#georgian — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/uk/1187266/ We took on the biggest renovation job in Wales and created an epic £5m home #Britain #Cardiff #Georgian #GreatBritain #sonia #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wales #Welsh

6 new restaurants in the Austin-area: Indian cuisine, Italian ice, breakfast food and more | Cedar Park https://www.diningandcooking.com/2711730/6-new-restaurants-in-the-austin-area-indian-cuisine-italian-ice-breakfast-food-and-more-cedar-park/ #austin #Bastrop #BreadBowl #breakfast #burgers #CedarPark #CedarParkCafe #CheesePlate #FoodNearMe #fushion #georgian #hutto #IceCream #IndianFood #Italia #Italian #ItalianBreakfast #ItalianIce #italiano #italy #MexicanFood #NorthwestAustin #NowOpen #RoundRock

Georgian, Californian jeans
https://georgian.bandcamp.com/track/californian-jeans-2

#Georgian #CalifornianJeans #Music #Bandcamp

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2026/05/tuesday-may-5-2026/

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2026/05/tuesday-may-5-2026/

Time for forgotten #Georgian #bronzeage #cultures https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-highland-culture-mountains-southern.html?shem=dsdf,sharefoc,agadiscoversdl,,sh/x/discover/m1/4#google_vignette #archaeology

Milliner, Haberdasher, Caricature: the thread about Sibbie Hutton, the “Most Fantastic Lady of Her Day”

Today (February 21st 2026) is the bicentennial of the death of John Kay, the Edinburgh barber turned artist, etcher and engraver who has become renowned for his prolific caricatures which gently lampoon the great and the good of society in the late 18th century city. But this isn’t a homage to the man himself, there are many other such pieces and indeed whole books on the subject. Rather, in Threadinburgh style, we look instead at one of his lesser-known but individually notable subjects: Miss Sibilla Hutton, “without exception, the most fantastic lady of her day“.

Sibbie Hutton, as she was widely known, was a renowned milliner (maker and seller of women’s hats) and haberdasher in the city, who was famed for appearance, Kay’s 1786 etching depicts her wearing a ridiculously oversized frilly-edged lampshade of a hat and decorated from head to toe in ribbon and lace. Her fine clothing and corpulence indicates her financial success. He also shows her as the equal of the man, a fellow trader and private banker by the name of Robert Johnston.

She was born (probably) in the late 1740s in Dalkeith, the daughter of Sibella Tunnock and the Reverend William Hutton, who led a dissenting congregation (i.e. one that had rejected and had left the fold of the Kirk, the Church of Scotland) of the Associate Presbytery, of which he was also the Moderator, in that town. John Kay also hailed from Dalkeith and was of a similar age, so was perhaps well acquainted with her before she became more prominent in Edinburgh. Her mother appears to have died during or shortly after childbirth in 1752, her baby girl Grisel dying herself a few days later.

In Old Edinburgh Beaux & Belles by David Morison, the Reverend is said to have been “a very worthy dissenting clergyman” and one who was famed for the length of his sermons. An anecdote tells that on one occasion, when preaching to the Synod, after an hour one of his fellow ministers endeavoured to give a gentle hint as to the time by glancing obviously at his watch. “when, on the expiry of the first hour, by way of giving him a gentle hint, Mr. Sheriff held out his watch, in such a way as he could not fail to observe it. “The preacher paused for a moment, but immediately went on with renewed vigour, till another hour had expired.” The other minister again pulled out his watch and checked the time, but to no avail; he carried on as he intended and did not finish preaching until three hours in the pulpit had been reached. Hutton asked his fellow later as to why he had been monitoring the time quite so obviously, the reply being “the first hour I heard you with pleasure, and, as I hope everyone else did, with profit, the second, I listened with impatience; and the third with contempt!“

After the loss of her mother the young Sibbie was raised by her father and like him was independently minded and strong-willed. From a young age she had “been remarkable for her love of ornament“, much to his annoyance. In the 1770s she moved from Dalkeith to Edinburgh and set up in business with her sister Margarett as a milliner at the Royal Exchange. This complex of buildings, now the City Chambers, was then a centre of commerce and in a time before the New Town began to feature many shops and businesses, provided some of the most modern and prestigious shop units in the city.

