Number 30 - Information on residents
1817 – 1819 Robert and Margaret (neé Millie) Spears
Robert Spears (sometimes spelled Spiers) was a land-owner and farmer. He was listed in An Account of the Systems of Husbandry, published in 1813, as one of the country’s ‘intelligent farmers’ and there is an account of Spears’ successful approach of fattening cattle by feeding them with a combination of turnips and potatoes. In 1817, Spears advertised his estate at West Barns, near Crail in Fife, for sale: ‘The very superior quality of these lands is so well known as to require no description, and the local situation is highly favourable. They have a fine south exposure, being bounded by the Firth of Forth, and commanding a full view of the Lothians, thereby affording pleasant situations for buildings. The valued rent entitles to upwards of five freehold qualifications or Votes in the County.’
1820 – 1834 Edward Alexander of Powis and his second wife, Catherine (neé Glas) Edward Alexander (portrait by an unknown artist) grew up in Stirling. There his father, James, had been at the heart of a scandal. In the early 1770’s, when James was the Provost of the Burgh, he conspired with two Bailies, James Burd and Henry Jaffrey, to sew up the control of the town. Rather unwisely they put their pact in writing: ‘to secure to ourselves the total management of the Burgh during our lives for the benefit of Us and our friends.’ Not only did such power mean that anyone wishing prominent positions in the town would have to buy the positions from them, but they could sell votes. However, two years after the three had written their agreement, the document came to light and was given the melodramatic name of ‘The Black Bond’. James was not considered to have been the instigator of the plot for he was reported as ‘being no natural leader of men and of a very facile disposition.’ His main claim to fame appears to have been possessing a foul mouthed cockatoo! The ringleader was identified as Bailie Burd, a name that would suit a pantomime villain, though Burd was no laughing matter. It was reported that one of his servants had thrown herself from the Stirling Bridge as a result of his harsh treatment. Although the three were removed of their positions, and their route to making money, James did not suffer any financial hardship, having founded The Stirling Bank. He happily continued amassing significant wealth. We do not know if Edward inherited the cockatoo, but he certainly inherited a large part of his father’s bank. In 1808, with a slightly dubious substantial loan from his own bank, Edward bought Powis House in Clackmannanshire, which had been the seat of his mother’s family from about 1730 until his grandfather sold it in 1800, and the Albany Street house. However, not all was well during the Alexander’s stay in Albany Street. In February 1826, as a result of a banking crisis, the Bank of Stirling experienced liquidity problems, and the partners had to borrow a significant sum from the Bank of Scotland. The following month, Edward made a disposition transferring Number 30, and all its the furniture, to his wife, possibly knowing bankruptcy was on the cards. As indeed it was. In August, sequestration of the bank’s assets took place under the Bankruptcy Act with creditors only receiving two shillings in the pound. Edward was forced to sell his estate of Powis House as that had been used to secure the bank’s loans. Later, the Albany House was advertised for sale, together with all the furniture if wanted, so it would appear that the financial pressures forced a move. Edward died a few years later.
Their eldest son, James (portrait by an unknown artist), joined the British East India Company's army the year before the family moved to Albany Street. He transferred into the British Army in 1825 and fought in a number of wars including the war the Russo-Turkish War, the War of the Two Brothers in Portugal, the 6th Cape Frontier War in South Africa, the Crimean War, and the Land Wars in New Zealand. He was made a Knight Bachelor for his services and retired from active service in 1877. In 1839, on behalf of the Royal Geographical Society, he conducted an exploring expedition into Namaqualand and Damaraland, in the course of which he collected rock specimens, pelts of rare animals, birdskins, weapons and implements, as well as drawing maps of the region. In 1877, he was largely responsible for the preservation and transfer of Cleopatra's Needle to England. Their younger son, Major John Alexander, inherited Westerton House, Bridge of Allan, from his uncle, John Henderson, in 1844, and took the surname Henderson. He proceeded to develop the estate at Bridge of Allan as a celebrated watering place, building residential villas. The eldest daughter, Euphemia, died when she was only 15. Another daughter, Mary, married James Colquhoun and the couple emigrated to Canada. 1834 – 1836 Mrs Boisragon and Theodore Boisragon It seems probable that Mrs Boisragon rented the house while her son, Thomas, finished his studies at Edinburgh Medical School. Theodore graduated in August 1835. Her husband was Dr Henry Boisragon, proprietor and manager of Wimslow Hall Private Asylum near Birmingham. Earlier he had been Physician Extraordinary to King George IV, as well as treating wealthy private patients who included the Duke of Wellington and Lord Byron. When Theodore’s father died in 1852 Theodore took over the management of the Asylum that had around thirty inmates. He was a member of the Medico-Psychological Association, originally founded in 1841 as the Association of Medical Officers of Asylums and Hospitals for the Insane. Later he was the Medical Superintendent of the Asylums in Cornwall.
1836 – 1841 Dr John and Louisa (neé Plimer) ScottIn 1830, John Scott, a doctor, married Louisa Plimer, and the couple moved into Number 41, later moving here. (Miniature painting of Louisa Scott by her father, Andrew Plimer) Louisa’s father, along with his brother, Nathaniel, were trained as clockmakers by their father, but after roaming the countryside for a few years with Gypsies, the brothers settled in London where they became artists, specialising in portrait miniatures. Both artists exhibited extensively at the Royal Academy from around 1770 to the early 1800s. In 1804, Nathaniel moved to Edinburgh for a decade, helping to establish the Associated Society of Artists. Perhaps his niece visited him in Edinburgh and there met her husband-to-be.
