This is a very informal collection of snippets and references to Pilrig's history. Please email further suggestions or queries, especially photos.

John Dick Peddie and Charles G. H. Kinnear

Pilkington was not the only Edinburgh architect to cater for those with robust tastes. John Dick Peddie and Charles G. H. Kinnear, better known as classical and baronial designers respectively, were responsible for Pilrig Free Church, Edinburgh, with its tall spire, double transepts with aggressive mincer plate tracery in the Samuel Sanders Tuelon manner, built in 1861-63. Of the same family, but plainer, is their Hope Park United Presbyterian Church, St. Andrews of 1864. In the following decade, Peddie and Kinnear were responsible for a number of Germanic Romanesque churches of which Bonnygate Unite Presbyterian at Cupar ( 1876 ) and East Linton Free ( 1879 ) survive. Whether or not these churches reflect the fact that both architects were indefatigable continental travellers, or the completion of the architectural education of the younger Peddie, John More Dick Peddie, in Germany is difficult to say. [http://www.govanold.org.uk/reports/1993_church_design.html]

COTTIER, Daniel (1838-1891)

Daniel Cottier started his career at the age of 14 when he was apprenticed to John Cairney & Co in Glasgow where he learnt the trade of decorating, glass staining and embossing. He later worked in London where he came in contact with the design concepts of the William Morris studio. His distinctive style developed early and is evident in his earliest known commission for Pilrig Parish Church, Leith Walk, Edinburgh, completed when he was just 25.
He married Marian Miller Field in 1866. Presumably they met while he was working with Field and Allan on the stained-glass windows of Pilrig Church
A couple of years later, his work on the Townhead Parish Church, Glasgow, resulted in a string of further further commissions for decoration and glass, the first of which was from Alexander 'Greek' Thompson for Holmwood House (now owned by the National Trust for Scotland). Cottier also had a long and fruitful association with William Leiper, including work on Kirktonhill in Dumbarton, Woodside in Loch Goil, the United Presbyterian Church in Dowanhill, Cairndhu House in Helensburgh. His status as Scotland's most original decorator was firmly established with his work for Thomson on the Queen's Park United Presbyterian Church, Glasgow.
Cottier's business flourished and he was able to open headquarters in London and branches in New York and Sydney. He moved to Australia to live and in the latter part of his life, worked as an art dealer specialising in introducing the Aesthetic Movement to interior design in the USA and Australia. His studio continued to produce his designs after his death.
[http://www.knockderry.co.uk/who.html]

ELDER, John newspaper offfice Edinburgh of the Caledonian Mercury 1827-35.
6 Shrub Place 1827-30
2 Pilrig Place 1835
Edin Dir
[http://www.nls.ac.uk/catalogues/sbti/SBTI_E.htm]

Eduardo Paolozzi was born in Leith in 1924 to Italian immigrant parents. After beginning his education at Leith Walk School and Holy Cross Academy he went on to attend evening classes at the Edinburgh College of Art.

MACKINLAY, Charles. Thus, in 1847, Charles Mackinlay & Co. was born. It is said that young Mr. Charles used to enjoy a round of golf on the nearby course at Leith, and it was to match this sporting spirit that he conceived The Original Mackinlay. Charles was appointed a Baillie of the Leith town council in 1849. He was later offered a provostship but declined owing to ill health. Having built a highly successful distilling company, Charles died, aged 58, at 14 Pilrig Street, Leith, in 1867.
[http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~mckinlay/whisky.html]

HAMILTON, Robert (1743—1829), Scottish economist and mathematician, was born at Pilrig, Edinburgh, on the 11th of June 1743. His grandfather, William Hamilton, principal of Edinburgh University, had been a professor of divinity. Having completed his education at the university of Edinburgh, where he was distinguished in mathematics, Robert was induced to enter a banking-house in order to acquire a practical knowledge of business, but his ambition was really academic. In 1769 he gave up business pursuits and accepted the rectorship of Perth academy. In 1779 he was presented to the chair of natural philosophy at Aberdeen University. For many years, however, by private arrangement with his colleague Professor Copland, Hamilton taught the class of mathematics. In 1817 he was presented to the latter chair.

