Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/891

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EDINBURGH. SSI EDINBTJEOHSHIRE. endowment and erection of a hospital for the mainte- nance of poor boys and girls, after the plan of the orphan hospital in Edinburgh and JohnAVatson's institution. The building, which occupies a commanding position at theW. end of the city, is a large and beautiful quadrangular structure in the Elizabethan style, from a design by the late W. H. Play fair. It was finished in 1851, and covers a space of 258 feet by 207, containing a court of 176 feet by 104. The hospital can accommodate 300 children, whom it maintains and clothes, but in 1861 contained only 177, of whom 72 (45 boys and 27 girls) are deaf and" dumb. Besides the above, are numerous other foundations, as the Orphan hospital, Trades' Maiden hospital, Cauvin's hospital, at Duddingston, for tho maintenance and education of boys, being the sons of respectable but poor teachers and poor but honest far- mers, &c. ; James Gillespie's hospital and free-school ; Fettes's endowment for the maintenance, education, and outfit of young people whose parents have either died or are through misfortune unable to give suitable educa- tion to their children : the management of the charity is d in trustees. Chalmers's hospital, for the sick and hurt, recently erected in Laurieston. Edinburgh school for blind children. Society for the Industrious Blind ; this asylum continues to depend principally for its sup- port on the annual bounty of the citizens, and the sale of goods manufactured by the blind. The number of inmates in 1861 was upwards of 120; nearly one- third of the male members are married, and their families are also maintained by means of the charity. The Edinburgh Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, established in 1810. Edinburgh Deaf and Dumb Benevolent Society, insti- tuted in 1835. The Edinburgh Association for Improving the Lodging-houses of the Working Classes, instituted in 1841. The first house was opened in September, 1X41. These establishments, of which, in 1861, there were three belonging to the association, are called " Victoria Lodging-houses," and for the small sum of 3d. per night accommodate the lodger with a comfortable bed, a kitchen, and utensils for cooking and taking his food, and