It is therefore a mark of the Hutton sisters’ success in business and their station in the complex social hierarchy of the Georgian city that they carried on their trade here. The old Reverend was “scandalised” by his daughter’s tastes in fashion. “Sibbie! Sibbie!” he cried, “do you really expect to get to heaven with such a bonnet on your head?” The reply came: “And why not, father? I’m sure I’ll make a better appearance there than you will do with that vile, old-fashioned black wig, which you have worn these last twenty years!”

On the marriage of her sister to James Kidd in 1782, Sibbie carried on the business by herself. This she did with “great purpose, and daily added to the heaviness of her purse, as well as to the rotundity of her person…” Regarding her appearance it was said “[her] silks, too, and the profusion of lace with which she was overlaid, were always of the most costly description, and must have been procured at immense expense“. Clearly business was good and Sibbie was good at business. She advertised prominently in the Caledonian Mercury newspaper in the 1770s and 1780s, often in the headline slots, giving an insight into the sorts of items she was dealing in.

Again these are an indication of her prestige, but they also make it very clear that she was quite hard nosed and would suffer no fools or chancers:

S. Hutton wishes to carry on business for ready money; and it is expected the accounts due will be speedily paid, as by that method she is enabled to carry on business on the most advantageous terms.

Other averts record that she was running a sort of lottery, the prizes being wares such as cottons, muslins, tweeds, satins, laces, silks and linens: obviously she was innovative in commerce.

In another 1785 caricature “A Whim – or a Visit to the Mud Bridge” (an early iteration of what would become the Mound), Kay lampoons some of the city’s reformist men who backed that project. but features a number of women, the central and most prominent of whom is though to be Sibbie. The sign on the left reads “B’s Bridge” and most likely refers to Geordie Boyd, who reputedly conceived the whole scheme, which explains why the man on the rear of the carriage is saying “Whip harder Geordie” (thanks to Graeme Cruickshank for reminding me of this). There’s a less likely probability that it refers to a Mr. Brown, the treasurer of the project, who had been bankrupted and fled with money that were meant to have financed a grand inaugural procession. Kay is probably therefore depicting the idea that instead the gentlemen who had promoted the scheme could pull the carriages themselves, the originator egging them on from the back.

Sibbie set the fashion trend for women of a certain social rank in Edinburgh, importing for them the latest and best items from London. On the occasions that John Kay found it necessary to lampoon women (more often his targets were the pompously self-important men about town) he depicted them beneath Hutton’s enormous hats and adorned in her laces and ribbons.

The ridiculousness of the hats seems to reach a peak in 1787 with one worn by Penelope Hamilton (née Macdonald), Lady Belhaven and Stenton who is shown meeting with Sir Robert Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone, 1st Baronet.

Clearly those who had dressed themselves in this style were a useful visual shorthand and they are repeated in his work ever-more extravagant headgear, evolving with the fashions of the time. Notice the women below sport smaller hats but with much more elaborate feather plumes than those a decade before, and one wears a more modern cut of jacket.

These women are rarely named and are usually included in the caricatures to help set a scene; Kay’s targets being the named gentlemen. There is however a good chance some are indeed Sibbie Hutton, such as the lady on the far right of this image. But Sibbie differs from most of the other women he depicts not just in that she is named, but she is not drawn from the gentry and is not included as a wife or daughter of one of the men featured, she is included on her own merits.

Papers in the Dean of Guilt Court of Edinburgh (the equivalent then of the modern Planning Committee) show that in the 1780s, she was involved in a dispute with a neighbouring shopkeeper. In 1782 a complaint was made by John Grieve, merchant, that she had made unauthorised alterations to her shop, removing an internal staircase and replacing it with an external one, amongst others. Grieve made the same complaint in 1787. In both instances the case was found against Sibbie and she was ordered to put back the internal stairway. Clearly that never happened the first time and it is not clear if she did it when ordered the second time. It was around this time that, tiring of the city, perhaps tiring of the legal disputes, and also of the monotony of family visits to Dalkeith, she decided to remove herself to London and re-establish her trade there. Her sister, now Mrs Kidd, took over the Edinburgh business. After this, little more is known of Sibbie’s life except that she later returned to Edinburgh and died in Dalkeith, the town of her birth, on February 19th, 1808. Her star had perhaps dwindled by this time as her passing was little remarked upon beyond very brief death notices. Her sister died the following year.

