Clermiston Estate Papers

This archive relates to the Clermiston Estate and to the Dick family and includes papers particular to, and signed by, Sir Alexander Dick (1703-1785), a notable medical man of the time. The papers, mostly legal, include: instruments of sasine, heritable bonds, bonds of corroboration, documents of discharge and renunciation, searches of incumbrances, a plan of Cramond Muir Road, a sketch of parts of Cramond Moor, a description of Clermiston House, measurement of turnips sold on the Estate, and pages from accounts books. Three of the legal documents relate to dealings of Walter Scott (1729-1799) - father of Sir Walter Scott - who had been raising a loan of one thousand pounds on security of part of the Clermiston Estate.

The Edinburgh suburb of Clermiston which lies to the west of Corstorphine Hill and the city's Zoological Gardens was originally the Clermiston Estate. Earliest mention of the land is recorded circa 1250 in theDunfermline register. In these earlier days it was referred to variously as Clerbaudiston and terram de Clerribaldi and Clerembald's toun. By 1754, the estate had been subdivided into North Clermiston and South Clermiston, and Clermiston House had been built in 1792. North Clermiston was also referred to as Nether Clermiston, and South Clermiston has been referred to as Mid Clermiston, and later Clermiston Mains.

In 1774, Sir Walter Scott's father had raised a loan on security of part of the Clermiston Estate.

As the city expanded in all directions into the near countryside in the 19th and early 20th centuries, references to Clermiston were drawn into city street names in the area: Clermiston Terrace by 1912, Clermiston Avenue by 1937, and Clermiston Crescent, Drive, Gardens, Green, Grove, Hill, Loan, Medway, Park, Place and View by 1953. The Clermiston Mains area together with part of Cramond Muir began to be developed for housing in 1957 and street names there were borrowed fromKidnappedby Robert Louis Stevenson.

Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance.

Material purchased from K. W. Jacob, Bourne Books, Bourne, Lincs., June 1992, Accession no. E92.44

Important finding aids generally are: the alphabetical Index to Manuscripts held at Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives, consisting of typed slips in sheaf binders and to which additions were made until 1987; and the Index to Accessions Since 1987.

Check the local Indexes for details of any additions.