATER'S
the coat of the successful competitor's class for the following year.
The foundationers are, under the supervision of the governors,
boarded in families in Edinburgh. When admitted as
foundationers, they must be of the age of nine and under that of
fourteen years. On leaving, each foundationer by favour is
allowed £7 for clothes ; he may receive for five years of an
apprenticeship £10 annually ; and On attaining the age of
twenty-five, a further sum of £50 to enable him to commtnce
business in Edinburgh.
(3) George Watsons College for Ladies. — The governors have
also, in virtue of power given them in the provisional order,
established a school for girls called George Watson's College for
Ladies. The school builuinga were in 1876 largely added to and
improved by the governors, so as to make them more com-
modious, and in every respect suitable as a Young Ladies'
Institution. The course of study is the same as that of the
Edinburgh Educational Institution Ladies' College (see before),
and girls attending the school may obtain, by competition, the
same benefits as tbose attending that institution,
(4) Daniel Stewart's College for Boys, Dean —Daniel Stewart, of
the Exchequer, who died in 1814, left the residue of his property,
amounting (aft 1 r the erection and endowment of a free school in
his native parish of Logieraifc) tu upwards of £l3,0u0, to accumu-
late for the purpose of building and endowing an hospital for the
maintenance and ed> cati"n of hoys, the children of honest and
industrious parents, whose circumstances in life do not i-nable
them suitably to support' and educate their children at other
schools. Taking advantage of the power given by a provisional
order obtained in 1870, the hospital was opened as a day ; chool in
September of 'that year. The institution provides boys with a
superior education, and the course of study is similar to that in
George Watson's College for boys. Instruction is also given in
technical . education. The provisional order directs that the
number of foundationers shall be reduced to 40, and that at least
one half of them shall be elected from the day scholars of this in-
stitution, George Wai eon's College, and James Gillespie's school.
Boys attending ihe institution have valuable bench's open for
their competition.
(5) James Gillespie's Schools for Boys and Girls, Eruntsfield Links.
— This institution was founded by James Gillespie, of Spylaw, mer-
chant and tobacconist in Edinburgh, who, hy his will, dated in
the year 1796, bequeathed the greater part of his property to the
endowment of a charitable school, and of an hosoital for the ali-
ment and maintenance of oil men and women. The edifice,
which was designed by Mr. Burn, was founded in 1801, and
opened in 1802. The free school was founded in 1801, and opened
in 1803. Up to 1870 the hospital continued to be occupied
by old persons, of whom a^out 40 were maintained in it- In that
year the governors obtained a provisional order empowering them
to convert the hospital into day schools, and it was opened as
su h in Se. timber, 1870. These schools are established as primary
schools, and the course of instruction induct s English, in all The
branches, writmg, arithmetic, book-keeping, algebra, geometry,
elementary French and Latin, physical geography, freehand and
mechanical drawing, vocal music, and drill. The girls are aho
taught sewing, knitting, cutting-out, the sewing-machine, and
do nestle economy. Bnys and girls at' ending these schools may ob-
tain by competition the same benefits as pupils of the other Mer-
chant Company Schools, Those entitled to the benefits of the hos-
pital as aged foundationers are persons not under 55 years of age,
first, of the name of Gillespie, whatever part of Scotland they may
come from ; and, second, persons belonging to Edinburgh and its
suburbs; failing these, persons from Leith, Newhaven, and other
parts of Mid-Lothi>tn ; whom failing, persons from any part of
Scotland. By the provisional order, the governors have power,
instead of maintaining the foundationers in the then present or
any other building, to allow them a pension of not less than £10
and not exceeding £25 a year.
Donaldson's Hospital, Coltbridge.— This hospital was founded by
James Donaldson, of Broughton Hall, printer, who died in
Edinburgh, in October, 1830, bequeathing the greater part of his
property, amounting to about £200,00", to trustees, for the
endowment and erection of an hospital for the main-
tenance of poor boys and girls, after the plan of
the Orphan Hospital in Edinburgh, and John Watson's
Institution. The builo'ing can accommodate 150 boys
and 150 girls : it contains at present 218 children (112 boys aud
106 girls), of whom 120 (54 boys aud 66 girls) are deaf and dumb.
Those eligible for admission are declared to be— 1st, "Poor
children of the name of Donaldson or Marshall, if appearing to
the governors to be deserving ; " 2nd, " Such poor children as
shall appear to be in the most destitute circumstances and the
most deserving of admission." None are received w^ose parents
are able to support them. The children are clothed and
maintained in the hospital, and taught such useful branches of a
plain English education as will fit the boys for trades and the
girls for domestic service. The age of admission is from seven
to nine, and that of leaving the hospital fourteen years. The
building, which occupies a commanding position at the west end
of the city, is a large and beautiful quadrangular structure, in
the Elizabethan style, from a design by the late W. H. Playfair.
John Watson's Institution, Dean.— In the year 1759. John Watson,
Writer to the Signet, bequeathed the residue of his estate to
certain trustees, by them to be applied "to such pious and
charitable uses within the city of Edinburgh as they shall think
proper." In the year 1822 an Act of Parliament was obtained
empowering the trustees to establish and endow " an hospital for
the maintenance and education therein of destitute children, and
bringing them up to be useful members of society ; and also for
assisting in their outset in life such of them as may be thought
to deserve and require such aid." The edifice, which was
designed by Mr. William Burn, was founded in 1825, and com-
pleted in 1828. About 100 are maintained in it, who must be
fatherless and children of the better classes, such as clergymen,
officers in the army and navy, legal or medical practitioners, and
such like; when admitted, they must have completed their
seventh year but be under the age of nine. They are not retained
14
after the age of fourteen. They are instructed in English. Latin,
iJreneh, drawing, mathematics, vocal and instrumental music,
dancing, drill, &c. The establishment is under the management*
otht teen directors -the keeper and deputy-keeper of the signet,
the treasurer of the institution, and twelve commissioners of the
Writers to the Signet. The fund, which in 1781 amounted to no
less than £5,000, has been largely increased by the care and
attention of the trustees.