Thank you to Threadinburgh supporter Olwyn Alexander for drawing Sibbie’s interesting life and somewhat uniquely prominent position in John Kay’s works to me. He produced a huge volume of work, which he printed and sold widely. You can find much more of his work online at:

• Edinburgh City Libraries – Capital Collections – Online Exhbition of John Kay’s Work
• John Kay’s works in the National Galleries of Scotland collection

Note to readers: unfortunately in April 2026, a third-party plug-in more than exceeded its authority and broke many of the image links on this site. No images were lost but I will have to restore them page-by-page, which may take some time. In the meantime please bear with me while I go about rectifying this issue.

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Monday, October 6, 2025

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/10/monday-october-6-2025/

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

“Peace through strength is possible,” Zelensky — Investigation: Despite sanctions, American trucks are being used by Russia to launch kamikaze drones — Unidentified drone enters Lithuania from Belarus amid rising tensions — Ukraine liberates Kindrativka village in Sumy Oblast amid ongoing Russian offensive … and more

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/07/tuesday-july-29-2025/

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Ukrainian sea drone downs Russian fighter jet in world-first strike — Russia used thermobaric weapons in drone strike on Kharkiv, Ukrainian prosecutors say — Russian drone attack on Kyiv injures 11 people, including 2 children, damages shopping mall — France to ramp up AASM Hammer smart bomb production for Ukraine … and more

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/05/sunday-may-4-2025/

[12:19] Georgia elects hardline critic of West as new president

Georgian MPs have elected Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline critic of the West, as the country's new president, setting him up to replace a pro-Western incumbent amid major protests against the government over a halt to the country's European Union accession talks last month.

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2024/1214/1486488-georgia-politics/

#Georgian #MikheilKavelashvili #West #EuropeanUnion #lastmonth

17Sept1838 The London-Birmingham Railway is fully opened. The train from Euston Station at 8am would arrive in Birmingham at 1:45pm, the Birmingham-Liverpool connection would get you to Liverpool by 6:30pm, irreversibly changing how spectators travelled to & from fights

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

16Sept1843 Dick Curtis the ‘Pet of the Fancy’ & ‘Champion of the Light Weighs’ died at 1 Little Surrey St, Blackfriars Rd aged 41yrs, buried in St George’s Churchyard Southwark. Born 1802 Curtis fought 15x in the London Prize Ring 13win1loss1draw & 1forfeit.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

14Sept1828 The Weekly Dispatch publishes a letter telling publicans including Harry Holt to never allow, ‘..John Scroggins to consume more than 1 quart of gin, rum, or brandy—nor more than 30 glasses of liquor called grog (at the same time) By order of the Commander-in-Chief’

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

13Sept1824 Rough Robin #Manchester defeats Jack Manning #Birmingham in 30rds & 45min in front of 5K people at Delph 4mi north of Oldham (Manchester). Robin Seconded by Sampson, Manning by Harry Holt. After his win Holt invites Robin to #London to train him.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

The fight between Randall & Martin in Sept 1821 was immortalised in a publication titled, ‘Real Life In London, or, The rambles & adventures of Bob Tallyho, Esq, & his cousin, the Hon. Tom Dashall…’ apparently written by ‘An Amateur’ later attributed to Pierce Egan or someone unknown copying his style.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

Jack Randall (1794-1828) the ‘Nonpareil’(no match or equal) was undefeated in 16x Prizefights but being a middle weight was ineligible for a Championship Title. Randall defeated Holt in May 1817 at Coombe-Warren before they became sparring partners for many years

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

11Sept1821 Jack Randall defeats Jack Martin knocking him out after 7min10sec at Crawley Downs. Randall was Seconded by Harry Holt & Paddington Jones, Martin by Tom Spring & John Thurtell. (300guineas aside)

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

10Sept1822 Josh Hudson defeats Barlow in 6rds & 6min at St Albans after Tom Belcher stopped the fight & conceded for Barlow who had been knocked senseless. In the same Ring Jem Ward Defeated Burke (Jr) in 7min. Ward Seconded by Harry Holt, Burke by Tom Oliver.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

Harry Holt trained Jack Hannan for a month prior his fight against Johnny Walker in April 1839 choosing the Bald Faced Stag at #Finchley as their headquarters. Well known pedestrian Bob Fuller assisted Holt in training Hannan which may account for his ability to last almost 4hrs in the Ring.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

