Architecture Notes

Event ID 772568

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Architecture Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/772568

Don's Close is listed on Edgar 1742 and was named for William Don, vintner, who was resident at the foot of the close in 1704. His wife had been the widow of the previous occupant, John Mitchell, also a vintner, from whom (or his forbears) the close got its earlier name of Mitchell's Close. Its earliest known name was Telfer's Close, for Laurence Telfer ot Taillefer who moved here from Stevenlaw's Close in the late sixteenth century, and two members of the family, Alexander and Patrick Tailfeir, were residents in 1635. It was also Brown's or Hugh Brown's Close, perhaps from the hew Brown, mason, who was active in the town in the 1580s; and if so it was probably also the Barclay's Close mentioned in 1596, when Hugh Brown acquired a tenement in it: but although James Barclay, skinner and member of town council, as well as Mr Alexander Barclay, apothecary, were also active in the town during this period, their connection with the close remains to be ascertained. The close was also Tait's Close, for John Tait, tailor, later owner of Brown's tenement; and in 1718 it was styled Plainstane's Close, indicating that it was paved with flagstones rather than setts. Ordnance Survey 1852 shows the lower part of the close still open. (from Stuart Harris, "Place Names of Scotland", 1996, page 235)

NMRS REFERENCE:

1 newscutting - unable to locate at time of upgrade 15.2.2000.