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Castlehill Barracks
106 A view of the southern aspect of the Castlehill in about 1850, with the Barracks featuring prominently. The Barracks replaced the Chapel of St. Ninian and an observatory erected in 1781. The foundation stone was laid on 24th June 1794 by the Marquis of Huntly and it was completed early in 1796, with accommodation for 600 men. The picture is interesting, as it shows the line of Hangman's Brae, which descended from the south west corner of the hill to Castle Lane and into Virginia Street. It was partly absorbed into the construction of Castle Terrace in 1864. The houses on the left of the illustration with the outside steps were incorporated into the first Hospital for Sick Children in 1877. View of Aberdeen from Cornhill
181 View of Aberdeen from Cornhill, c.1840. This picture was contained in a series of lithographs of Aberdeen published in 1840 by J and D Nichol, booksellers, Montrose. The elevated position of Cornhill provided one of the best points of view over the city. The idyllic rural scene in the foreground is in contrast to the array of smoking chimneys in the distance, interspersed with the spires of various buildings. In the middle is Broadford Textile Works with Hutcheon Street on the left. On the far right, there is the tall chimney of Rubislaw Bleachfield Works, which was demolished in July 1908. The spires belong to the East and West Churches of St. Nicholas, and the Tolbooth while, in the centre, there are the four turrets of the central tower of Marischal College and the tower of the North Church. The chimneys were evidence of the extent and importance of manufacturing in the city, while the western suburbs were the most attractive, with beautiful villas whose residents were often those citizens whose wealth came from these industries. Castlegate facing King Street
376 Standing on the corner of Castle Street and King Street is Archibald Simpson's North of Scotland Bank, which would become the Clydesdale Bank and later converted into a bar and restaurant. In July 1838 the New Inn on Castle Street was purchased along with adjacent properties and Simpson's tender of 7,200 pounds accepted. The foundation stone was laid on January 20th 1840 and this majestic building with its giant corinthian columns opened on October 31st 1842. Above the corner portico sits the terracotta sculpture of Ceres, goddess of plenty, designed by James Giles. Seaton's view of Castle Street
670 This view was drawn by Robert Seaton in 1806. On the left is the Tolbooth and adjoining it is the Mason Lodge and New Inn. The property was sold in 1839 to the proprietors of the North of Scotland Bank and the bank offices were erected on the site in 1840-2. In the late 1990s, the bank closed and became a pub, called Archibald Simpson's, after the original architect. The prominent building on the right side was the Aberdeen Bank, later to become the Bank of Scotland building. The tall man in the centre was John Ewen, jeweller, the man on the right with the drum was Watty Leith, Town Drummer, and on the left is John Milne, the Town Hangman, talking to the fishwives, claiming his free fish as perks of his trade. Castle Street
673 A view of the buildings at Castle Street prior to their demolition for the construction of the new Town House (1867-1874) designed by Peddie and Kinnear.
The entrance to Broad Street is visible in the left foreground. The entrance further on is to Huxter's Row, which turned west and ran behind these building to exit on Broad Street. The Lemon Tree Hotel and the Bon-Accord Hotel were located on this lane. The former soon moved to 7-9 St. Nicholas Street.
Past the fortified facade of the Tolbooth, and its prominent spire, can be seen the entrance to Lodge Walk and Archibald Simpson's North of Scotland Bank premises, opened in 1842.
The signs in the shop windows likely give notice of imminent closure. A sign for Alexander Badenoch, an outfitter, can be seen at 12 Union Street. Further down, at what is likely Chapman and Co., tailors and clothiers, "Great bargains" are advertised.
In addition to the gas lamps and pollards, there is array of traffic on the cobbled street. Two night watchmen stand talking on the left. A Gordon Highlander, presumably coming from the nearby Castlehill Barracks, is outside Badenoch's shop. Two fishwives carry leaden creels to market. A large dog sleeps outside Chapman and Co. and various horse drawn vehicles are shown. Allan's view of Castle Street, 1840
680 This drawing is by J.W. Allan and the engraving was published by John Hay in 1840. Castlegate looking west along Union Street, with the Athenaeum on the left and the spire of the Tolbooth on the right. Seaton's view of Castle Street
746 This view was drawn by Robert Seaton in 1806. On the left is the Tolbooth and adjoining it is the Mason Lodge and New Inn. The property was sold in 1839 to the proprietors of the North of Scotland Bank and the bank offices were erected on the site in 1840-2. In the late 1990s, the bank closed and became a pub, called Archibald Simpson's, after the original architect. The prominent building on the right side was the Aberdeen Bank, later to become the Bank of Scotland building. The tall man in the centre was John Ewen, jeweller, the man on the right with the drum was Watty Leith, Town Drummer, and on the left is John Milne, the Town Hangman, talking to the fishwives, claiming his free fish as perks of his trade. Mannie in the Green
789 The Well in the Green historically important from being connected with the fiirst introduction of a regular water supply into the city in 1706. It stood originally in Castle Street. It was taken down about 1840 but then re-erected in the Green in 1852. It is now to be found in the Castlegate opposite the Town House. Hay's Views of Aberdeen
1810 A view of Aberdeen and the River Dee from the south west by lithographer John Hay and from 1840.
The view shows salmon fishing in the river and linen bleaching activities on the Torry side.
