Thread by @cocteautriplets

For #InternationalWomensDay I thought I would flick through the books and do an A-Z (as far as possible) of Edinburgh and Leith places named after women. Unsurprisingly there are relatively few, but there are some fascinating women behind some of the names

A is for Annfield in Newhaven. Named for Ann Steuart, wife of John Steuart of Blairhaw, who built a house in late Georgian times. There was a trend for giving places fancy names at the time in the form x-field, where x was the name of a wife or daughter.

B is for... Well B isn't for anything as far as I can make out. There area few "B" names in the council's streetname bank, and Mouse Brown becomes available next year, after Irene Jessie Brown, a Bletchley Park codebreaker who was born and lived in Edinburgh, passing away in 2017

C is for Clarice Mcnab Lane, a brand new street off West Bowling Green Street in Leith. Born in Leith and known usually by her married name Clarice Shaw, she was a prominent interwar Labour party member and activist. She was MP for Kilmarnock for a year, dying in 1946.

(footnote, I suspect they went with McNab as there was already a long-standing request to name a street after McNab on the name bank as it was one of the earliest recorded names in Niddrie on the 1841 census)

D is for May Drummond's Close, I'm really struggling on D as this close in the Canongate hasn't been known as such for at least 180 years... Named for Marion, sister of the Lord Provost George Drummond. She was known as "the preaching Quakeress"... a "remarkable woman"

E is for Elsie Inglis Way, named in 2019 in Abbeyhill for the well known (but not well enough) WW1 military doctor, suffragist, teacher, campaigner, philanthropist, organiser and pioneer of womens' medicine in the city. A maternity hospital nearby once bore her name.

F is for Flora Stevenson's, a primary school in Comely Bank named for the Glasgow-borne social reformer who became an organiser of education in the city for poor children; particularly girls and would serve as a convenor on the Edinburgh School Board.

G is for Gibson's Close. Another letter with almost 0 representation, and an ancient close gone some 200 years, last recorded in Ainslie's map of 1780. Mrs Gibson was a proprietor of a stables in the Grassmarket about which we know nothing more.

H is for Hope Street. Not named *after* a woman, but named *because* of a woman. In 1803, Mrs Maxwell of Carriden wrote to the town council to complain that she lived on a street with no name. The council obliged by naming it for a man, Charles Hope of Granton MP, Lord Advocate.

I is for... well it will have to be for Elsie Inglis as there's naff all else (there are very few I names in Edinburgh at all, and the men got them all.) E instead can be for Elizafield in Bonnington, the wife or daughter of Patrick Dall, the supervisor at the time of Leith Docks

J is for Jex-Blake Drive, a newbuild street in Abbeyhill named for Sophia Jex-Blake, 1 of the first 7 women to study medicine at Edinburgh, the first female doctor in Scotland and founder of 2 medical schools for women and Bruntsfield Maternity Hospital, amongst many other things

K is for Mary King's Close, that well known tourist trap, and subject of endless paranormal hot air. Mary King was the widow of Alexander King, a burgess of the city, in the early-mid 17th c. - except that she probably wasn't... Who she was is not entirely clear.

L is for Lady Nairne, a neighbourhood in Duddingston with 4 streets taking her name. Carolina Oliphant, Baroness Nairne lived here in the early 19th century. A prolific songwriter, and contemporary of Burns, she wrote "Will ye no' come back again?" and "Charlie is my Darling"

M is for Murray Cottages, named after David Murray, Deputy Controller for Excise in Scotland, whose last surviving daughter left the family fortune to a fund for providing housing for the "deserving (and pious) poor"

https://twitter.com/cocteautriplets/status/1326610787851399168?s=20

M is also for Marionville, named for Maria Cecile le Maistre, wife of Captain James Macrae. If only for an excuse to re-tell that story, but also the house is highly unusual as it was built for two self-made women, the Sisters Ramsay

https://twitter.com/cocteautriplets/status/1194969892459556864?s=20

N is for... I'm stuck! So Lady Nairne has to get it. L can go to Lady Lawson (Street), formed from Lady Lawson's Wynd. The Lawsons were landowners in the West Port as early as the 15th century. That Lady Lawson herself became recorded as landowner is unusual and notable in itself

O. Well let's just say without moving Lady Nairne again, I don't got any Os.

Wait! Haud the bus! I've got one... Oswald Terrace in Corstorphine, named after the builder's mother, Catherine Oswald.

P is for Pape's Cottages in Roseburn, named by George Pape in his will, in memory of his wife Jessie Paterson, who was the landowner of Coltbridge House. The three cottages were built for "the use of poor widows in all time coming". Pic 2 © M J Richardson, via Geograph

Q is for take your pick of Queens; Anne, Charlotte, Margaret, Alexandra or Ferry.

R is for the Revered Elizabeth Wardlaw, whose name is on the name bank for Leith. The long time minister of Hermitage United Free Church and a Councillor for Leith Links from 1984 - 2003. She was a supporter of Leith Festival. (Pic Edinburgh City Archives SL134)

S is for St. Triduana, long associated with Restalrig, and gives her name to some streets and a medical centre in the area. Her beautiful eyes were lusted after by a Pictish king, so she plucked them out and sent him them, thereafter devoting her life to the blind.

T is for Townswomens' Guild Walk, one of the paths across the Medows, named in 1973 after the gift to the city of the trees that line it by the guild. Pic via Geograph, © Robin Webster

I'm afraid I drew a blank on U...

V is for anything named after Queen Victoria. Victoria Terrace, Park, School, Baths etc.

W is for Mary and Barbara Walker of Coates, sisters who lived at Coates Hall in the 19th c. They gifted the land for and huge funds to the Episcopal Church of Scotland in 1873 for the building of St Mary's Cathedral. Coates Hall was left by them in their will as the Choir School

X, Y and Z were blanks... Although there are no X streets anyway and only 1 with a Z...

I've frequently referred to the council's name bank here, you can see it too at this link. There is meant to be a presumption towards giving womens' names priority, but look at the list and make of that priority what you will; edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file…

There may be (by which I mean, there are) some gaps in my list, or notable candidates who I've missed. Please do send me them!