One of the longest #Bareknuckle fights to ever take place in the London #PrizeRing was between Jack Hannan & Johnny Walker on #Chesterford Common near #Littlebury, #Essex on 2April1839. Hannan (Seconded by Harry Holt) defeated Walker (Seconded by Dick Curtis) in 3hr48min.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

6Sept1831 Harry Holt & Jem Ward (Champion of England) stop & exhibit for several days in #Edinburgh on their Grand Sparring Tour of #England & #Scotland. Scottish Surgeon, Physician, Philosopher & Writer, Robert Macnish is noted as seeing them exhibit 3x.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

Harry Holt didn’t take a permanent position as a Committee Member in the ‘Fair Play Club’ instead distancing himself from ‘politics’ & positions of financial influence over the Ring. Holt remains focused on getting-up matches, Training, Promoting & Seconding Prizefighters.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

After controversy in 1829 the ‘Fair Play Club’ Committee makes it clear that the Club’s role is to simply preserve the integrity of the Ring & not as an arbitrator of disputes between Stakeholders, Backers or Combatants. The Fair Play Clib is sadly disbanded in December 1829.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

In 1461 during the #WarsoftheRoses the 2nd Battle of St Albans was partially fought (flight of the Yorkists) on #Nomansland Common & in #C17th gangs of thieves regularly robbed travellers on the Common including the legendary ‘Wicked Lady’ Highwaywoman Katherine Ferrers.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

2Sept1828 Harry Holt & his student Paddy Flynn travel to Warwick Races on a ‘Milling Speculation’ where Flynn was to fight a local countryman. The match does not come off & they return to London several days later.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

1Sep1821 Published on this day 302 years ago:

‘THE INTERIOR OF THE FIVES COURT WITH RANDALL AND TURNER SPARRING’

by Charles Turner (1821).

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

The 1st time the Fair Play Club’s ‘Regulators’ are use was at a fight on 16Sept1828 at Shire Mear, Bedfordsire when Harry Jones defeats Ned Stockman. The Regulators were Ward, Holt, Tebbutt, Reid, Oliver, Gaynor, Fogo and Tisdale

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

In 1828 the ‘Fair Play Club’ became the governing body of the #London #PrizeRing with power to employ ‘Regulators’ to keep the integrity of the Ring. #Regulators were paid a Half Guinea & armed with Whips to stop spectators from invading the Ring or disrupting fights

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

30Aug1825 Rough Robin defeats Harry Bundollock in 18rds & 25min at #Nomansland Common near St Albans. Robin Seconded by Harry Holt & Josh Hudson, Bundollock by George Head & Harry Harmer (£25 aside)

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

29Aug1828 The Fair Play Club is establish on this day by Harry Holt, Tom Spring, Mr Harmer(Owner Weekly Dispatch) Mr Smith(Editor Weekly Dispatch) & Vincent George Dowling(Editor Bell’s Life in London) at the Castle Tavern, Holborn. Tom Spring is selected as Treasurer.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

28Aug1821 Peter Crawley holds a Benefit at the Fives Court & uses the proceeds to purchases a Butchers shop in Lombard (now Tower) Court, Seven Dials.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

28Aug1820 Dick Curtis (pic) defeats Ned Brown in 15rds & 57min at Wimbledon Common. In the same ring Paddy O’Leary defeats Young Hawkins in 38rds & 50min. O’Leary Seconded by Jack Randall, Hawkins by Harry Holt.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

27Aug1831 The Champion of England Jem Ward & his Second, Harry Holt continue their Sparring Tour of England & Scotland exhibiting on this day in Glasgow before continuing on to Edinburgh.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

The ‘heroic archetype’ of John Bull was created by John Arbuthnot in 1712 & can be compared with that of ‘Uncle Sam’ in the #USA (1st used 1812-16). It was used to arouse feelings of patriotism. #JohnBull #UncleSam

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

After #Napoleon’s defeat at #Waterloo in 1815 a lack of war news led to an increase in sports reporting. By 1820 reporting Prizefights had grown in popularity as people wanted to associate a pugilists strength & courage with the 'John Bull' fighting spirit of Georgian #England.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

Jack O’Donnel was born in Ireland 1784. His 1st fight was in 1802 before a burglary conviction in 1806 saw him Transported for 7yrs. After returning from the Colony his last #PrizeRing fight was with Holt in 1818. Little is known of his latter life. (6win3loss)