The spires of the South Parish Church, on Belmont Street, St. Nicholas Kirk and the Tolbooth can be seen on the skyline. The Castle Hill Barracks is also clearly visible. Earl of Fife Coach
2007 Mail coaches began in the 1780s from Edinburgh and by 1835, 27 coaches were running to various places from Aberdeen.
The Earl of Fife Coach seems to have started running around 1830, leaving Castle Street every morning at 7am and travelling via Old Meldrum, Turriff, Banff, Portsoy, Cullen and Fochabers where it joined the coaches to Inverness. It would arrive at Banff about 1pm, having changed horses on route.
Coaches were often named from the noblemen in the district in which they ran. The coach's arrival was heralded by a bugle call, and the coachman is described as wearing a blue coat with red trimmings, white hat with a black band, shining shoes and grey spats.
As railways expanded throughout the 1850's coaches were no longer required and gradually disappeared from the roads. This illustration depicts the coach circa 1840. Treasure 31: Hays' Isometrical View of Aberdeen 1850
2586 In September 1850 an advert appeared in the local papers of Aberdeen for "Hays' Isometrical View of Aberdeen, giving a Distinct and Correct View of the Whole City and Environs". We hold copy of the plan from 1850 in our Local Studies collection.
The plan was available to purchase for 3s. 6d. and measured 34 inches by 19 inches. Carvers and gilders, J. & J. Hays, had premises at 2 Market Street where they also sold prints and optical instruments. At the bottom left of the image we see the words George Wilson, Delt. (abbreviation of delineator, i.e. the artist). George Wilson was to find fame a few years later as George Washington Wilson when he became one of Scotland's premier photographers.
George Washington Wilson
George Washington Wilson was born in 1823 at Waulkmill of Carnousie in Banffshire and left school at 12 years of age to be an apprentice carpenter. He practised his artistic skills by drawing portraits of friends and neighbours and, after training at art schools in Edinburgh and London, he returned to Aberdeen to become an art teacher and portrait painter.
By the late 1840's Wilson was attracted by the work of Fox Talbot in the new art of photography and after initial experiments with a homemade camera, he advertised a business offering photographic portraits before eventually expanding into landscape photography.
A Bird's Eye View of History
Wilson created this panoramic view of the city by making numerous sketches from the roofs of high buildings and then merging them into one comprehensive drawing. We are looking north across the city from the harbour with Union Street running horizontally across the centre and Old Aberdeen in the far distance. We can see how small the city actually was at this time - open fields are visible just to the north of the west end of Union Street.
A key to the most prominent buildings was provided and it is interesting to see which buildings have survived until today, often with additions, and which had yet to be built. Robert Gordon's Hospital (now College), Marischal College, and various churches including the Triple Kirks and St Nicholas East and West are all still standing but the West Prison, Castlehill Barracks and the Poorhouse have been demolished.
Bird's Eye View 1889
In December 1889, the Aberdeen Free Press offered its readers an updated version of the Bird's Eye View as a supplement to their newspaper. Numerous changes to the landscape of the city had taken place since Wilson's view. Gordon's College
2708 An Adelphi Series postcard (no. 437) showing the grounds of Robert Gordon's college in the early 20th century.
Originally a school for orphaned boys, it became Robert Gordon's College in the 1880s. This view is relatively rare as the College's courtyard is occupied by temporary buildings that were present for sometime in the 20th century.
This postcard was used by a Maude S. who lived at 4 Allan Street, Aberdeen to send a message to a Miss Ada Newnham in Cape Town, South Africa. Maude's message suggests it is the time of the First World War and briefly details her activities:
"I have been in training for munition work, & suspect to be called up any time now. I like the work very much. This is the college I trained at, but you can't see the building I was in, it is a bit to the side by the x". Note the "x" marked on the left of the postcard. Castle Street & Municipal Buildings Aberdeen
3147 An Adelphi Series postcard showing Castle Street with a view down Union Street.
The postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries so that we could create a digital copy for public use. Union Street, Aberdeen looking E.
3155 An Adelphi series photograph showing a view of Union Street towards Castle Gate.
The postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries so that we could create a digital copy for public use. Castle Street & Municipal Buildings. Aberdeen.
3163 An Adelphi Series postcard showing a view of Union Street from Castle Gate.
The postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries so that we could create a digital copy for public use. Municipal Buildings & Market Cross, Aberdeen.