Hamilton’s most important work is the Essay on the National Debt, which appeared in 1813 and was undoubtedly the first to expose the economic fallacies involved in Pitt’s policy of a sinking fund. It is still of value. A posthumous volume published in 1830, The Progress of Society, is also of great ability, and is a very effective treatment of economical principles by tracing their natural origin and position in the development of social life. Some minor works of a practical character (Introduction to Merchandise, 1777; Essay on War and Peace, 1790) are now forgotten.
[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org]

BLAIKIE, WILLIAM GARDEN (1820-1899), Scottish divine, was born on the 5th of February 1820, at Aberdeen, where his father had been the first provost of the reformed corporation. After studying at the Marischal College, where Alexander Bain and David Masson were among his contemporaries, he went in 1839 to Edinburgh to complete his theological course under Thomas Chalmers. In 1842 he was presented to the living of Drumblade by Lord Kintore, with whose family he was connected. The Disruption controversy reached its climax immediately afterwards, and Blaikie, whose sympathies were entirely with Chalmers, was one of the 474 ministers who signed the deed of demission and gave up their livings. He was Free Church minister at Pilrig, between Edinburgh and Leith, from 1844 to 1868. Keenly interested in questions of social reform, his first publication was a pamphlet, which was afterwards enlarged into a book called Better Days for Working People. It received public commendation from Lord Brougham, and 60,000 copies were sold. He formed an association for providing better homes for working people, and the Pilrig Model Buildings were erected. He also undertook the editorship of the Free Church Magazine, and then that of the North British Review, which he carried on until 1863. In 1864 he was asked to undertake the Scottish editorship of the Sunday Magazine, and for this magazine much of his most characteristic literary work was done, especially in the editorial notes, then a new feature in magazine literature.

In 1868 Blaikie was called to the chair of apologetics and pastoral theology at New College, Edinburgh. In dealing with the latter subject he was seen at his very best. He had wide experience, a comprehensive grasp of facts, abundant sympathy, an extensive knowledge of men, and a great capacity for teaching. In 1870 he was one of two representatives chosen from the Free Church of Scotland to attend the united general assembly of the Presbyterian churches of the United States. He prolonged his visit to make a thorough acquaintance with American Presbyterianism, and this, followed by a similar tour in Europe, fitted him to become the real founder of the Presbyterian Alliance. Much of his strength in the later years of life was given to this work. In 1892 he was elected to the chairmanship of the general assembly, the last of the moderators who had entered the church before the disruption. In 1897 he resigned his professorship, and died on the 11th of June 1899.

Blaikie was an ardent philanthropist, and an active and intelligent temperance reformer, in days when this was far from easy. He raised £14,000 for the telief of the Waldensian churches. Although he took an active part in the affairs of his denomination, he was not a mere ecclesiastic. He had a keen eye for the evidences of spiritual growth or decline, and emphasized the need of maintaining a high level of spiritual life. He welcomed Moody to Scotland, and the evangelist made his headquarters with him during his first visit. His best books are The Work of the Ministry-A Manual of Homiletic and Pastoral Theology (1873); The Books of Samuel in the Expositors’ Bible Series (2 vols.); The Personal Life of David Livingstone (1880); After Fifty Years (1893), an account of the Disruption Movement in the form of letters of a grandfather; Thomas Chalmers (1896). ‘ (D. MN.) [http://1911encyclopedia.org/]

Balfour, James (of Pilrig). (1705-95.) A Scottish jurist and philosophical writer. He was appointed professor of moral philosophy in Edinburgh University, 1754, and of law, 1764. He became the friend of Hume. [http://www.yorku.ca/dept/psych/classics/Baldwin/Dictionary/B1defs.htm]

Joan Melville Balfour Bequest

A solicitor winding up the estate of the late Miss Joan Melville Balfour, the last of the Pilrig Balfours, has made several items of great local interest available: a substantial Balfour family tree (50x60cm), a history of The Balfours of Pilrig (published 1907), a family photo album and documents relating to the transfer of Pilrig House and Park to the then Corporation of Edinburgh. We are extremely grateful to the late Miss Balfour and her solicitor Denise Drammis.
To consult please send email with details of your interest.

