WELCOME TO EDINBURGH in 1774-1775

The following analysis presents a glimpse of Edinburgh as it existed in 1774, with a more complete picture to follow at the earliest opportunity. It is based upon the transcription of the Post Office Directory for Edinburgh and Leith for 1774-1775.  This reveals the domestic quarters of those who have submitted details to the Directory’s publisher, for Edinburgh itself.  Whilst the 4,531 entries represents less than ten per cent of Edinburgh’s population, nevertheless, it provides a glimpse of Edinburgh's  residents for this period and reveals Edinburgh's more fashionable areas. At this time, Edinburgh is still mainly confined to the area of the Old Town, as revealed in a map of 1780, attributed to John Ainslie (1745-1828):                  http://maps.nls.uk/towns/detail.cfm?id=413  [National Library for Scotland].

The following table identifies where those people with titles are to be found, revealing those more fashionable places.

title	name	from	ADDRESS	tag	name	tag of name
Countess	Sutherland Countess	of Drumcleugh	?
Earl	Glasgow Earl of		Abbey
Lady	Glenorchie Lady		Abbey
Lord	Napier Lord		Abbey
Captain	Gunning John		Abbey
Earl	Bredalbine Earl of		Abbey Strand
Sir	Cunningham Sir William		Abbeyhill
Lady	Montgomery Lady		Abbeyhill
Lady	Cunningham Lady Mary		Abbeyhill
Colonel	Skene Colonel		Abbeyhill
Lady	Sinclair Lady		Adam's Court		Adam's Court
Lord	Gray Lord John		Adam's Square		Adam's Square
Sir	Dalrymple Sir John		Alison's Square		Alison's Square
Lady	Rutherfurd Lady		Alison's Square		Alison's Square
Sir	Suttie Sir George		Argyle's Square		Argyle's Square
Lady	Trelowny Lady		Argyle's Square		Argyle's Square
Lady	Whitefoord Lady		Argyle's Square		Argyle's Square
Right Honourable	James Erskine	of Alva	Argyle's Square		Argyle's Square
Lady	Forbes Lady		Bailie Fyfe's Close		Bailie Fyfe's Close
Captain	Norris Captain		Baxter's Close		Baxter's Close	uppermost
Earl	Kelly the Earl of		Bell's Wynd		Bell's Wynd
Captain	Pitcairn Cap. George		Bess Wynd		Bess Wynd	head
Lady	Lovat Lady		Blackfrair's Wynd		Blackfrair's Wynd
Captain	Nairn Captain Thomas		Blackfrair's Wynd		Blackfrair's Wynd
Lady	Carnegy Lady		Bridge Street		Bridge Street
Lady	Currie Lady		Bristo Street		Bristo Street
Lady	Cairnmuir Lady		Bristo Street		Bristo Street
Doctor	Jarvie Doctor		Bristo Street		Bristo Street
Lady	Agnew Lady		Brown's Square		Brown's Square
Lady	Elliot Lady		Brown's Square		Brown's Square
Colonel	Erikine Charles		Campbell's Close		Campbell's Close
Captain	Balingal David		Canal Street		Canal Street
Duke	Queensberry The Duke of		Canongate			foot
Lady	Kilmahew Lady		Canongate		Boyd's Close
Lady	Huntington Lady		Canongate		Campbell's Close
Sir	Wemyss Sir James		Canongate		Campbell's Land
Captain	Gibson James		Canongate		Charters's Close
Sir	Seton Sir Hugh	of Touch	Canongate		Chessals's Court
Lady	Gordon Lady		Canongate		Duncan's Close
Lady	Home Lady Jane		Canongate		Duncan's Land
Right Honourable	Henry Home	of Kaims	Canongate		New Street
Sir	Sir David Dalrymple	of Hales	Canongate		New Street
Colonel	Gordon George		Canongate		Reid's Close
Rev	Falconer William		Canongate		Sommerville's Close
Lady	Campbell Lady. Mary		Canongate		Taylor's Land
Sir	Grant Sir James		Canongate	foot
Lady	Milton Lady		Canongate	foot
Captain	Wood William		Canongate	foot
Lady	Duffus Lady		Canongate	south back
Captain	Ged Dougal		Carrubber's Close		Carrubber's Close
Major	Alva Basil		Castle
Lady	Hume Lady		Castlehill
Sir	Preston Sir George		Castlehill
Honourable	Gordon the Honourable Alexander senior		Castlehill
Right Honourable	George Brown	of Colfton	Castlehill
Lieutenant Colonel	Horn David		Castlehill
Lieutenant	Wemyss Lieutenant		Castlehill		Castle
Lady	Pitfour Lady		Causey Side
Lady	Wood Lady		Causey Side
Earl	Murray the Earl of		Chapel Street		Chapel Street
Captain	Lyon Captain Andrew		Chapel Street		Chapel Street
Sir	Bruce Sir David		Charles's Close		Charles's Close
Lady	Poufouls Lady		Charles's Street		Charles's Street
Lady	Rae Lady		Charles's Street		Charles's Street
Captain	Stewart David		coach road to Leith
Right Honourable	Gilbert Laurie		Cowgate		Baxter's Close
Lady	Carnegie Lady Mary		Cowgate		Baxter's Close	foot
Right reverend	Fraser James		Craig's Close		Craig's Close
Lady	Sinclair Lady		Crichton's Street		Crichton's Street
Captain	Cuihbert Thomas		Croft Angry
General	M'Kay General		Dean	in the
Lady	Balcarras Lady		Dickson's Close		Dickson's Close
Lady	Alva Lady		Drumfeugh
Lady	Colvill		Drumfeugh
Lady	Lockhart Lady		Fountain Bridge
General	Colvill Charles		Fountain Bridge
Lady	Erskine Lady Charlotte		Gayfield
