Grassmarket Edinburgh COMPLETED

[lyndyloo6]

Hello,

Can anyone advise me as to how I owuld find out who owned the 'piggery' in the Grassmarket in the mid 1800's to the turn of the century.
Many thanks,
Lynda

[KirstyG]

Hi Lynda

I'm not sure if it will take you up the the dates you are looking for but there is a list of Burgesses of Edinburgh on http://www.scotsfind.org/   This does include information about merchants and owners of stables etc in the grassmarket, so might have something of use.

Kirsty

[lyndyloo6]

Hi Kirsty,
I have spent the last 2 nights trying to find anything on this site to no avail, so I am stll searching....
Many thanks for the suggestion.

Kind regrds,
Lynda

[MonicaL]

Lynda

Have you any idea at all of the names you are searching for? We can search the census index would you believe with the keyword 'pig*' which brings up a list of names (pig owner/dealer etc).

Monica 

[lyndyloo6]

Hi There,

I have sat today and looked at census reports for the name Mackay, Mackee,Mackie.  No luck, but maybe am missing something.  It could be Mackay, Meechan, Dorian or something similar.  I spoke to an elderly relative on Tuesday and she said that her grandmother had said that her grandfather had the piggery in the Grassmarket.  Our Mary Jane Mackay 1883 was illigitimate.  Her mother was also Mary Jane Mackay, but have had no luck in tracking her down in the census report.  We are also led to beleive that the Mackays had the butchers and fishmonger in the Grassmarket and Candlemakers Row.  This is all new information we got this week, so early days.  But any help be much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Lynda

[Little Nell]

I just looked through the 1881 census for the Grassmarket - not a pig keeper or piggery in sight: mason's labourers, dressmakers, shoemakers, washerwomen, carters, tinsmiths, a police constable, message boys, hawkers, pedlars, rag pickers, musicians, comb makers, plumbers, an ice cream maker, even a sausage skin maker, but no pig keeper.  There was a dealer in fish - Elizabeth Malcolm - at 68 Grassmarket and several other fish hawkers.

A James Maloney was a fishmonger who lived in Candlemaker Row, but I don't think he lived at the shop.

Where does the Dorian name fit in?

Nell

[MonicaL]

I've tried searching as you Nell, not getting anything either under those names unfortunately.

Monica

[lyndyloo6]

Hi there,

I too have spent most of the evening searaching.  It came up with 56,000 + matches, so Iwaded through them.  Like you I spent a coulorful evening and trying to see what was what.  got to page 8...lol.  so I will spend a bit of time today.   I did find a couple of pig keepers but not for the grassmarket though.   Even though  I have worked in this area for 10 years, up and down some of the closes, (I work with the homeless), I learnt  a lot about the area.  Even that there was a lunatic asylum up the Oldfishmarket Close.  Thank you so much for your help.
Kind regards,
LYnda

[lyndyloo6]

The name Dorian/Dorigan.
Well Granny was illigitimate.  Her mother is listed as Mary Jane Mackay in 1883 when she was born in the West port.  Mary Jane senior married a man with the name Maclaughlan.  No one is sure of his first name.  We spoke with my husbands oldest cousin, who was close to her granny  Granny brought her up as her father  was killed in WW2.  She has had several strokes, so her memory is a bit fuzzed, bless, but she wanted to give us as much information as she could remember as she was at grannies all the time.  She told us that when they walked through the Grassmarket, granny often said that her grandfather owned the piggery  She also said the ther was a butchers shop in the Grassmarket and another shop in Candlemakers row.  She also told that there was a hawker called Dorian/Dorigan who was a cousin.  Granny was sent away to be brought up by the nuns in Aberdeen and returned to Edinburgh around 1900's and married in 1904.
So we are not sure if it was a Mackay that may have owned the piggery or her fathers parents, of whom we do not know the name.  I have spent 2 years trying to peice this together and am no further forward.  And I cant go any further back as I have no certificates for Mary Jane senior. 
But thank you for your help.  I know that one day, it will all open out when I dont expect it too....

Kind regards,
Lynda