Edinburgh, High Street, New Assembly Close

New Assembly Close is listed on Edgar 1742 and was named for the Edinburgh Assembly which moved here from Old Assembly Close in 1736, and continued (on a new footing after 1746) until 1784. The close was also known, from its position, as Back of Bell's Wynd; and it is given as Commercial Bank Close on Kirkwood 1817, from the Commercial Bank which built its head office in 1814, on the former site of the Assembly Room, and occupied it until 1847 (see NT 27SE 875). Earlier, the close was Murray's Close, for John Murray of Blackbarony, who in 1580 had the house at the head of the close fromerly owned by the Bishop of Dunkeld; and it was also Snadoun's or Snawdoun's Close as early as 1525, probably named for a Snadoun Herald, since Thomas Tod, Snadoun herald, had a land in adjoining Bell's Wynd in 1579. (from Stuart Harris, "Place Names of Edinburgh", 1996, page 456)