Sir	M'Dougall Sir George- Hay		George's Square		George's Square
Honourable Captain	Napier The honourable Captain Charles		George's Square		George's Square
Lady	Philiphaugh Lady		George's Square		George's Square
Right Honourable	John Campbell	of Stonefield	George's Square		George's Square
General	Abercrornbie James		George's Square		George's Square
Right Honourable	Andrew Pringle	of Alemoor	Hawkhill	at
Lord	Caithness Lord		Hermitage
Sir	Ingiis Sir John		Horse Wynd		Horse Wynd
Right Honourable	Robert Bruce	of Kennet	Horse Wynd		Horse Wynd
Captain	Grant Archibald		Horse Wynd		Horse Wynd
Sir	Threipland Sir Stewart		Horse Wynd		Horse Wynd
Captain	Horseburgh Edwin		Jack's Close		Jack's Close
Right Honourable	James Veitch	of Elliock	Jock's Lodge	at
Captain	Armstrong Capt. and Son	& Son	John's Coffee House		John's Coffee House
Lord	Elphingston Lord Charles		Kirk Brae Head
Lady	Forbes Lady		Laurieston
Captain	Maitland Captain		Laurieston
Captain	Ferguson James		Lawnmarket		Gavinloch's Land
Lady	Campbell Lady Harriot		Lawnmarket		Riddle's Close
Dr	Neilson Dr John		Lawnmarket		Riddle's Land
Lady	M'Kenzie Lady Ann		Leith Wynd		Leith Wynd
Right Honourable	James Fergufon	of Pitfour	Luckenbooth
Sir	Elliot Sir Francis		Meadows	back
Lord	Lauderdale Lord		Meal Market Stairs
Lady	Stewart Lady	of Grantiilie	Milln's Court		Milln's Court
Major	Chalmers Major John		Milln's Court		Milln's Court
Lady	March the Ladies of	of March	Milln's Square		Milln's Square
Sir	Sime James		Monteith's Close		Monteith's Close
Right Honourable	Robert Orde		New Edinburgh
Lady	Maxwell Lady	of Monrieth	New Street		New Street
Colonel	Campbell Robert		New Street		New Street
Earl	Leven the Earl of		Nicolson's Square		Nicolson's Square
Lady	Nisbet Lady	of Dean	Nicolson's Square		Nicolson's Square
Major	Johnstone Major James		Nicolson's Street		Nicolson's Street
Dr	Monro Dr Alexander		Nicolson's Street		Nicolson's Street	opposite the pillar
Lady	Beakie Lady		Niddery's Wynd		Niddery's Wynd
Sir	Colquhoun Sir George		Old Assembly Close		Old Assembly Close
Lady	Forbes Lady	of Napierly	Old Play House Close		Old Play House Close
Sir	Forbes Sir William, Hunter & Co	& Co.	Parliament Close		Parliament Close
Right Honourable	Alexander Bofwell	of Auchinleck	Parliament Close		Parliament Close
Lady	Campbell Lady	of Lochnell	Paterson's Court		Paterson's Court
Sir	Colquhoun Sir James		Peeble's Wynd		Peeble's Wynd
Captain	Elliot William		Pleasance	head
Captain	Dalrymple Hugh		Potter Row		Potter Row
Lady Dowager	Dalrymple Lady Dowager		Potter Row		Potter Row	foot
Lady	Penlop-Crichton Lady		President Stairs
Lady	Maxwell Lady	of Pollock	Prince's Street		Prince's Street
Captain	Defcury		Prince's Street		Prince's Street
Sir	Crawford Sir Hugh		Red Braes
Captain	Barclay James		Silver Mills
Lady	Sandiside Lady		Skinner's Close		Skinner's Close
Lady	Sinclair Lady		Smith's Land		Smith's Land
Major	Hamilton Major	of Fairholm	Society
Sir	Ferguson Sir Adam		St Andrew's Square		St Andrew's Square
Sir	Whitefoord Sir John		St Andrew's Square		St Andrew's Square
Countess Dowager	Leven the Countess Dowager of		St Andrew's Street		St Andrew's Street
Sir	McDonald Sir Alexander		St Andrew's Street		St Andrew's Street
Captain	Hay John		St Andrew's Street		St Andrew's Street
Honourable	Wemyss the Honourable James of Wemyss		St John's Street		St John's Street
Sir	Stewart Sir John		St John's Street		St John's Street
Captain	White John		St John's Street		St John's Street	foot
Earl	Aboyne the Earl of		St John's Street		St John's Street
Honourable Mrs	Hamilton the honourable Mrs		St John's Street		St John's Street
Sir	Henderson Sir Robert		St John's Street		St John's Street
Lady	Rae Lady		St John's Street		St John's Street
Lord	Selkirk Lord		St John's Street		St John's Street
Lady	Wishaw Lady		St John's Street		St John's Street
Earl	Hyndford Earl of		St John's Street		St John's Street
Right Honourable	James Burnett	of Monboddo	St John's Street		St John's Street
Right Honourable	Francis Garden	of Gardenston	St Katharines	at
Captain	Campbell Robert		St Mary's Wynd		St Mary's Wynd
Honourable Miss	M'Kay the Honourable Mifs		Teviot Row		Teviot Row
Colonel	Scott Francis		Teviot Row		Teviot Row
Captain	Corbet Wajter		Theatre		Theatre	back
Sir	Chalmers Sir George		Thistle Court		Thistle Court
Lieutenant	McLean Lieutenant Murdoch		Trunk Close		Trunk Close
Lady	Nisbet Lady		Twopenny Custom
Dr	Drummond Dr		Wardrope's Court		Wardrope's Court
Lieutenant	Drummond Lewis		Warriston's Close		Warriston's Close
Captain	Fraser Simon		West Bow
Right Honourable	Alexander Frafer	of Strichen	Whitehouse		Whitehouse