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

Joe Parish fought 7x in the #PrizeRing 3win4loss, his first organised fight was with Holt in 1816. In 1818 he spent time in the Marshalsea Prison for Assault & in 1833 he was convicted of Stealing & Transported to Australia for 7yrs. He died in #Sydney a free man in 1851 aged 63

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

After sustaining a potentially life threatening injury in a fight with Jack Scroggins (pic), Harry HOLT retired from #Prizefighting & by January 1821 he had moved his family from #Lambeth to #Westminster to become publican of the 'Golden Cross' in Cross Lane, Long Acre.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

The Holt & Parish fight on the 20Aug1816 was considered 'one of the finest specimens in the Art of Self-Defence ever witnessed' & immortalised in song by George Head & published in Boxiana Vol2 (1818)

‘Come all you sporting blades, who in milling take delight, Sit you down awhile, and I’ll tell you of a fight’

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

21Aug1818 In his 4th professional #Prizefight Harry Holt is defeated by Jack O’Donnel in 38rds & 55min during the final day of Canterbury Races on a line of common 2mi from Barham Downs for a 35 guinea subscription purse.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

Servitude: the thread about why James Craig’s New Town isn’t as regular as he would have liked

Have you ever wondered why at the far western end of Queen Street, where it meets North Charlotte Street, the regular, right-angled Georgian grid of the First New Town does something odd and has a bevelled corner? You have? Great! Lets find out why that is.

No, the Georgians weren’t future-proofing the street corner here for a 20th century traffic engineer’s filter lane. This has to do with something much more predictable than that – land ownership disputes!

You see, when Town Council first had a plan of land ownership drawn up for the planning of the New Town, they didn’t actually yet own all the land on which they intended to build. In fact, they only owned about three quarters of it. Standing in the way to the west was “Allan’s Park“, owned by Dean of Guild Allan (Thomas Allan), and “Barjarg’s Feu” – owned by James Erskine, Lord Barjarg of Drumsheugh House.

Allan’s Park was relatively easy to acquire, and was done so by the time the above plan was released to James Craig and other prospective architects for the design competition in April 1766, but Barjarg’s Feu still formed a salient into it. But planning proceeded on the basis that the Council hoped to acquire the land anyway and James Craig’s winning entry therefore drew the western town blocks over it.

Building commenced at the eastern end within short order and by the late 1760s or early 1770s, the New Town was creeping westwards. By the time it reached the boundary of Barjarg’s Feu in 1785, in the vicinity of Castle Street, the the owner – by now styled Lord Alva having inherited that estate – agreed to sell to the council and the plan could continue uninterrupted (although it took until 1820 to conclude, and was not on entirely favourable terms for the Cityand subsequent proprietors). But if we look closer at the western edge of Craig’s plan, and compare it with what is on the ground, we notice that Queen Street should meet North Charlotte Street on a regular grid (it doesn’t) and both Queen Street and the city grid should extend for another block west from where it does (it doesn’t!). Something else stood in the way. (P.S. Charlotte Square was originally to be St. George’s Square)

So what went wrong? Well, it wasn’t just Lord Alva’s land in the way. In 1782, the Trustees of Heriot’s Hospital (who had sold much of the land for the northern portion of the New Town to the city) had sold a portion of land to Francis Stuart, 9th Earl of Moray and on this he had built for himself a mansion, Moray House, and laid out extensive gardens. And Moray wasn’t for selling, so the New Town plans had to be hurriedly altered to build around his land.

This explains why the north western corner could not be completed as planned, and why Queen Street stopped short at North Charlotte Street, but not why they build that awkward and incongruous bevel on the corner? Well that’s because of a little legal thing called “servitude”. What does servitude mean? “A right that an owner of heritable property has over property owned by another. A servitude runs with the land and not the owner“. The Earl of Moray and Lord Alva had servitude over each other that neither could built within 90 feet of their boundary. When Edinburgh bought the land from Alva, Moray maintained his servitude over it. And can you guess what the distance from the bevelled façade on the corner of Queen Street and North Charlotte Street is from the boundary with the Earl of Moray’s land? Yes, that’s right, it’s *exactly* 90 feet.

This old boundary cut through what is now Glenfinlas Street and explains why the pavement suddenly changes width about 1/3 of the way down – it was built at two different times.

