Publication Account

Date 1951

Event ID 1097145

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1097145

RCAHMS County Inventory: The City of Edinburgh

142. St. James' Square.

This square was traditionally a Jacobite nest, and is said to have been called after the Chevalier St. George, son of James VII and II, who died in 1766; but the name is more probably that of Captain James Ferguson, R.N., brother of the proprietor. It is situated on the eminence formerly known as Moultrie's Hill, on the E. of the area dealt with in Craig's plan for the New Town, from which it was separated by the property of Sir Laurence Dundas. The site had been acquired in 1762 by Walter Ferguson, writer in Edinburgh, who decided in 1773 to build a square (1) upon his ground and commissioned Craig to plan it. Ferguson's scheme was opposed by the Superiors,. the Governors of Heriot's Hospital, who took him into court, but he won his case. Taking advantage of the decision, Robert Gray, a neighbouring vassal, thereupon built the S. side of South St. James' Street, which became the E. outlet from the proposed square. While the foundation stone of the first building was being laid a salute was fired from the Castle to celebrate the "victory" of Bunker Hill, fought in June 1775; and the new street, which was a steep incline, thereafter became popularly known as "Bunker's Hill " and it is thus identified on Ainslie's map. This map indicates that three sides of the new square had been built by 1780, the year of publication, and the legend "St. James Square 1779" may be seen carved on Number 5,* the house at the S.E. corner of the square, adjoining the W. end of South St. James' Street: It was not until 1784, however, that the Superiors granted a feu-charter of this property, to a certain Thomas Robertson. Robertson's building, now incorporated with Number 4 was originally a self-contained house of a basement, three main storeys and an attic. The front is of droved ashlar and has a panelled pilaster at each end; the central chimney-stalk is modern. The windows of the street floor and of the second floor have back-set margins, while the first-floor windows have moulded architraves and cornices. The roof is a mansard.

The other buildings on this side of the square, Numbers 1-4, have plainer fronts and form a single block in which Numbers 1 and 2 together correspond to Number 4, so that Number 3 is central. With the exception of the last, which has an extra storey, these buildings have three main storeys and mansard roofs.

The five buildings on the W. side of the square have been converted into an annexe of the Register House. The buildings on the N. side of the square are maindoor houses and flats, most of them having a rounded projection at the back. They have four storeys, an attic and a basement. The fronts are plain, the masonry in most cases being either droved or bush-hammered. Two fronts are channel-jointed on the street floor, while two others have dressed quoins. The feu-charters of these properties were granted in 1783 and 1784.

The E. side of the square is the latest part and consists of a single block, Numbers 6-15, of maindoor houses and flats. The front is of droved ashlar. The central bay, in which there is a central staircase, has a basement and four main storeys while the side bays have a storey less; but here, again, the roofs are mansards. This block was built by Robert Wemyss, whose feu-charter was granted in 1786. It is shown in being on Arnot's map of 1787 (2).

RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941

(1) O.E.C., ii, p. 170. (2) History, p. 233.

The architect was probably Thomas Hill, cf. P.S.A.S., xii (1876-8), p. 184