3173 An Adelphi Series postcard showing a view of Union Street from Castle Gate, with focus on the Mercat Cross.
The postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries so that we could create a digital copy for public use. Castlehill Barracks
22 A view of the southern aspect of the Castlehill in about 1850, with the Barracks featuring prominently. The Barracks replaced the Chapel of St. Ninian and an observatory erected in 1781. The foundation stone was laid on 24th June 1794 by the Marquis of Huntly and it was completed early in 1796, with accommodation for 600 men. The picture is interesting, as it shows the line of Hangman's Brae, which descended from the south west corner of the hill to Castle Lane and into Virginia Street. It was partly absorbed into the construction of Castle Terrace in 1864. The houses on the left of the illustration with the outside steps were incorporated into the first Hospital for Sick Children in 1877. View of Aberdeen from Cornhill
49 View of Aberdeen from Cornhill, c.1840. This picture was contained in a series of lithographs of Aberdeen published in 1840 by J and D Nichol, booksellers, Montrose. The elevated position of Cornhill provided one of the best points of view over the city. The idyllic rural scene in the foreground is in contrast to the array of smoking chimneys in the distance, interspersed with the spires of various buildings. In the middle is Broadford Textile Works with Hutcheon Street on the left. On the far right, there is the tall chimney of Rubislaw Bleachfield Works, which was demolished in July 1908. The spires belong to the East and West Churches of St Nicholas, and the Tolbooth while, in the centre, there are the four turrets of the central tower of Marischal College and the tower of the North Church. The chimneys were evidence of the extent and importance of manufacturing in the city, while the western suburbs were the most attractive, with beautiful villas whose residents were often those citizens whose wealth came from these industries. Seaton's view of Castle Street
85 This view was drawn by Robert Seaton in 1806. On the left is the Tolbooth and adjoining it is the Mason Lodge and New Inn. The property was sold in 1839 to the proprietors of the North of Scotland Bank and the bank offices were erected on the site in 1840-2. In the late 1990s, the bank closed and became a pub, called Archibald Simpson's, after the original architect. The prominent building on the right side was the Aberdeen Bank, later to become the Bank of Scotland building. The tall man in the centre was John Ewen, jeweller, the man on the right with the drum was Watty Leith, Town Drummer, and on the left is John Milne, the Town Hangman, talking to the fishwives, claiming his free fish as perks of his trade. Market Street
205 An illustration of a busy Market Street in 1840. The view looks south towards Aberdeen harbour. Treasure 77: The Castle Spectre, 1876 - 1888
288 One of our treasures this month is a rare periodical known as The Castle Spectre. It is unusual as it was printed and published by a Victorian family from their home at 'The Castle', 6 Mackie Place, and later from 'The Galleries' on Skene Street West, and offers an insight into the lives of a middle-class family in Victorian Aberdeen. The copy on display was gifted to the library by the editor, Alexander D Forbes in 1888, and includes a handwritten letter to the City Librarian at the time.
It not only contains amateur poetry, literature, and social and religious commentary, but also sheds a light on a forgotten and mysterious dwelling place in the heart of the city. The area in question is the land behind Skene Street, encompassing Mackie Place, and the grounds of three old houses long since demolished by the Denburn - Cherry Vale, 'The Galleries', and the White House, also known as 'The Castle'.
As long as 'The Castle' at 6 Mackie Place existed (it was built towards the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century, according to various reports) it was described as being haunted. No accounts mention a specific ghost, but the eccentricities of the occupant and his young family helped to fuel the reputation for the Castle's hauntings. The first issue of The Castle Spectre (October 21, 1876) states:
"We are the dwellers in that house in the neighbourhood of Skene Street known to the "oldest inhabitants" as the Haunted House, to younger inhabitants as the Castle, and to the Post Office as No.6 Mackie Place. In former days we were "desp'rate wicked". We dressed ourselves in white sheets, and popped out upon passers by, frightening them into fits. We used to scoop out the largest turnips?and having cut out slices to represent eyes, nose, and mouth, light candles in them, and stick them on poles in hedges?We used to lie behind low walls and growl like bears, or caterwaul like cats, whenever any weakly-looking person was passing?In short, we were the terror of the neighbourhood."
View the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries to find out more about the spooky publication and mysterious Mackie Place. Adelphi Series postcard - Castle Street & Municipal Buildings. Aberdeen.
409 The back of an Adelphi Series postcard that on the front shows a view of Union Street from Castle Gate.
The postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries so that we could create a digital copy for public use. Adelphi Series postcard - Castle Street & Municipal Buildings. Aberdeen.
415 The back of an Adelphi Series postcard that on the front shows a view of Union Street from Castle Gate.
The postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries so that we could create a digital copy for public use. Adelphi Series postcard - Municipal Buildings & Market Cross, Aberdeen.
420 The back of an Adelphi Series postcard that on the front shows a view of the Mercat Cross on Castle Gate, and in the background Union Street.
The postcard was sent from Aberdeen to Dundee.
The postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries so that we could create a digital copy for public use. |