Where was St. James Street, Edinburgh

The History and Geography of Auld Scotia

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mariarostock
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:56 pm
Location: MID GLAMORGAN

Where was St. James Street, Edinburgh

Post by mariarostock » Mon Jul 02, 2007 1:03 pm

Could anybody tell me where St James St. was? My fourth Gt. Grandfather James Pearson was born there in 1803. His father John Pearson was Writer, if anyone has heard of him that would be great. I was just wondering if St James St. was a Poor or Prosperous area. Thanks

LesleyB
Posts: 8184
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:18 am
Location: Scotland

Post by LesleyB » Mon Jul 02, 2007 1:45 pm

Hi mariarostock
...and welcome to Talking Scot :D

As far as I'm aware St James's Street was along the east end of Princes Street, where St James's Shopping Centre is now.
You can see it here:
http://www.nls.uk/maps/townplans/edinburgh500_ne.html
Choose the top right quadrant, then zoom in to the bottom left corner of that section. You should be able to see General Register House & New Register House. From there if you pan sligthly to the right and then upwards you should see St James's Square, and then North, East & South St James Street. Old phots of St James Square can be seen here and here
I think it would have been a reasonable well off area in the 1800s.

There may be another St James Street in Edinburgh - I'm sure some of ourmembers from that area might know a lot better than I do!
Best wishes
Lesley

mariarostock
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:56 pm
Location: MID GLAMORGAN

THANKS

Post by mariarostock » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:17 pm

Thanks Leslie, looks like he did have a bit of money, wonder where it went?

AndrewP
Site Admin
Posts: 6189
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:36 am
Location: Edinburgh

Post by AndrewP » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:23 pm

Hi mariarostock,

On looking closer at the aerial view showing St James Square and the surrounding streets, St James Street doesn't seem to have been the same style as St James Square. St James Square was mostly Georgian townhouses as seen in the other picture. St James Street looks more like high tenement buildings, possibly six storeys high.

Most of these streets were demolished at the end of the 1960s, making way for the St James Centre. As I was pre-school in these years, I have no real memory of the area.

The other question is, what sort of writer was he? It can mean an author, or a high-level solicitor (eg. Writer to the Signet).

http://www.thewss.co.uk/index.asp

For an earlier map, see:
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_MAP_2/1_m ... square.htm

All the best,

AndrewP