Location
Marischal Street
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire
Date
2001
Description
As part of an attempt to regenerate the area and preserve the historic associations of the pends and closes running back from the street they were given these canopies with cut metal signs,
1: Smithy Close: named after a smiddy that was there in the 19th and early 20th century, the canopy depicts a Clydesdale horse and a representation of show harness is inset into the close threshold stone.
In the comparatively short period of its ascendancy, between the period of the ox plough and the tractor, the horse had a huge impact on local culture (reaching its apotheosis in the magico/religious elements of the "Horseman's Word" secret societies) and still exerts an influence although it has gone from most people's everyday life.
2: Proclamation Pend: Shortly after the beginning of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion, George Keith, 9th Earl Marischal of Scotland, read out a proclamation, at the nearby Peterhead Tolbooth, stating that James Stuart (father of Bonnie Prince Charlie), was the rightful King of Britain. The Earl was accompanied by his younger brother James Keith, later to become a field marshal in Frederick the Great's Prussian army.
James Stuart landed at Peterhead from France on the 22nd of December 1715 and stayed overnight before proceeding South. He returned to France in February 1716 after the failure of the rising.
The canopy shows three figures at the reading of the proclamation and the Keith clan crest is inset into the threshold.
3: Tolbooth Close: named after the Tolbooth which was nearby on the site of the present Townhouse. The Tolbooth was the centre of administration, justice and ceremonial life, where tolls and customs were collected. It was also used for meetings of the burgh council and court and as a prison for remanded criminal suspects and debtors.The original Peterhead Tolbooth was erected in the Longate toward the end of the 16th century, a new one was built in the Broadgate in the 1660s, this was demolished in 1786 and the present Townhouse erected in 1788. The canopy shows a prisoner behind bars and a representation of a James VI eight penny peice is inset into the threshold.
4: Empress Close: named after the Empress Ballroom which occupied the ground floor of the Music Hall that once stood here, the canopy shows a dancing couple, dance step patterns are inset into the threshold.
5: Drummer's Close: named after Drummer's Corner which was situated at the other side of Marischal Street. Woollen mill worker James Milne was an army drummer in the Crimean War (1853-56) he returned to Peterhead and kept a small shop, at the corner of Marischal Street and Albion Street, as well as being the town drummer, his premises became known as 'Drummer's Corner', the canopy shows a drummer with a series of pipe band drummers inset into the threshold.
Era
2000s
Categories
Iconography
- heraldic motifs
- horse
- human figure
Photographer
- David Watson Hood
Unavailable Data
- OS Map Reference
- Related Information
- Information Source
- Related Artefacts
- Creator
- External Links
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