caithness-1911/05_201

Transcription

INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS, ETC., IN COUNTY OF CAITHNESS. [Page] 117

PARISH OF THURSO.

The monogram and arms indicate that the house was the property
of David Murray of Clairden, who married Janet, daughter of John

[Drawing inserted]
FIG. 27. - Carved Mantelpiece in Old House, Bank Street, Thurso (No. 425).

Cunningham of Brownhill and Geise. He was a person of consider-
able note, and died in 1686.
On the front wall adjoining the fireplace there is a solidly built flat
buttress extending from the ground to the eaves; this seems to be
intended to compensate the vacancy made in the wall by the large
fireplace and its flue, as in bulk the buttress about equals the space of
the fireplace.
See Caithness Family History, p. 197.
O.S.M., CAITH., v. Visited, 18th September 1910.

426. Old House, Shore Street, Thurso. - On the N. side of Shore
Street, Thurso, is an old 17th-century dwelling of picturesque appear-
ance (pl. XL.). It is a two-storeyed building 57' in length, with a
circular turret 6' 6" in diameter, standing out in the centre of the
frontage, containing the stair that communicates with the houses on
the upper floor. On the skew-put of the W. gable at the S. side are
the initials D.W.K.R. and the date 1686.
O.S.M., CAITH., v. Visited, 21st September 1910.

427. Carved Mantelpiece in Old House, Davidson's Entry, Thurso. -
At the end of the alley which runs W. from Davidson's Entry is an
old house with its back to Bank Street. Architecturally it presents no
feature of interest, but in a room on the first floor is a fine old carved
mantelpiece of stone (fig. 28), dating probably from the end of the 17th
or early 18th century. It is 4' in length by 1' 1" in depth. Along the
top runs an egg enrichment. In the centre of the panel beneath is
a shield bearing arms :- a cross engrailed in the first canton : an eagle
head erased contourné ; in the second the initials GMM ; and in