Mansion House Road -The early history
by
Joanne Lamb
Mansion House Road is first mentioned in the 1849-50 edition of the Edinburgh and
Leith Post Office Directories (ELPOD). The directory was published in May every
year, and in this edition, three names are given:
 Hamilton, William A & sons
 Burns, William
 Erskine, Mrs
In June 1850 an advertisement appeared in the Scotsman announcing the auction of
Feus on the Grange Estate. The auction was to be held on 2nd August, and areas
available would be in Dick Place, Mansion House Road, Lauder Road, Cumin Place
and Grange Road.
In the following year, 1850-51, four more names had been added to the Post Office
Directory. These were
 Green, John
 Anderson, Jas
 Buchanan, John
 Howden, Mrs A
However in this year we have two additional sources of information: a map made by
the surveyor Alfred Lancefield in 1851, and the 1851 census, which took place in
April 1851. For these we can see that only the south part of Mansion House Road,
between Grange Road and Dick place had been developed. On the northeast corner
was St Giles Villa, occupied by Isabella Erskine, a widow, aged 49, born in Leith.
Opposite, on the northwest corner was Sylvan Bank, occupied by James Anderson, a
widower of, who lived with his four unmarried children: Jessie aged 35; Jean aged
2;,William, 23, a merchant clerk, and George, 21, a bankers clerk. James was born in
Forres, Moray shire, and gave his occupation as ‘proprietor of houses and funds’. The
four children were born in Edinburgh.
Next to Sylvan Bank, on the west side of Mansion House Road, was Mount Vernon. It
was occupied by John Green and his family: his brother, mother-in-law, and five
young children. The next house was Springfield Cottage, which is still standing. The
date 1848 is carved above the front door. At the time of the census it was occupied by
William Porter from Kent, an agent for coke. He was 35, and lived with his wife,
Maria, who was 26 and came from Northumberland.
The next house, Isabella Villa, was unoccupied at the time of the census. It had been
advertised in March 1851 as a newly built cottage of eight rooms. Following that, the
map shows one more house, un-named, that was occupied by John Ballantine, a
retired cheesemonger. He was 62 and came from Torphichen in Midlothian. Then
there is a gap on the west side until we reach the southwest corner, by Dick Place. On
the east side, one house is shown, opposite the gap between the houses on the west.
John Buchanan and William Hamilton both appear in the census, but with no house
numbers it is difficult to decide where they were living. It seems that Mrs Howden
moved to the street after the census, and William Burns had already moved away.
The 1851-52 Directory confirms the census returns, showing William Porter at
Springfield Cottage, and John Ballantine two doors down. A Mrs Paton was living in
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Isabella Villa. In February 1852 a letter appeared in the Scotsman complaining of
inaccuracies in the map printed in the Post Office Directories. There were, he said,
from ten to a dozen houses in Mansion House Road, but they did not appear on the
map. “Since last May an immense number of new villas have been built both at the
Grange and at Morningside”, and he hoped for improvements in the next edition. A
further set of feus was announced for auction in March 1852.
Figure 1: Mansion House Road in 1851 (Lancefield)
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The directories from 1852-53 to 1858-59 show a number of changes in occupancy,
but without house numbers it is difficult to determine the pattern. The 1859-60
directory is the first to have house numbers. The entry for this year gives us the
following:
 1 (Sylvan Bank): Mrs Archibald Dalrymple
 3 (Mount Vernon): Miss Inglis
 5 (Springfield Cottage): Major-General Pringle
 7: Miss Paton
 9: Major Alexander Skene (late of the 24th Foot)
 11: George Slight
 19: Peter S Banks SSSC
 16: John Marrable (accountant GPO)
 14: Rev William Pulsford
 12: William Moffat, teacher of mathematics, High School
 10: Mrs John Buchanan
From other sources we can tease out some more details of the residents of Mansion
House Road in the first ten years of its existence.
People
James Anderson
James Anderson lived at Sylvan Bank from 1851 to 1854. He appears in the 1851
census, as described above.
James C Anderson
James C Anderson moved into the road in 1851, but was not featured in the census of
that year. He remained there until 1853, when he moved to Lauder Road. Prior to
living in Mansion House Road, his address was 15 Nicholson Square.
John Ballantine
John Ballantine appears in the 1851 census, living on his own. He appears to have
lived in number 9 from 1851 to 1854. He died in Maybole, Ayrshire on 12 June 1854,
and the record of his will describes him as living in Hanover Street.
Peter S Banks
Peter Spalding Banks lived at number 19 Mansion House Road from 1859 until his
death on 17 October 1879. He was a Solicitor to the Supreme Court. (SSC). In 1851
he was living at 4 Torphichen Street, with his wife, Anne, and their three children,
William, 8, George, 4 and Laurisa, 1 year old.
Mrs William Bryce
Mrs Bryce succeeded James Anderson at Sylvan Bank. She was there from 1854 to
1856. Her previous address was 19 Dean Terrace, and she move to 9 Howard Place.
John Buchanan
John Buchanan first appears in the 1851 census, when he is reported to be unmarried,
aged 49, and born in Edinburgh. His occupation was Assistant Clerk at the Court of
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Sessions. He lived at 10 Mansion House Road until he died in April 1858. In the
record of his will he is described as “esquire of Dura”, which is in Lanarkshire. He
must have married between 1851 and 1858, as his widow, Mrs John Buchan, lived in
the house until 1863. The
William Burns
In the 1848-49 Post Office directory William Burns is described as a clothier with his
shop at 43 Princes Street and his house is Mount Vernon. The following year house is
given as Sylvan Bank. In 1850-51, his address is 11 South Bridge.
