Sketch of the History of the High Constables of Edinburgh: With Notes on the Early Watching, Cleaning, and Other Police Arrangements of the CityText contains historical proceedings of the Edinburgh police force in relation to their established policies. |
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¹ Council act dated act of council act of parliament afterwards Alexander anent Antea appear appointed apprehend April attend August authorised bailies batons bounds burgesses burgh captains Charles Charles Lawson Charles Logan cleaning commissioners committee Council Records Counsall December deputes duty Earl of Errol February filth fines fulzie gentlemen George guard History of Edinburgh houses Ibid inhabitants Item James James VI January John John Greig July June jurisdiction justice King king's laws Leith Lord High Constable Lord Provost Lordis magistrates and council Majesty March meeting merchant Minute Book moderator neighbours night nightly November occasion October office-bearers ordained Parliaments of Scotland passed peace penalties persons police Preses Privy Council proclamation punishment quarter referred regulations remitted riot Robert royal saidis sall Scots shillings Society of High streets thair thame toun trained bands treasurer tyme vpoun vther ward watch weaponshawing William
Popular passages
Page 84 - If the most fashionable parts of the capital could be placed before us, such as they then were, we should be disgusted by their squalid appearance, and poisoned by their noisome atmosphere. In Covent Garden a filthy and noisy market was held close to the dwellings of the great. Fruit women screamed, carters fought, cabbage stalks and rotten apples accumulated in heaps at the thresholds of the Countess of Berkshire and of the Bishop of Durham...
Page 84 - Pembroke, gave banquets and balls. It was not till these nuisances had lasted through a whole generation, and till much had been written about them, that the inhabitants applied to Parliament for permission to put up rails, and to plant...
Page 67 - as each religious party in its turn had suffered from persecution, and loudly and bitterly as each had, in its own particular instance, complained of the severities exercised against its members, no party had yet been found to perceive the great wickedness of persecution in the abstract, or the moral unfitness of temporal punishment as an engine of religious controversy.
Page 217 - ... getting out of the way. A better system was then introduced, and has in substance continued. Nobody foresaw, and least of all its authors, the indirect consequences of this police establishment. So far as I am aware, it was the first example of popular election in Scotland. Aversion to be taxed was overcome by allowing the people to choose the Police Commissioners; a precedent always appealed to, till the Reform Act superseded the necessity of using it. The gradual extension of the police system...
Page 186 - In no respect were the manners of 1763 and 1783 more remarkable than in the decency, dignity, and delicacy of the one period, compared with the looseness, dissipation, and licentiousness of the other. Many people ceased to blush at what would formerly have been reckoned a crime.
Page 187 - that nothing was more common than for gentlemen who had dined with ladies and meant to rejoin them to get drunk. " To get drunk in a tavern seemed " to be considered as a natural if not an intended
Page 211 - ... in the family are emptied into this here barrel once aday ; and at ten o'clock at night the whole cargo is flung out of a back windore that looks into some street or lane, and the maid calls Gardy loo...
Page 185 - In 1783— Attendance on church was greatly neglected, and particularly by the men. Sunday was by many made a day of relaxation ; and young people were allowed to stroll about at all hours. Families thought it ungenteel to take their domestics to church wilh them : The streets were far from being void of people in the time of public worship ; and, in the evenings, were frequently loose and riotous ; particularly owing to bands of apprentice boys and young lads.
Page 203 - The throwing up of a sash, or otherwise opening a window, made me tremble, while behind and before me, at some little distance, fell the terrible shower. " Well, I escaped all the danger, and arrived, not only safe and sound, but sweet and clean, at my new quarters ; but when I was in bed I was forced to hide my head between the sheets ; for the smell of the filth, thrown out by the neighbours on the back side of the house, came pouring into the room to such a degree, I was almost poisoned with the...
Page 185 - In 1763 it was fashionable to go to church, and people were interested about religion. Sunday was strictly observed by all ranks as a day of devotion ; and it was disgraceful to be seen on the streets during the time of public worship.