All About Edinburgh
George Street
Edinburgh
Hanover Street & Frederick Street
Edinburgh
Edinburgh George Street built as the main Street of the Edinburgh New Town and named after King George III
runs parallel with Princes Street to the south and Queen Street to the north.
George Street has become the main Street for Edinburgh's nightlife, dinning drinking and shopping with Statues, historic Buildings, Churches, Monuments and a Square and gardens at each end. Crossing over George Street from north to south are Hanover Street, Frederick Street and Castle Street.
Thomas Chalmers
George Street Edinburgh
Thomas Chalmers 17 March 1780 – 31 May 1847
Thomas Chalmers was a Scottish minister, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of the Free Church of Scotland. He has been called, "Scotland's greatest nineteenth-century churchman". He was highly regarded during his lifetime as a natural theologian. Thomas Chalmers died in his house in Morningside Edinburgh.
Thomas Chalmers was interred in the Grange Cemetery.
Grand Lodge of Scotland
George Street Edinburgh
Freemasons Hall situated at 96 George Street is the worldwide Head Office of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
Freemasonry began in Scotland and is the oldest secular fraternal society in the world.
It was recorded in Scotland before 1598. Foundation Stone 1858.
William Pitt the Younger
George Street Edinburgh
William Pitt (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a Tory politician and is the youngest Prime Minister that has served in Great Britain at the age 24. William Pitt the younger’s father, William Pitt the Elder, also served as Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1766. William Pitt used the younger to differentiate between himself
and his father. William Pitt was prime minister at the time of the war with France and he was also friends with William Wilberforce and encouraged him to fight to abolish the slave trade in Britain, which he was successful in doing. Unfortunately, it was one year after William Pitt’s death that by act of parliament The Slave Trade Act of 1807 was agreed.
The Assembly Rooms
George Street Edinburgh
The Assembly Rooms opened in 1787, the Assembly Rooms were created as a meeting place, a place to be entertained and a place Royalty used for banquets. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe used it for shows and the centre for meeting after the shows. The 18th century building has survived and is still used for the same purpose since its opening in 1787. There has been a wide range of distinguished guests and historical events. The building has been renovated and returned to its former glory, the interior architectural significance preserved and enhanced. A ballroom, music hall, drawing rooms, crush hall, restaurant and café provide elegant backdrops for all occasions.
King George IV
George Street Edinburgh
George IV Statue
A statue of George IV stands in George Street at the junction of Hanover Street the area once named George Circle was unveiled on 26 November 1831. To commemorate the visit of King George IV on Thursday 15th August 1822 and departed from Queensferry on Thursday 29th August 1822.
George IV Bridge Edinburgh was named after the King in memory of his visit in 1822.
Royal Society of Edinburgh
George Street Edinburgh
The RSE was created in 1783 by Royal Charter for “the advancement of learning and useful knowledge”. As many professional bodies and societies of Edinburgh the first meetings of their organisations were held in rooms in the Edinburgh University Old College. The Royal Society of Edinburgh was no different they began with meetings in the library wing in 1807 then moved to another popular meeting place in the day the Physicians Hall in George street eventually moving after short stays in other places to the present building in George Street in 1909. The Royal Society of Edinburgh is a registered charity in Scotland for education and providing the public benefit throughout Scotland.
St Andrew's and St George's
West Church
George Street Edinburgh
ST Andrew's Church George Street Edinburgh was built in 1784 and named after St. Andrew Square. St George's Church in Charlotte Square Edinburgh was built in St George Square, renamed Charlotte Square after King George
the III’s wife Charlotte and was united with St Andrew church Edinburgh in 1964, forming St Andrew and St George.
In 2010 it was also united with the St Andrew west church in Shandwick Place Edinburgh and became
St Andrew and St George West Church. Also a place that Rod Stewart Singer and entertainer had his child christened.
Royal Caledonian
Horticultural Society
Plaque
George Street Edinburgh
Scotland’s Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society Plaque George Street Edinburgh is on the site where Scotland’s Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society was founded.in 1809 by Dr Andrew Duncan. It became the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society in 1778 by charter of George III. This was the original site of the Royal College of Physicians. This was also a previous site of the Physic Garden from 1675 -1763.