Mrs Archibald Dalrymple
Mrs Dalrymple moved to Sylvan Bank after Mrs Bryce vacated it in 1856, and was
still there in 1860.
Isabella Erskine
Mrs Erskine lived in St Giles Villa from 1849 to 1859. She was a widow, born in
Leith about 1800. In 1851 she was living alone with two servants.
John Green
John Green first appears in the Post Office Directory in 1851-52, when his address is
given as Mount Vernon. He appears in the 1851 census. His two elder children,
Joseph Alexander and Caroline Frances, were born in Edinburgh about 1841 and
1843. Two children, aged 6 and 4 were born in Haddington. Their names were John
and Charlotte Currie. The youngest, Sarah Lewis was 11 months old, and born in
Edinburgh. Also living in the house were John’s brother Alexander, aged 28 and born
in Jamaica, and his mother-in-law, Frances Lewis, born in England, and aged 71. John
Green died in June 1852, in Ventnor in the Isle of Wight.
Jacobina Howden
Jacobina Howden was the widow of Alexander Howden, a victual dealer who died in
May 1850. In the 1851 census, Jacobina, whose maiden name was Scott, was living in
grange Road with her four adult children., all of whom had been born in Edinburgh.
Jacobina, who was 60, also came from Edinburgh. The two daughters, both
unmarried, were young Jacobina, aged 36, and Jannet, aged 34. The sons were
younger; Alexander, aged 28 was a Ham Merchant’s clerk, and James, 24, was a
solicitor’s clerk. The Howdens lived in Mansion House Road until 1852. Jacobina
died in 1860, when she was living in Grange Road.
Thomas Inglis
Thomas Inglis, M.D.,HEICS1,FRCS2, lived in Mount Vernon between 1856 and 1859.
He then moved to 5 Royal Terrace, but a Miss Inglis, who move in at the same time as
he did, stayed in the house until 1869. Thomas died in Eastbourne and the British
Medical Journal (May 9, I874) reported his death: He "was the eldest son of Dr.
Andrew Inglis. He was born at Edinburgh on March 31st, 1796, and died at
Eastbourne on March 21st, 1874. He was educated at the High School and University
1
2
Honourable East India Company Service
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
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of Edinburgh. After taking his degree, he went to India (Bengal Presidency) in 1818,
and, the first twelve months after his arrival, served with an European regiment.
Afterwards, he was with the native army, he served during the first Burmese War with
Colonel Morrison's Brigade at Arrican. He retired on January 1st, 1839. He was
married, and leaves a widow and three sons, all under age."
John Marrable
John Marrable was an accountant at the GPO. In 1851 he was living at 2 Nelson
Street. And move to 16 Mansion House Road in 1854, and stayed there until 1859.
James Marshall
James Marshall moved to the street in 1853, and stayed there until 1859, when he
moved to Mayfield Terrace. In the 1853 Post Office Directory he is described as
James Marshall Junior, of James Marshall & Sons, agents, wine and spirit merchants.
Mrs Paton
Mrs Paton lived in at Isabella Villa from 1851 to1856. The following year, Miss Paton
was recorded at the house, and she stayed there until 1860.
William Porter
William Porter, the agent for coke from Kent, lived at Springfield Cottage from 1851
to 1856, when he moved to Wardie Burn House, Granton.
Major-General Pringle
Major -General John Pringle of Symington occupied Springfield Cottage from 1857
to 1862, when he died.
‘Major - General John Pringle was born in September 1774. When aged 19 he entered
the army in March 1794 as 2nd Lieut. in the 26th Regiment. In November 1802 at
Edinburgh he married Christian, daughter of Samuel Watson, solicitor-at-law. In
November 1828, writing from Cherry Bank, Newhaven, Edinburgh, in reply to an
official circular requiring information from half-pay officers, he enumerated his
promotions in the army up to August 1826, when he became unattached as Lieut.colonel on half -pay, showing 8 years service on full pay, and 16 on half ; and adds, "
I am eligible for any service for which I may be selected, and most desirous of
employment, and purchased my unattached Lieut.-Colonelcy solely with that view."
The Major-General died in December 1861, aged 87 (G. M.); and his wife in July
1853, aged 74. They were buried in the Grange cemetery. They had issue, a son
Robert, born September 1803, and three daughters.’3
His daughters continued to live in the house until 1865
Rev William Pulsford
Rev Pulsford moved into Mansion House Road in 1859, and stayed for about two
years.
3
http://www.jamespringle.co.uk/html/rotp_gala_water.html
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He was born at Torrington, Devonshire, in 1822, educated at Stepney and Cambridge,
and then had a three years' theological course at Halle, Germany.4 He was minister at
Albany Street Chapel, Edinburgh from 1856 to 864, when he accepted a call from the
Congregational Church, Queen’s Rooms, Glasgow. At this time he was living at 19
Hope Terrace. He died in Glasgow on 15 June 1886.
Alexander Skene
Captain Alexander Skene succeeded John Ballantine at number 9, and lived there
until he died on 26 July 1865.
George Slight
George Slight moved into number 11 in 1859. He stayed for two years, and then
moved to 41 South Clerk Street.
Joanne Lamb. March 2012
4
http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/airgli/airgli0228.htm
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