Edinburgh, 61 High Street, Monteith's Close

Monteith's Close is listed on Edgar 1742 and mentioned in 1722, but beyond the fact that there was a "Monteith's Booth" or tenement in it, there is no information about this name. Earlier it was Fleming's Close, derived from a Patrick Fleming who is mentioned in 1733 as having had land "near the Netherbow" and is probably the same as the Patrick Flemyng whose land is described in the same phrase in RMS (Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, Vols I-XI) 1573 and who may also have been the son of Patrick Fleming, member of town council 1514-36. He is also said to have had a tennis court -i.e. a "cachepele" or royal-tennis court -in the close. (from Stuart Harris, "Place Names of Edinburgh", 1996, page 438)