Aside from the prominence of some of it residents, the analysis reveals a cosmopolitan city with a rich variety of occupations within Edinburgh, a number of which are no longer to be commonly found (e.g. a 'sword slipper', snuff miller, soap boiler, macer and baxter, as well as makers of 'grave clothes', mantuas, stays, whips, combs, 'harpsicord and spinet' and 'looking glass'). The Scotland's People's website provides definitions of some of this disused occupational terminology.  Teachers include those covering French (5), English (5), Mathematics (3) and music (4). Monsieur Angelo promotes himself as a 'fencing and riding master'.  Lieutenant Wemyss is the Governor of the Castle. Nine Professor's are listed including Dr Drummond, living in Wardrope's Court, who is Professor of medicine. There are 244 grocers, though appear to be widely distributed, but only 31 bakers and 6 trading in 'spirits', which includes one who is also a printer. Of the 130 stablers, 27 are in the Grassmarket. Rented accommodation is readily to be found in the 207 'room setters', who are the most prominent of those renting out accommodation. Likewise, ten out of 18 jewellers are to be found in Parliament Close and five of the 21 glovers are in Creams. A significant 60 merchants, out of a total of 287, are located in the, now long gone, Luckenbooths., with 16 being found in the Exchange. Whilst 17 of the 26 Fleshers are in the Canongate, it is unclear where they are located. There is a total of 214 shoe makers listed, with 31 located in Calton, 28 in St Ninian's Row and 27 in Canongate. Some locations are clearly upmarket (e.g. St John's Street), whilst others are clearly more industrial (e.g. Calton). This mapping of what goes on in Edinburgh strongly suggests that location is an important issue for what is to be found.

This analysis forms part of a larger project, which looks at the Royal Mile for the years 1774, 1814, 1864, 1914 and 1964, as well as the annual survey for the years spanning 2011 to 2015. Material, including reports, will become available at the earliest opportunity.

A note on the transcription process: The variant spellings have been standardised to that variant most prevalent. Further, the use of the character ‘f’ for ‘s’ has, in most cases, been amended to give the more  familiar form.  Whilst every effort has been made to minimise the likelihood of error during this transcription process, this does not exclude the possibility of errors being found.