Publication Account

Date 1977

Event ID 1017873

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1017873

The first mention of a Tolbooth in Dumfries occurs in 1481. It was pawned by the Town Council in 1566/7, but was soon redeemed by them after the sale of Greyfriars (Reid, 1915, 147). It had cellars in the basement, shops on the ground floor and a council chamber above. Originally the tolbooth was thatched, but slates were added later and an outside clock by 1533 (Shirley, 1915, 30). The Tolbooth was pulled down and a new one, the Midsteeple was built by 1725. The new Town House occupied a prominent position in the High Street and in addition to a writing office for the Town Clerk and council rooms, it also housed the burgh's magazine (Reid, 1915, 148). At the command of the Privy Council in 1575, burgh officials had a 'sufficient prisoun-hous' constructed on the north side of the Tolbooth. Prior to its erection prisoners had been lodged in the Tolbooth, but it had proved to be insufficient (Reid, 1915, 148). That jail was apparently not a strong building and was wrecked by fire in 1742 (Reid, 1915, 44).

Information from ‘Historic Dumfries: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1977).