Historic South Edinburgh - Volumes 1-4

The original Historic South Edinburgh was published by Charles J. Smith in four volumes between 1978 and 1988. It rapidly became the definitive local history of Edinburgh's South Side and is now regarded as one of the most important works on the city's suburban development.

 

Rather than simply recounting dates and buildings, Smith presents an expansive social history of South Edinburgh, tracing the area's evolution over nearly eight centuries—from medieval farmland lying beyond the city walls to the elegant Victorian suburbs that became home to many of Scotland's leading citizens.

 

Beginning with the opening of the North Bridge in 1772, Smith explains how Edinburgh's growing professional classes gradually migrated southwards from the overcrowded Old Town. Villages, estates and open countryside were transformed into planned residential districts, each developing its own distinctive character while retaining traces of its rural past.

 

The series covers virtually every aspect of the South Side's development, including:

• the medieval estates and feudal lands;
• country houses, villas and large estates;
• churches, schools and hospitals;
• transport and road development;
• local industries and businesses;
• architectural growth during the Georgian and Victorian periods;
• notable residents whose lives shaped Edinburgh's intellectual, cultural and political history.
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Smith combines documentary research with old maps, photographs, engravings and numerous anecdotes, creating both a scholarly reference work and an engaging narrative of everyday life.

 

Contents of the individual volumes:

 

Volume I – Historic South Edinburgh
Focuses on the historical development of the district itself, examining the early estates, villages and the gradual expansion southwards from the eighteenth century. It introduces many of the principal neighbourhoods and explains how the landscape changed over time.

 

Volume II – Historic South Edinburgh
Continues the geographical history, examining further districts and describing the growth of residential suburbs, public buildings, institutions and transport links during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

 

Volume III – Historic South Edinburgh: People
Shifts from places to personalities, providing hundreds of biographies of the notable men and women associated with South Edinburgh. These include writers, doctors, scientists, ministers, artists, politicians, educators and local benefactors whose homes and work helped define the district.

 

Volume IV – Historic South Edinburgh: More People
Expands the biographical approach with many additional residents, lesser-known local figures and further anecdotes that illustrate the rich social history of the area. Together, the final two volumes form an extensive biographical dictionary of South Edinburgh.

Areas covered

The work encompasses most of Edinburgh's historic southern suburbs, including:

• The Meadows
• Marchmont
• Sciennes
• Newington
• The Grange
• Bruntsfield
• Morningside
• Braid
• Blackford
• Merchiston
• Craiglockhart
• Swanston

These districts are examined in terms of their architectural development, prominent families, institutions, churches, schools and changing social character.

 

Charles J. Smith's Historic South Edinburgh remains one of the finest examples of Scottish urban local history. It is notable for combining meticulous archival research with an engaging narrative style and an extraordinary wealth of biographical information. While many histories of Edinburgh concentrate on the Old and New Towns, Smith demonstrates that the South Side possesses an equally rich and distinctive heritage, making the work an indispensable resource for historians, genealogists, architects and anyone interested in Edinburgh's past.

These are 4 very well presented volumes all with their original un-clipped dustcover and now all in protective sheaths. 

 

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