Blog at the Ballast

A belated Friday photo.  The image is of one of the plans that we got scanned to go in our Ballast Trust history which will be published this year.  It turns out that 2012 is the 25th anniversary of the Ballast Trust, taken from its date of incorporation in December 1987 (although work didn't start until 1988).

The image is of a plan showing Dublin Street Lane, taken from the Edinburgh City Engineers collection that we are processing on behalf of Edinburgh City Archives.


More news about the history will appear here as get it all finalised, right now we've got about 30 images to fit in and make it all look pretty.

While cataloguing the Edinburgh City Engineer’s Plans, I came across this plan of the Broughton feuing. The plan shows the feuing Contract between John Hope, Writer to the Signet and philanthropist, and the Governor of George Herriot’s Hospital, on 19 August 1867.

Plan of Broughton Feuing

John Hope (1807–1893), devoted much of his time and wealth to philanthropic works. One such project was in 1861. After seeing the dwellings for English working men in a visit to the north of England, Hope suggested that similar housing could be built for workers in Edinburgh. He proposed that the ground belonging to Heriot’s Hospital, behind East Claremont Street, off Leith Walk, could provide houses for working men. Not only was he determined to obtain sound housing for the working men, but that they should also have fresh water and air, and he brought the nearby Caledonian Distillery to task as being the main polluter of both. John Hope founded the Hope Trust in 1890, which continues today in helping people combat drug and alcohol addiction. The brown shading marks the areas of Hope’s land, and the red that of Heriot’s Hospital.

Detail of note to the right of the plan

The plan also outlines in red (at the top) the property of Waterston & Sons, stationers and printers, which, originally belonged to Hope. George Waterston (1838-1922) was third generation of Waterston’s stationers and printers. His private residence was 19 East Claremont Street. Contemporary to this period, was his niece, Jane Elizabeth Waterston (1866-1905), African missionary, who was one of the first women to train in medicine at the London School of Medicine for Women.

This plan is one of three duplicates drawn by the architect John Chessor (1819-1892), Superintendent of Works to Heriot's Hospital. The Contract was subscribed by William Chambers (1800–1883), Lord Provost of Edinburgh (elected 1865), and friend of John Hope. Ref: SL246/173 (Stephen Hall)