I recently got the following citation (1751, St Cuthberts) from Scotlandspeople: "James McCrabie Causey layer residenter in Castlebarns and Agnes Pirrie Servitrix in Wrighthouses daughter of James Pirrie Castle Soldier and servent to Mr Matheson at Valley <illegible>"   Can anyone tell me about Castlebarns?  I have found it as two words, as well as one word, and think that it might be an area that was once the castle barns of Edinburgh Castle.  If someone was a "castle soldier" in 1751, in the Edinburgh area, is it safe to assume that the reference is to Edinburgh Castle?  What were Wrighthouses? Would it be safe to assume that "Mr. Matheson" was a surgeon, a reverend, or of some other educated profession?  And, lastly, is there an area known as "Valley <something>" in the Edinburgh region?    I apologize for all the questions, but this is such a learned group......I know that this is the right place to ask these questions :o)   Thank you in advance of your answer!   Mary 

Hi Mary, If you check out http://edinburghbookshelf.org.uk/volume10/page166.html you will find reference to Castle Barns. It appears to have been the Home Farm for Edinburgh Castle. I would imagine that "Castle soldier", would refer to Edinburgh Castle. Could your Valley**** be Valleyfield? Quote from http://living.scotsman.com/books/Prisoners-from-Napoleon-All-Men.4721137.jp - "William Chambers, who would grow up to establish with his brother Robert the eponymous publishing empire and become twice Lord Provost of Edinburgh, was looking at Valleyfield Depot, a prisoner-of-war camp holding French and other soldiers and sailors captured in the Napoleonic Wars raging at the time - and the place was going like a fair. "The shops in the village were shut," he would write 60-odd years later. "From the church was heard the voice of the preacher. Looking down on this hive of living beings, there was not among them a vestige of the ordinary calm of Sunday - only Dimanche!" There are still streets in Edinburgh bearing the name "Valleyfield." Without a Christian name for Mr Matheson, it is hard to discover what his profession would be, but I would imagine that he would be a "Learned gentleman", since he is referred to as Mr rather than by his Christian name. Hope that this helps a little with your query. Margaret

Hello Mary I think there was an area called Valleyfield in the Tollcross area of Edinburgh. There is a Valleyfield Street in the area today and apparently there used to be a paper mill at Valleyfield. Castlebarns was an area lying to both sides of the present-day Lothian Road, just north of Tollcross. Googling it tells me that Castlebarns was an area for the accommodation of the Scottish Court when the King lived in Edinburgh Castle but it may have started off as a grange or farm attached to the Castle. If you put "Wright's Houses" in Google you will find the place on Google Maps. It is just off the Meadows in the centre of Edinburgh and I imagine got its name from a Mr Wright. But someone may know better. (Using the Google walkthrough made me feel quite homesick. I used to walk through that part of The Meadows every weekday afternoon on my way home from school!) Rhoda ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Guler" <mlmguler@yahoo.com> To: <midlothian@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 5:23 AM Subject: [MIDLOTHIAN] Question I recently got the following citation (1751, St Cuthberts) from Scotlandspeople: "James McCrabie Causey layer residenter in Castlebarns and Agnes Pirrie Servitrix in Wrighthouses daughter of James Pirrie Castle Soldier and servent to Mr Matheson at Valley <illegible>" Can anyone tell me about Castlebarns? I have found it as two words, as well as one word, and think that it might be an area that was once the castle barns of Edinburgh Castle. If someone was a "castle soldier" in 1751, in the Edinburgh area, is it safe to assume that the reference is to Edinburgh Castle? What were Wrighthouses? Would it be safe to assume that "Mr. Matheson" was a surgeon, a reverend, or of some other educated profession? And, lastly, is there an area known as "Valley <something>" in the Edinburgh region? I apologize for all the questions, but this is such a learned group......I know that this is the right place to ask these questions :o) Thank you in advance of your answer! Mary

Mary This link will give you a bit of information on the history of Wright's Houses or "Wrychtis-housis" as the house that once stood there was called. http://www.oldandnewedinburgh.co.uk/volume5/page43.html Rhoda