It wasn’t until the intransigent Earl of Moray’s son began to be feu the ground in 1822 that the owners of the properties on the north side of Charlotte Square got the change to buy the rest of “their” gardens. The maps below show 1817 compared with 1849 (slide to compare). You can see at this time, a garden wall still existed on the old boundary at the very west of these gardens, and that the formal portions (marked out by the perimeter paths) also conform to the boundary.

You can find the result of this boundary dispute in other places too. It is the reason for instance that Randolph Lane takes an odd, irregular form if you follow it northwards.

Amazingly, the last of the legal niceties over this portion of land weren’t resolved along this boundary for almost 170 years! Those nicely cleaned and restored “Georgian” townhouses at 1-3 Glenfinlas Street? They were only built in 1990 to finally finish this corner of the New Town (almost) as planned.

There’s actually a few more of these incongruous and awkwardly non-right angles scattered through the New Town – it’s always about old boundaries. This thread details the Gabriel’s Road boundary and the line it still cleaves across the New Town. If you want to understand why any New Town street in Edinburgh isn’t on a right angle – overlay an old land boundary plan on it (in this case, the eastern end of John Laurie’s 1766 plan) and it will probably reveal the answer. Broughton Street and York Lane? Cathedral Lane and the foot of Leith Street? St. James Square and Gabriel’s Road? Truncated southern side of Abercrombie Place? Property boundaries are your answer.

Note to readers: unfortunately in April 2026, a third-party plug-in more than exceeded its authority and broke many of the image links on this site. No images were lost but I will have to restore them page-by-page, which may take some time. In the meantime please bear with me while I go about rectifying this issue.

If you have found this site useful, informative or amusing then you can help contribute towards its running costs by supporting me on ko-fi. This includes my commitment to keeping it 100% advert and AI free for all time coming, and in helping to find further unusual stories to bring you by acquiring books and paying for research.
Or please do just share this post on social media or amongst friends and like-minded people, sites like this thrive on being shared.

Explore Threadinburgh by map:

These threads © 2017-2026, Andy Arthur.

NO AI TRAINING: Any use of the contents of this website to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.

30May1833 (Fatal Fight)

Deaf Burke (pic) defeats Simon Byrne in 99rds & 3hrs6min at Noman’s Land (#Nomansland) #Hertfordshire near #StAlbans. Burke Seconded by Tom Gaynor & Dick Curtis, Byrne by Tom Spring & Jem Ward. Byrne died 3 days later at the age of 32yrs.

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

#OnThisDay 29Jan1918 the deadliest attack of the Great War #WWI occurred when a 300kg bomb dropped by #German #Airforce exploded at Odhams Printing Press in Long Acre, #CoventGarden near the original site of Harry HOLT’s Golden Cross pub killing 38 & injuring 85. now #OdhamsWalk

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

In the 1970’s the entire block on which the #GoldenCross stood (Long Acre, Cross Lane & Castle St) including the site of the Golden Cross was demolished as vacant and dilapidated #c18th buildings from #Holborn through to #CharingCross were redeveloped. By 1979 Odhams Printing Press had became a large residential complex named ‘#OdhamsWalk.’

#HarryHolt #Holt #Genealogy #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Pugilist #Regency #Georgian #C18th #C19th #History

The thread about Marionville; the house that thread built and home to the unfortunate “Fortunate Duellist”

This thread was originally written and published in November 2019. It has been lightly edited and corrected as applicable for this post.

There’s an old Georgian villa in the east of Edinburgh called Marionville. It lends its name to the district, a few streets and a fire station. It’s your typical regular, 3-storey, 5-bay, 6-over-6 window, sandstone job and although it is quite a rarity in a largely 20th century part of town, at first glance it is otherwise unremarkable for Edinburgh.

Unremarkable that is until you find out a little bit about the place’s history! It was built some time between the 1760s and 1780s by the Misses Ramsay of Old Lyon Close, milliners renowned in the burgh for their ribboned hats. When built it was called Viewfrith (as in a house where one could view the Frith, or Firth of Forth. On account of its occupants trade, it was scornfully nicknamed the Lappet Ha‘, lappet referring to the woven lacework that was common in Georgian women’s hats. Ha’ for ball; the house that lappet built. The misses Ramsay saw out their days in their fine house and its gardens, and in October 1780 it was noted as being for sale:

About 1786 it passed to one James Macrae of Holmains Esq. who liked to be known as Captain Macrae on account of his service in the 6th Dragoon Guards (Irish Carabiniers), a Hanoverian cavalry regiment. By accounts he was both a sophisticated, cultured charmer and an arrogant, pompous “Goth“. It was Macrae who renamed the house, calling it for his wife, Maria Cecile le Maistre.