Fettes College, Comely Bank.— Sir William Fettes, Bart., oil
comely Bank, who was born in 1750, and died in 1836, left the
residue of his estate for an endowment for the education, main-
tenance, and outfit of young persons whose parents have died
without, leaving sufficient, funds for that purpose, or who. from
innocent misfortune during their own lives, are unable to give
suitable education to their children. For the purposes of the
enuowment, a building called " The Fettes College " has been
erected on the grounds of Comely - Bank, part of the trust
property, according to plans by the late David Bryce.Esq., R.S.A.,
architect, and was opened in October, 1870. The 'number of boys
to be admitted on tbe foundation, and maintained and educated
in the college at the expense of the endowment, is not at any one
time to exceed lifty ; but such a number of boys as the trustees
may from time to lime determine will be received as day scholars
or boarders, from whom such fees shall be exacted as sha'll be fixed
by the trustees. For the accommodation of non-foundationers,
and in connection with the college, there are four boarding-
houses, capable of receiving fiftv-flve, thirty, thirty, and eleven
hoys respectively. Tne largest "is under the superintendence of
Mr. Cotteiill, and tbe others under that of Mr. Heard, Mr.
Korster, aud Mr. Tanqueray. The system adopted is that of the
English public schoo s, and the education given is, in the full
sense of the word, libeivil, and includes, English. Latin. Greek,
modern languages, mathematics, and scientific and artistic in-
struction. Thei e is a classical and modern side.
John Watt's Hospital, Leith —The late John Watt, merchant in
Leith. by his trust disposition and settlement, dated 1827,
bequeathed the residue of his means and estate to trustees, with
directions tor the erection of an hospital in Leith, to be called
•John Watt's Hospital." It is for thereception and maintenance
of men and women of fifty-five years of age and upwards who are
in destitute circumstances, hut who are not pensioners or in
receipt of an allowance from any charitable institution except the
Parochial Boird of South Leith. The following is the order of
priority :— 1st. Persons of the name of Watt ; 2nd. Natives of
the parish of South Leith of whatever name; 3rd. Persons of
whatever name who have constantly resided in the parish of
South Leith for at least ten years preceding their admission ; and
4th. Natives of, or persons who have constantly resided in. the
city of Edinburgh, orcounty of Midlothian. TheHospital stands at ,
the south-west corner of the Links, and was opened in the '
beginning of 1862.
Cauvin's Hospital.Dudaingnton.— This institution was founded
by Louis Cauvin, teacher of French in Edinburgh, and afterwards^
farmer at Duddingston, who died in 1825, bequeathing his]
property for the erection and endowment of "an hospital for the
relief, maintenance, and education of the sons of respectable]
but poor teachers, the sons of poor but honest farmers, whom!
failing, the sons of respectable master-print ers or booksellers, andl
the sons of respectable servants in the agricultural line." this
settlement was explained and modified, and ti e governors
incorporated, by a Parliamentary statute in 1827. The manage-'
ment is in the survivors of certain individuals nominated by the
founder, and others assumed by them, and in the fb'lovving
ei-officio trustees, viz., the Lord Provost of the City, the Principal
of the Universitv, the Rector of the High School,"the Ministers of
Duddingston, Liberton, and Newton, the Proprietor of the estate
of Niddrie, aud the Factor of the Duke of Abercorn. The institu-
tion, which is situated at Duddingston, was opened in 1833, and
tie number of boys at present maintained there is eighteen. They
are required, when admitted, to be of the age of seven, and not
more than n ; ne years, and are retained for six years. They
are taught the ordinary branches of education, and Latin, Greek,
French, German, and mathematics.
The Maiden Hospital, Meadows.— This institution was founded
in 1704, by the Freemen of the Incorporated Trades, aided by
Mary Erskine, widow of James Hair, druggist. The governors
we e incorporated by statute in 1707. The management is vested
in the Deacons of the thirteen Incorporations, two Trades-Coun-
cillors, two persons of the name of Erskine, the Preses of the
Society of_ Barbers, and nine persons elected by the other
governors, in all twenty-seven. Forty-nine girls are maintained
in the institution. Those eligible for admission under presentations
held by the Trades Incorporations or the Society of Barbers of tbe
City of Edinburgh are the daughters, granddaughters, or great-
granddaughters of freemen or craftsmen, whom failing, any girl
qualified by age and otherwise presented by the holder of "the
presentation. They are required, when admitted, to be of the age
of seven, and under that of eleven years, and are not retained
above the age of seventeen. They are instructed in the English
language and grammar, in French and music, in writing, arith-
metic, geography, history, sewing and laundry work. On
leaving, each girl receives £10 and a Bible.
The Edinburgh Academy, Henderson row, was established in
1824, and incoroorated by Roval Charter from George IV. It is
a handsome building, after a d'esign by Mr. Burn, and cost £16,000.
The Academy is a day school, having "for its object to afford a good
classical and general education for boys from eight or ten to six-
teen or seventeen years of age. It originated in" a desire to havea
school in the New Town of Edinburgh, where a higher standard
"f classical instruction should be adopted than was then common
in Scottish schools, and where instruction in classics should be
systematically combined with all the other branches of study,
which are essential elements in a sound and complete education.
The requisite capital was raised chiefly by gentlemen resident in
Edinburgh, in shares of £50 each ; and the present commodious
building was erected in an open situation to the north of the New
Town. It contains nine large and well-aired class-rooms, with