Anecdote

"The most remarkable circumstance about this Author, is a fact which is very humiliating to his country. The celebrated Mr. David Hume was a candidate for the Moral Philosophy Class in the University of Edinburgh, along with Mr. James Balfour of Pilrig. Fanaticism was then very prevalent in Scotland. It was objected to Mr. Hume, that he had a liberal way of thinking; but his opponent have no such fault, the patrons of the University did not fail to promote him. A man of the greatest learning and genius, of the most exemplary virtue, and of the most amiable manners, was postponed to a rival, who, in all these qualities, was infinitely inferior to him. The University of Edinburgh felt a disgrace, which it will never recover. Hume in defeat, was more glorious than his successful antagonist; and while they are mentioned in connection, the latter must necessarily be exhibited in a light that is most supremely ridiculous."
[Anecdotes of James Balfour, European Magazine and London Review, Vol. 3, pp. 39-40]

Extract Balfour Family Tree

Pilrig House Restoration

Pilrig House was restored in the 1980s by Iain Stewart, Scottish-trained architect, now with independent practice in France. His restoration of Pilrig House won The Times Conservation Award.
[http://perso.club-internet.fr/istewart/]

Letter from a visitor to Pilrig House

Extract from a letter to Eleanor Mary James from her mother-in-law Susan Eleanor James [Concerning a visit to Pilrig House]

Womersley
Doncaster
Yorkshire
23 August, 1928

“We went down Princess Street this morning & did some shopping & this afternoon we went to tea with the Balfour-Melvilles at Pilrig - they are two old women, cousins of Aunt Pattys [this reference to “cousins of Aunt Pattys” is because Eleanor James was well acquainted with Patty and would understand the relationship*], it is such a lovely old house - a peel tower which was added to hundreds of years ago - with such lovely old rooms all paneled ! & carvings & window seats & little windows in odd corners - quite charming, & a lovely old stone staircase, all curved lines. I should love a house like that, & there is no direct heir, it goes to a nephew who knows nothing about it, & is not a Balfour-Melville at all except on his mother’s side. The old gardens are perfect too, the park has been sold for a public park, & it all lies in the slums between Edinburgh & Leith, you go in at big gates off a crowded street, & a long long drive, & then this beautiful old house, as quiet as if it was miles in the country. I suppose when the boy gets it he will sell it for building sites! - it does seem a shame. We had tea in the garden & such beautiful old silver! I do wish you could have been there.

[letter continues on other subjects]

* Patty James was the aunt of James Lancelot James, Eleanor’s husband

[unpublished letter in possesion of Susan (James) Huggard]

Pilrig Model Buildings

This is how Edinburgh's oldest colonies in Shaw's Street, Terrace and Place were originally known. Built in 1850* to "provide improved dwellings for the working classes" and to aid their "spiritual and temporal improvement", they let "capitalists and others see how things may be done, so as to yield a fair remuneration for capital". Benefiting from good internal and external design, they served as model and inspiration for many similar developments in Edinburgh and elsewhere in Britain and hold a unique and important place in the social history of Edinburgh and the UK.
"In visiting the working classes, I have often to ascend long and dark stairs, or to descend into damp cellars, where it is felt to be a calamity to have a sense of smell. In visiting these model houses, the sensation is quite the opposite […] We thus cherish the hope that, […] these houses may become model buildings for the workings classes, in every sense of the word"
[Henry Roberts in Examples of Efforts in Scotland to Provide Improved Dwellings for the Working Classes - p779ff Transactions of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science 1860]

* some ten years before the better-known Stockbridge Colonies were built

Egg Grading Station

This quaint building formed part of the corner block at 7-9 Arthur Street. It was demolished in early summer 2001. Little seems to be known about the work that went on in the building.

11 Pilrig Street

In 1962 the Edinburgh and District Shetland Association bought Glendinnings' Ballroom at 11 Pilrig Street (off Leith Walk) to use as their headquarters. This newly-acquired property was re-named The Zetland Hall. It was sold in 1983. One of the reasons for the sale was that the oil industry in Shetland had caused prosperity, reversing the economic migration and reducing the size of Edinburgh's "ex-pat" Shetland community. More on history of Zetland Hall.

Boundary Bar

The Boundary Bar was famously half in Edinburgh and half in Leith, which was very convenient for those customers wishing to make use of the longer drinking hours available in the other half of the establishment.

Local Street and Place Names

[various Edinburgh and Leith maps c. 1850 - 1894]

Rosebank Cemetery and the Gretna Train Disaster

On 22 May 1915, Britain's worst train disaster near Gretna killed 227 soldiers on the way to Gallipoli. Most of them had been recruited in Edinburgh and Leith and were buried at Rosebank Cemetery at the far end of Pilrig Street, Edinburgh. [photos of memorial]