bridges. A wooden foot-bridge at one time existed for the accommodation of the inhabitants of Ann Street previous to the feuing of St Bernard's grounds. From a careful return made in 1743, at the request of the Rev. Neil M'Vicar and the Rev. Thomas Pitcairn, ministers of the parish of St Cuthbert's, we learn the population of the village at that date. Families 120; men 156, women 188, boys 105, girls 75; males 261, females 263. Total population 524. This gives us the exact number of persons residing in the village one hundred and forty-five years ago. Stockbridge, like most villages, had its "Naturals"— imbecile, but perfectly innocent, unless provoked by cruel and unthinking boys. Between fifty and sixty years ago there were two of this character. The first was named Barclay Reddie, nicknamed by the boys "Shelly." He was very irritable and furious when provoked, and always carried a large stick, which he used freely on the shoulders of his tormentors when they came within his reach. He was an old man, and in general very dirty and greasy looking. Sir Henry Raeburn was very kind to him. He went every day to St Bernard's for his dinner. On one occasion when Barclay had been ill used, Sir Henry wrote out a hand-bill and had it posted upon one of the conical shaped stones at the bridge, offering a reward of ten shillings to any one who would give information as to the guilty party. He was dressed in Sir Henry's old clothes, and generally put on a coat just as he got it: Sir Henry being tall and Barclay rather short, the tails of the coat nearly touched the ground. Barclay died of cholera at its first visit in 1832. The other "natural" was James Kerr, better known as "Daft Jamie." His "beat" was from the south end of the bridge to the top of Spring Gardens, but Spring Gardens was a poor place then to what it is now. He never went across the bridge but once a year, when he made a visit to his friends on the north side, about New Year time. For years he went bareheaded and bare-footed, but latterly he was induced to wear shoes, though he never wore any covering for his head. He walked with his hands behind his back, and his body swaying backwards and forwards. He had a happy pleasant looking face, was perfectly innocent and gentle, always smiling to those that passed him, and, if he knew them, seldom failed to make some humorous remark about their person or their dress. He was a favourite with every body. He was not a beggar; and when any one gave him a copper or two, he generally carried them in his hand. Jamie was never seen out of doors on the Sabbath day. He lived with his mother, to whom he was greatly attached, in Duncan's Land, Church Street. After her death he was taken into St Cuthbert's Poorhouse, where he shortly afterwards died, upwards of sixty years of age. Above fifty-four years ago we had in Stockbridge a character by no means deficient in intellect, but rather striking by his general picturesque appearance: this was Robert Wilson, well known to all the old inhabitants by the name of "Perch Rob." Rob, in his earlier days, had been employed in the Edinburgh Police. He and his two sons lived by themselves in Gavin's Land, in the old back part of Haugh Street. In his latter days he was known as a keen fisher, well acquainted with all the waters and lures in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, but particularly with those to the westward. When about to start on a fishing expedition, the worthy presented a strikingly picturesque appearance. Tall but rather stooping, he generally wore a large coat like a gamekeeper's, with most capacious pockets; his basket slung, his rod all tight, well protected about the feet and legs, having secured all his artillery and baggage, duly victualled for the day, and it might be for the night, for when all things were favourable he fished by night as well as by day,-in this trim Robert weighed anchor, accompanied, it might be, by some amateur in the piscatorial art anxious to get some insight into the style of procedure carried out by the old veteran. “Perch Rob" seldom or never came home "clean." His death was sudden. He was taken ill while fishing in the Almond, was brought home, and died of cholera in 1832. The schoolmaster who then kept school in the village, and is well remembered by some of the old inhabitants, was Mr Alexander Turner. He was a licentiate of the Church of Scotland, but never obtained an appointment to any church or parish. He was occasionally employed as tutor to the members of Sir Henry Raeburn's family. He resided in that old three-storeyed, red-tiled land at the head of Haugh Street,—Fairnington Place being named after his wife. He had a little bit of garden ground in front which he cultivated with great care, and a larger piece in the rear, containing amongst other things an apple tree, which in the fruit season he tended and watched with the most untiring vigilance. The front of his house is now concealed from view by the shops built upon his front garden. He kept his school in the attic of his house, but latterly in the kitchen on the first flat. His scholars were not troubled with anything very profound. The interior of his school, including himself and his pupils, presented a scene singularly homely in its character. His costume was thoroughly that of a dominie of the old school-a well-worn, snuffy-looking old coat, black vest, knee breeches, and strong worsted stockings. There was nothing harsh or unfeeling about him; he was kind and gentle, and his scholars were much attached to him. Alter ing Goldsmith a little, it might truly be said of him and his pupils― "Full well they laughed with honest hearty glee, At all his jokes, for many a joke had he.” He died about 1840. His only son was the Rev. Alexander Turner, D.D., minister of the parish of Port-ofMonteith. The only playground or public park that the boys of the village had in our early days was a piece of waste ground on the banks of the Water of Leith, called "The Whins," from being much covered with whin bushes. It was of limited extent. The ground is now occupied by Reid Terrace, Hugh Miller Place, &c. The mimic warfare, so common with Edinburgh lads in bygone times, called "bickers," had not passed away in our young days. We sometimes had skirmishes with the boys of Canonmills, but the "foemen worthy of our steel" were the boys of the Water of Leith and Dean, against whom we waged long and bloody wars. The "Waterside" and the "Orchard Brae" have witnessed many daring deeds of boyish prowess and valour. From the gate that led to St Bernard's, which was situated at the north end of the bridge, a high wall bounded the way on to the foot of Dean Street. About the middle of this wall was a small doorway that led to a little cottage. This was the famous "Hole i' the Wa," the well-known resort, sixty years ago, of Stockbridge schoolboys who had a halfpenny or a penny to invest in the purchase of apples, pears, or gooseberries. Old Mrs Hazelwood, who kept this little shop, lived to be upwards of ninety years of age. The little cottage was beautifully overshadowed by some fine old beech trees of great size. Some of the localities in Stockbridge have changed their earlier names. The Water of Leith passes Stockbridge with considerable force, more especially when in flood, and during winter and spring spates it sometimes rises to a great height, According to tradition handed down by some old residents, it rose to a great height about 1794-5; access to some of the houses in Haugh Street was cut off, and some difficulty was experienced in getting a marriage party out of one of the houses. It has been said that it was the marriage of the father and mother of David Roberts. The water again rose very high in the autumn of 1832. Upon that occasion it rose many feet above its average greatest height, and flooding the low-lying lands did considerable damage to the crops remaining on the ground. When the river has been in flood sad accidents have sometimes occurred. In 1821 a hackney coachman, returning from the country, went into the water to wash his horse's feet. The water was high, and venturing too far into the current he was swept away. Both driver and horses were drowned. Several years after, two men, with three horses and carts belonging to Mr Wilson, coal merchant, Stockbridge, attempting in the dark to cross at the ford while the water was high, were carried away, and both men and horses perished. The water rose very high in June 1879; for some time it flowed over the roadway at the newly-erected Falshaw Bridge, but the damage done was not serious. But the greatest flood in the river of which we have any account is the following, narrated by the quaint historian Nicoll:- |