Captain Macrae had a quick temper and an overinflated sense of his own status. He was nicknamed the “fortunate duellist” on account of his propensity to call for satisfaction and on not being dead as a result. He practised by firing at a barber’s block kept specially for the purpose, or so John Kay caricatured him.

The Macraes soon built up a reputation as a home of the “gayest private theatricals, perhaps in Britain“. Being wealthy and aspirational with tastes “gay and fashionable” they had a 150-seat private theatre built, complete with stage, curtain and scenery in the house where the couple themselves took the starring roles. The great and the good of Edinburgh were invited and the shows were a hot ticket in town, being well reviewed in the papers. The Scots Magazine and Caledonian Mercury were full of gushing praise for them.

Maria Macrae was the daughter of the Swedish ambassador’s wife and had spent time in Paris with her cousins. It was there she got a taste for the private theatricals of the time and it was she who was chiefly responsible for reproducing them at Marionville. The Macrae’s inner circle was a centre of Georgian high fashion in Edinburgh, the women wore head-dresses so tall that they had to “sit on the carriage floor” and the men wore “bright coats with tails to their heels” and “wigs with great side curls“. The innermost of their circle were the Ramsays (no relation to the Misses), Sir George Ramsay of Bamff, 6th Baronet and his wife, Eleanor Fraser. They were “warmly attached and intimate” with the Macraes.

So all was good. Everyone was happy and Marionville was the place to be seen around town. Macrae was highly regarded in the right circles, but his pomposity and temper would be his unravelling. An example of this was when a messenger of the law tried to arrest his cousin, the Reverend John Cunningham, Earl Glencairn, at a private party in Drumsheugh House. Macrae was outraged that a common man would insult a gentleman, and threw the messenger over the stairwell. When it later came to light that Cunningham was a debtor who had refused all chance to settle his obligations and that the messenger had been gravely injured, Macrae made an apology and paid compensation of 300 guineas to settle the matter.

And then we come to the fateful night of April 7th 1790. Captain Macrae had been out at the Theatre Royal, which stood on Shakespeare Square, opposite the General Register Office and where the General Post Office would later be built. Being a gentleman, he was helping a lady to get a chair to convey her home (this meant a sedan chair; at this time were still the principal form of public transport of choice for the moneyed classes around town). He had secured the lady her chair when a liveried footman appeared on the scene and seized one of the poles of the chair to reserve it for his mistress. The outraged Macrae rapped the impertinent servant’s knuckles with his cane.

The footman, not to be cowed, denounced Macrae as a scoundrel and punched him in the chest. Macrae responded by striking him across the head with his cane. An almighty fracas ensued, sucking in passers-by on both sides. Somehow the conflict was defused and the lady was spirited to safety in another chair. And there it might have ended until Macrae was made aware that the footman in question was an employee of his dear friend, Sir George Ramsay.

And so, the following day Macrae sought out Ramsay at his place of business. His friend informed him that the servant in question was recently engaged by his wife and he felt that he had no hand in the matter. Macrae insisted that he would therefore apologise to the lady at once. Hurrying to the Ramsay’s house on St. Andrew Square, he found her sitting for an up and coming your artist, one Henry Raeburn. Theatrically going down on one knee, Macrae begged forgiveness for having chastised her servant. And there it would have ended. But…

A few days later at Marionville, an anonymous letter arrived stating that Macrae had meddled with the “Knights of the Shoulder Knot” (the name given to footmen for their elaborate uniforms) and they would have their revenge for the insult to their brother. The footman in question, James Merry, took the matter further by making it known he would take legal proceedings against his assailant for the injuries he had suffered. Piqued, Macrae wrote to Ramsay and demanded that the man be put in his place and discharged. For whatever reason, Ramsay declined to satisfy his friend and their relationship quickly soured as the two engaged in a protracted series of increasingly intemperate letters. This culminated in Macrae having his messenger inform Ramsay that he was not a gentleman, but a scoundrel!