George Street Edinburgh
James Clark Maxwell
James Clark Maxwell was born in 1831 at 14 India Street Edinburgh and died in 1879. James Clerk Maxwell was one of the greatest scientists that ever lived. He was the scientist who discovered, the theory of electromagnetism.
He is named as the father of modern physics. He also made essential contributions to mathematics, astronomy and engineering. Radio, television, radar and communications, all derive from Maxwell's discovery. Albert Einstein said: "The special theory of relativity owes its origins to Maxwell's equations of the electromagnetic field”. Ivan Tolstoy, in his biography of Maxwell, wrote:
“Maxwell's importance in the history of scientific thought is comparable to Einstein’s (whom he inspired)”
Below are a number of occupants of George Street from over 100 years previous
3 Major Fraser 5 William Creech 19 Caledonian Insurance
25 James Ferrier 32 Francis Grant 45 Blackwood's Bookshop
47 Wilkie of Foulden
75 Anne Rutherford
(Walter Scott's mother)
78 Sir John Hay 86 Sir William Forbes
89 Gray and Sons Hardware 1902 92 Lord Jeffrey
93 A Melrose & Co Grocers 1780 98 Grand Lodge Scotland
101 Union Bank 1874
108 Sir Walter Scott 1797
116 Archibald Colquhoun Lord Advocate of Scotland 1807
117 Butters of Pitlochry 122 Murray of Henderland
123 Sir John Watson Gordon President of RSA
128 Mercantile Bank of India London & China
133 Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster
Frederick Street Edinburgh
Frederick Street runs north to south crossing George Street starting at Princes Street and ending at Queen Street. Named after King George III father Frederick. There are retail shops. Pubs, night clubs, restaurants and residences. At the junction of George Street a statue of William Pitt the Younger Prime Minister of Britain. The junction with Princes Street and Frederick Street is the best place for a picture of the Edinburgh Castle. The Cavalryman and Horse on the Princes Street Gardens side at the foot of Frederick Street is a memorial to the Royal Scots Greys Cavalry Regiment .
Hanover Street Edinburgh
Hanover Street is in the centre of princes street going north with retail shopping, restaurants, pubs and night clubs originally residential with a number of businesses. Hanover Street was named by King George III after the Royal House of Hanover. King George IV stands looking down Hanover Street in Highland Dress a stipulation made by Sir Walter Scott when he invited the king to Edinburgh in 1822. Hanover Street starts at Princes Street and ends at Queen Street.
Alexander Bain
Electric Clock and Telegraph Inventor
Alexander Bain had a workshop at 21 Hanover Street Edinburgh for circa 4 years from 1844, with inventions of the chemical telegraph and electric fire alarms and the electric clock which he patented in 1841.
Merchant’s Hall
Hanover Street Edinburgh
Merchant Company of Edinburgh
The Merchant Company of Edinburgh was established in 1681. The previous name was the Guidry before it became a society. Their first meeting hall was in the Cowgate Edinburgh and they then moved to Hunter Square before moving to its final home of Hanover Street. The Merchant Company was a watch dog for Edinburgh looking after the concerns and needs of the people. Over time the wealthy would leave their estates to be administered by the Merchant Company by way of a trust. This resulted in with well-judged investments the Merchant Company become the largest land owners in Scotland. The Merchant Company in 1694 with a donation from Mary Erskine a widow, which established Mary Erskine School. With other donations and bequests and trusts, further education facilities were opened, George Watson’s College in 1741, George Watson was an accountant, and merchant banker and the first accountant of the Bank of Scotland, James Gillespie’s High School in 1803, James Gillespie was a local Tobacconist in the High Street Edinburgh and Daniel Stewart held an appointment in the Court of Exchequer, Daniel Stewart’s College in 1855 which is now ESMS (Erskine, Stewart, Melville Schools). John Watson’s School in built in 1828 at 75 Belford Road next to the Dean Cemetery. The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce was established as an off shoot of the Merchant’s Society of Edinburgh in 1786.