i sitting-room, containing a select library. The other

I benevolent institutions and clubs, with the religious and missionary societies, of Edinburgh are too numerous for even a bare mention. Although not a manufacturing town, Edinburgh has several ancient guilds or trades union, first incorporated by James III. so early as the niddle of the 15th century. The Lord Dean of Guild is still an important officer, holding his separate court; and burgess-ship is considered an indispensable qualifi- cation for the office of councillor. There are fourteen incorporated trades, which were formerly represented in the town-council, and still form a separate guild, under the title of the " Office-bearers and Deacons of the Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh." These com- i prise the goldsmiths, skinners, farriers, hammermen, 1 wrights, masons, tailors, bakers, fieshers, cordiners, websters, waulkers, and bonnet-makers. The weavers, dyers, and cloth-dressers, &c., form another guild, I entitled, " The Convenery of Canongate," and were incorporated by royal charter, Charles I., 1630. The incorporated trades of the barony of Caltou form a [(third body, with separate constitution and officers. The jjcandlemakers and barbers also enjoy, by virtue of ancient I icharters, the usual privileges of incorported trades, but JhTere not represented in the convenery or town-council. IJThe Merchants' Company, established by royal charter, IJ1681, is intimately connected with the guildry, and has [(the virtual patronage of three important public charities. |lThe last Act of Parliament regulating this society is dated 28th May, 1827, and fixes the entry-money at 63, with rlprivilege to admit into the society " all persons being ((merchants, burgesses, and guild-brethren, or entitled to 1 1* chosen merchant-councillors or magistrates of the Wtity of Edinburgh." Besides these ancient trades, liiiodern ingenuity has introduced various other manu- I iUctures, employing as many if not more hands than the I J rivileged trades, as silk - weaving, stockings, glass, <otton, shawls, golf-balls, chairs, coach-building, hair, pron, brass, jewellery, linen, nails, rope, twiners, and 1 TOL. i. weavers ; but the great industry of Edinburgh is con- nected with the learned professions and literature, in- cluding lawyers, clergy, school-teachers, teachers of music, painters, sculptors, authors, publishers, book- sellers, engravers, die-sinkers, type-founders, and printers, who together constitute a larger proportion of the popu- lation than are engaged in similar pursuits in any other town of the United Kingdom, except London. The publishing trade alone is not far from being the staple manufacture of the Scotch metropolis, employing six large establishments, entirely devoted to wholesale or number publishing, besides agencies, for several others, and thirty firms which combine publishing with re- tail bookselling. These together bring out many pon- derous and standard works, at an enormous expense, besides an unrivalled series of periodicals, including the Edinburgh Iteview, first skirted in 1802, North British Review, Blackicood's Edinburgh Magazine, British and Foreign Evangelical Review, Edinburgh Philosophical Maga- zine, Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, Mont Id ij Medical Journal, Medical and Surgical Journal, Edinburgh Medical Journal, Macphail's Magazine, Chambers 1 Edinburgh Jour- nal, Scottish Congregational Magazine, News of the Churches, Home and foreign Record- of the Free Church, Missionary Record of the United Presbyterian Church, Scottish Christian Journal, Christian Treasury, llotjffs Instructor, British Mothers' Magazine, the Bulwark, and the Evangelist. The Edinburgh newspapers are daily, the Evening Courant, and the Caledon inn Mercury, which succeeded the Merciiriun Scotims, published first in 1651, and were onco edited by Defoe and Uuddiman respectively, the Scotsman, which has the largest circulation, tho Daily Review, and the North Briton ; twice a week, the Edinburgh Gazette, Advertiser, and Evening Post, and the Scottish Press ; weekly, the Edin- burgh Guardian, Edinburgh News, North British Advertiser, North British Agriculturist, Northern Standard, Lady' s Own Journal, Scottish Railway Gazette, and the Scottish Tribune. The names illustrious in history and literature con- nected with Edinburgh are too numerous even to mention, but amongst those born in the city were James I. of Eng- land ; Archbishop Leighton, Bishop Burnett ; Law, the financier, Dr. Pitcairn, Keith, the mathematician ; Ncsbit, the antiquary ; the tvo Blairs ; Dr. Campbell, author of "Lives of the Admirals;" Dalrymple, second Earl of Stair ; Dalrymple Lord Hailes ; Davies, author of the Life of Garrick ; Boswell, author of the Life of Johnson ; Dr. Gumming, the antiquary ; Eobert Ferguson, the poet ; Dugald Stewart ; Raeburn, the painter ; Dr. Allan, the painter; Alison, Sir Walter Scott, Sir D. Baird, Sir C. Bell ; P. Nasmyth, the painter ; T. Drum- mond, and Lord Brougham, besides numerous other worthies. In the vicinity of Edinburgh are several interesting and pleasant spots, as Bruntsfield Links, where golf is played ; Craigmillar Castle, Merchiston, Craigcrook, and the caves of Hawthornden. Edinburgh is divided into five districts for the registration of births, deaths, and marriages, viz. St. George's, St. Andrew's, Canongate, St. Giles's, and Newington. The markets are both numerous and well supplied, the grand market day both for corn and cattle being Wednesday; the former held in the spacious corn-market built in the Grass Market, and tho latter in tho triangular space between Westport, Lady Lawson's-wynd, and Laurieston-placc. Town markets are also held daily in the large area under the North Bridge, as also at West Nicholson- street, Stockbridge, and Dublin-street. Races take place in August, on an oval course of little more than 1{ mile, at Musselburgh, 6 miles from Edinburgh. EDINBURGHSHIRE, or MID-LOTHIAN, a sea- side co. in the S.E. of Scotland, lying between N. lat. 55 39' 30" and 55 59' 20", and between W. long. 2 52' and 3 45' 10". It is bounded on the E. by Haddington, on the S.E. by Berwick, on the S. by Selkirk and Peebles, on the S.W. by Lanark, on the W. by Linlith- gow and the river Almond, and on the N. by the Frith of Forth. It extends from E. to W. 36 miles, from N. to S. 18 miles, with a circuit of 108 miles, of which 12 are coast line. Its area is 397 square miles, or 254,300 acres, of which more than two-thirds are cultivated, 5 u