edinburgh-1951/-03_083

Transcription

HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION

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Within the next half-century the supply was again increased by the collection, in seven reservoirs, of water from the N. side of the Pentlands. In 1869 the Edinburgh Water Company transferred their undertaking to the Edinburgh and District Water Trust; ten years later that body tapped a source in the Moorfoot Hills, and in 105 another at Talla. Cf. Edinburgh corporation, The Water Supply of Edinburgh.

6. THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE NEW TOWN

The origin of the modern city's development must be looked for in the second half of the 17th century. by that t ime the capital was thoroughly overcrowded; circumscribed as it was by walls within which all burgesses were bound to maintain a resident (;. lv), its congestion could not be materially relieved until the valleys to the north and south were bridged and the lands beyond them brought into easy reach of the centre of the town. As early as 1888 l Lord Provost Sir Magnus Spence made a journey to Whitehall and there secured the powers necessary for extension; while to help matters on the Town was permitted to appropriate towards the bridging project any surplus and interest that might accrue from the Moodie mortification (cf. No. 89), together with the proceeds, which had hitherto gone to the Crown, of licenses permitting cellars and vaults to be constructed under the thoroughfares. But the Revolution immediately followed, and the proposed extension had to be postponed. Nevertheless, two improvement schemes, Milne's square and the Milne's Court (No. 12), were carried out by private enterprise at this time - both on sites within the town which were cleared for the purpose.

The general prosperity which came to the country in the course of the 18th century was not reflected in the buildings of the Capital until a comparatively late date, as only small scattered areas were available for development within the royalty of the burgh. Among the earlier improvements of the 18th century may be mentioned James Court (No. 13) constructed in 1707; Argyle Square, now covered by the Royal Scottish Museum, which followed in 1742; Adam Square, which rose twenty years later at the N.E. corner of the present Chambers Street, together with St. John's Street and New Street, both in Canongate. But the scheme of 1688 had not been entirely forgotten. From time to tome proposals for extension were revived, notably by the far-seeing Lord Provost Drummond, whose first term of office began in 1725. At first these proposals met with considerable opposition, but extension could not be indefinitely delayed as Edinburgh was fast becoming more congested than any other town in Europe. Although its main streets were broad they were encroached on by the markets; the closes and wynds were so steep, narrow and filthy as to be intolerable nuisances; and their crowded, lofty houses, served by dark and dirty common stairs, stood so close together that the supply of light and fresh air was quite inadequate. Moreover, there were hardly any public buildings of importance, such as a capital city might be expected to possess; for although by the middle of the century Edinburgh was as prosperous as any town other than London she still possessed no suitable Exchange for her merchants, who chose to transact their business in the open air round about the Market Cross (no. 61), nor was there a Record Office or any adequate meeting-place for the magistrates, the Town council, or the Convention of Royal Burghs. Drummond's second term of office began in 1746, while the country was still disturbed by the Jacobite rebellion, and it was not until after 1752, in his third term as Lord Provost, that anything effective could be done. In this year the convention of Royal Burghs pledged their powerful support to proposals for improvement.

In the proposals,as set out in a pamphlet written by Sir Gilbert Elliot (cf.p. 109) public health and convenience took second place to civic pride. As agreed upon by committees chosen by the Town council, the Lords of Session, the Barons of Exchequer, the Faculty of Advocates and the Clerks to the Signet, the improvements were to include the building of an Exchange (No. 23) on the site of ruinous property on the N. side of the High Street and the provision of accommodation for the Law Courts, the Royal Burghs, the Town council, the

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1 O.E.C., xxii, pp. 170-2.

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