The south and west sides of Chessel s Court

Recollections

Chessel's Court

Thank you to Tony Ivanov who wrote:

Nursery Garden

"I lived in number 8 Chessel's Court during the 1950s and there was still a nursery present at that time. The green belt shown in your photo was the then nursery garden which was enclosed with high wrought iron fencing.

I have a feeling it ceased being a nursery round about that time, perhaps the end of the 1950s or beginning of the 1960s. I cannot be absolutely sure.

Tony Ivanov, Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland: October 15, 2008

The windows of the flat where Tony lived are the two, top floor windows just below the skylights in the centre of this photograph.

Recollections

Chessels Court

Thank you to David Merrick who wrote:

Location of the School

"The reader's comment above helped me very much. I had been researching Abdu'l-Baha's visit to the kindergarten on 8 Jan 1913, and was wondering where No. 8 Chessel's Court was. When i visited Chessel's Court, the numbers only appeared to go up to No. 7."

Online Book

"There was an amazing book, Diary of a Free Kindergarten by Lileen Hardy, published in 1913. It tells the daily story of running S. Saviour's child-garden at Chessel's Court. This book can be read free on line by clicking on the link above."

David Merrick: July 5, 2009

Recollections

Chessels Court

Thank you to Tony Ivanov who wrote:

Online Book

"I found David's link (2 above) to the book, Diary of a Free Kindergarten very interesting. Although I have still to read it in full I have browsed through it ,and I am a bit confused as the contents refer to St Saviour's Child Garden as being at No. 8 Chessel's Court."

Not 8 Chessel's Court?

"The nursery garden, as I remember it, was contained within the grassy area of your photo and although this is within Chessel's Court it is not connected in any way to No. 8.

4/1 and 6b Chessel's Court

"A booklet for the Cockburn Association's Gardens Open Day, held on May 6, 2006, makes reference to St Saviour's Child Garden (Page 7, items 11 and 12)"

8 Chessel's Court

"When I lived at No 8 Chessel's Court, the ground floor of this building was actually a nursery which also had the garden at the rear of the building. As to any connection with the old St Saviour's, I am unable to say.

I remember the woman who ran this nursery, Mrs Purves, who occupied the first floor. It wasn't a live-in nursery just a day nursery at that time.

Perhaps some of your readers may be able to shed more light on this."

Tony Ivanov, Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland: July 14, 2009

Recollections

Chessels Court

Thank you to Tony Ivanov who wrote again:

8 Chessel's Court

"David Merrick said he couldn't find No. 8 Chessel's Court. One reason for this may be that when the whole of Chessel's Court was refurbished in the 1960s, there might have been alterations to stair entrances requiring renumbering.

In this photograph, No.8 was the black arched doorway in the centre with the woman standing in front of it.

Although I've revisited the area in recent times, I haven't actually paid attention to such detail as to me it is just as I always remembered it only far cleaner."

Online Book

"I have now read through the book, Diary of a Free Kindergarten to try to digest more information.

Photographs within the book and descriptions of scenic views of Salisbury Crags from this garden would certainly indicate that this kindergarten was within the building I lived in.

However, later in the book on page 169 there is a conflicting entry. It describes the removal of a wooden walled fence around the garden which was replaced by more pleasing iron railings.

When I lived there the only iron railings were those which surrounded the nursery gardens in the central courtyard of Chessel's Court which is now the grassy area in the foreground of your photograph.

The garden at the rear of No. 8 was enclosed on either side by high stone walls which were probably built at the same time as the original buildings.

I've tried to find out more from the internet but nothing as yet. I'm as interested as David to find out more.

Tony Ivanov, Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland: July 15, 2009

Recollections

Chessels Court

Thank you to Tony Ivanov added:

More Photos

"I've just come across this page on the RCAHMS Canmore web site. It contains some interesting photos of Chessel's Court:

SC716142 (image 8) shows the iron fence which the book mentions replaced the old wooden fence. This photo is much how Chessel's Court was when I lived there, apart from the building within the fenced area which resembles a cottage. My memory is starting to play tricks on me now but I do not recall it being there. It must have been demolished before I lived there.

SC109873 (image 15) shows the wooden fence which would have surrounded the child garden and is mentioned in the book.

SC1131108 (image 17). I am trying to fathom out where this photo was taken. It says it is Chessel's Court from the south which means it depicts the rear of the buildings but I do not recall this view. I have a suspicion this is a view further up the Canongate with the buildings on the left being that of St Mary's Street, only my view so don't take it as certain.

When I lived there, the only access to the rear of No 8 was by a corner staircase between No 8 and the next house (I think, 8b) which led under the building to a long steep close known as Bloody Mary's Close.

This was about six or eight feet wide with high stone walls on either side and led all the way down to Holyrood Road. When I attended St Patrick's School this was a short cut, rather than go by the main roads, up the Canongate and down St Mary's Street.

SC16139 (image 7). The door in the centre of this photo is to the house that I think was No 8b. To the right of the doorsteps and where the corner of the two buildings meet there is this very narrow staircase which was the access to Bloody Mary's Close."

Tony Ivanov, Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland: July 16, 2009

Recollections

Chessels Court

Thank you to Betty Myers (nee Cooney) who wrote:

1947

"I also went to the Nursery at Chessel's Court. It would have been around 1947. I lived at 100 Canongate from 1944 until 1963 when I went to the US.

I had an Aunt Sadie Anderson. Her children, Agnes and Annie, lived right next to the Nursery."

Betty Myers (nee Cooney), USA