That was that! Macrae had overstepped the mark for sure, Ramsay was a proper gentleman, with a title, not someone you could go around insulting. The intermediary, one Captain Amory, arranged a meeting of both parties in Bayle’s Tavern at which “rough epithets were exchanged“. The outcome was inevitable and satisfaction was demanded by Macrae. But he let it be known that he considered Ramsay the challenger, for refusing to deal with his servant.

The time and place was set for the shore outside of Musselburgh at noon the next day. What better place to settle your differences than in the cool sea breeze of the Honest Toun? And so it was that the next day the two gentlemen, each with another in tow as second, met at Wards Inn off of the Musselburgh Links. A surgeon, Benjamin Bell, was sensibly arranged for.

A parlay took place to see if things could be settled amicably, without either side losing face. Macrae demanded that if Ramsay dismiss his servant he would apologise profusely for all that had followed and consider it closed. Ramsay demanded an apology first, before any further progress could be made. Both sides were intransigent. The seconds which each side had brought as counsel declined further compromise and the course of action was now set. Each man took a pistol from a pair and made his way to the allotted spot on the Links. Each then walked 14 paces away from the other and the duel commenced. Ramsay shot first and nicked the collar of his late friend, grazing the neck. Macrae did not miss and Ramsay was mortally wounded. Macrae would later claim that he had planned to shoot high and miss on purpose, but was so outraged that Ramsay had not deliberately missed and had drawn blood that he decided to settle the matter once and for all by not missing. For a sure shot like Macrae, the outcome was inevitable.

The deed done, Macrae was suddenly remorseful and had to be convinced to leave his dying friends’ side by Ramsay’s second, Sir William Maxwell. Edinburgh society was outraged and it was Macrae, the lower status gentleman that they squarely blamed for this calamity. Being a proper class scandal, the detail was all printed at the time (then, as now, controversy was good for sales) and Macrae was immortalised as “The Fortunate Duellist” by Edinburgh caricaturist John Kay. By trade Kay was a barber, so the story of the practice target may have appealed to him as much as the chance to satirise events.

Facing a potential murder charge, Macrae abandoned Marionville and his family and fled to Paris accompanied by his second, Captain Amory. They took up lodgings in the Hôtel de la Dauphine. A summons soon arrived from Edinburgh to return and face the law. Ignoring it, both were declared outlaws and consigned themselves to live out their days in exile. To add insult to Macrae’s injury, 2 years later the Sheriffs awarded damages and compensation to the footman for his original injuries, which were paid from Macrae’s estate in his absence. Macrae stayed in Paris until the coming of the French revolution compelled his to flee further, this time to Altona in Italy. He had hoped that the passage of time would allow him to return home to Marionville, but society and the law were resolved against it.

And so it was that the gayest house in town fell into “an air of depression and melancholy such as could barely fail to strike the most unobservant passenger“. It was advertised as being to let in 1793 and the following year it was for sale. Macrae was soon forgotten by the chattering classes of Edinburgh. That is until 1814, when publisher Robert Chambers relates that “a gentleman of my acquaintance was surprised to meet him one day in a Parisian coffee house“. “The wreck or ghost of the handsome, sprightly man he had once been.” “The comfort of his home, his country and his friends, the use of his talents to all these, had been lost, and himself obliged to lead the life of a condemned Cain, all through the one fault of a fiery temper“.

Captain Macrae, late of Marionville, died alone in Paris on the 16th January 1820, 30 years an exile from his home, wife and 2 children. “Captain Macrae was a strange character. To those of his own class a tyrant and bully. To those below him he was kind and obliging”. At this time his old house was in the possession of a Mr and Mrs Dudgeon although it was for sale again shortly after, the new owner being Walter Stirling Glas, esq. The house was repeatedly for sale and let throughout the 19th century. A flick through some old Post Office directories enlightens us that from approximately 1858 to 1869, it was being used by Dr. Guthrie’s “Original Ragged Industrial School” .

In 1932, Marionville was purchased by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edinburgh and St. Andrews for use as the manse for St. Ninian’s & Triduana’s Church, which was built in the grounds at this time. Its last occupant before the church took it over would appear to be one Miss W. Crawford Brown and the house  was sold back into private use within the past few years. The church, which was never actually completed to the intended design, is surprisingly the work of that most British of British architects, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (of red telephone box and Battersea power station fame).

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