In 1838, Dr John Scott was appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria. The Queen had a number of doctors appointed to look after her and her family. Some were specialists and others acted as her general practitioners. Like other patients, she had likes and dislikes, and naturally her attendants conformed to her wishes. The senior of the physicians was styled Head of the Medical Department and the senior of the Surgeons, Sergeant Surgeon. There were variable numbers in these offices, the usual being three physicians and three surgeons, so that in an emergency there would be at least one available. John Scott was one of the second grade - titled Physicians and Surgeons Extraordinary – that were a second tier, although individual doctors were often appointed to the higher grade when someone above them retired or died, as Scott later was. Scott also was a contributor to the Cyclopedia of Practical Surgery which stated that it had been: ‘undertaken for the purpose of collecting into one copious and comprehensive digests, the Doctrine of Surgery, and the valuable Views of Practice, which either rest on individual experience, or are inoculated in too isolated .
They had two children; William, who died unmarried in 1855, aged twenty-three, and Frances, who married the Rev. John Rose Dakers of Hawick in 1862. The Scotts moved to Howe Street.
1841 – 1943 John and Margery (neé Smith) Jopp and family
John Jopp purchased the house. He was a solicitor (WS) and practiced in Aberdeen as well as Edinburgh. In Aberdeen he was a member of The Spalding Club, another of the Scottish societies that published antiquarian books.
In 1844, the Jopps had an attempted burglary: ‘On Saturday evening two men, named Peter McQueen and James Munro, the former a well-known thief, entered the house of John Jopp by a false key, and were busily engaged removing a quantity of wearing apparel from a trunk in the bedroom, where they were discovered by the servant girl, who courageously seized hold of McQueen, but he escaped from her grasp by leaving the skirt of his coat in her hands. Sergeant McGowan and two other police officers, who were on duty in the neighbourhood, heard the alarm, and instantly went in pursuit, and after a run of nearly half a mile, succeeded in capturing the thieves at Canonmills. The torn coat will form an important item in the evidence.’
Previously, when 25 years old, Jopp won the Edinburgh Skating Club’s Silver Prize Medal. (photo) The Edinburgh Skating Club is recognised as the first organized figure skating club in the world. It is thought to have been established around 1742. The next-oldest skating club, in London, was not founded until 1830. The second edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica in 1783 stated ‘The metropolis of Scotland has produced more instances of elegant skaters than perhaps any country whatever: and the institution of a skating club about 40 years ago has contributed not a little to the improvement of this elegant amusement.’ For admission to the club, candidates had to pass a skating test where they performed a complete circle on either foot (e.g., a figure eight), and then jumped over first one hat, then two and three, placed over each other on the ice. The favourite place for club members to skate was on Duddingston Loch. The principal object of the club was the practice of a form of choreographed group skating. The club also held an annual dinner where the standard dish served was sheep’s-heads and trotters, perhaps in deference to the local Sheep Heid Inn in Duddingston. Edinburgh skating is best known for its association with the painting The Skating Minister by Henry Raeburn, more formally titled The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch. Jopp died in 1857 just after their seventh child being born. Fortunately, there was enough money for his widow to employ a nurse, cook, and two maids to help with the large family. It also is likely that John’s two brothers, Charles and Keith, gave support for the career choices of the boys seems to have been influenced by their uncles. Charles was a civil engineer and Chief Engineer to the North British Railway Company and Keith a surgeon serving in India. Therefore, it is understandable that three of the Jopp boys became civil engineers and two spent time in India. Andrew joined the army and became a captain in the Royal Engineers; John trained as a civil engineer and worked for the Indian railways; Charles, also a civil engineer, died in his twenties. The other son, Alexander, was a star pupil at the Edinburgh Academy being Dux of the school in three of his years, and various prizes including for both Mathematics and Greek Testament. He worked in London as secretary to the Agent General for the colony of New South Wales. Later he was working in India, and In his account of his time in India, Sir Edmund Cox recounts meeting a Mrs Jopp around the time This is likely to have been Alexander’s wife. ‘I came across two Englishwomen. One was Mrs. Jopp, wife of an Assistant Collector, and the other was Mrs. Pottinger, wife of the executive engineer. They were spending the hot weather for the sake of the climate with their children on this isolated mountain peak. They were living in some very ancient Buddhist caves. After this, what is there that Englishwomen will not do? It was a unique experience to me in the investigation of dacoities (bandits) to find English ladies in such a place. They gave me a first-rate breakfast, and I had a delightful talk with them for a couple of hours or so. They were very glad to hear all the news of the good people at Nugger. I didn't consider it exactly safe for ladies and children to be living in so wild and desolate a spot, with no protection but that of their servants, which would not have amounted to much in the case of an emergency, especially as there had been a dacoity of sorts not very far off ; so I offered to send them a police guard to look after them. But they laughed at any idea of danger, and would not be persuaded to accept my offer. I was greatly indebted to them for one piece of information. They told me that from the place where I had left my tonga I could arrive at a railway station in the Nasik district, called Egatpuri, by a drive of only twelve miles. It would mean a very much longer railway journey back to Nugger, but that was of no importance. This suggestion obviated my difficulty about food, my small supply of which had run out. I reached Egatpuri after sunset the same evening, and got a dinner which was welcome, and a bath which was still more welcome, at the station.’
Margaret married John Latta, a solicitor. Mary and Elizabeth remained unmarried. Charles died in the house in 1880. In 1881, Mrs Jopp was living in the house with her daughters, Mary and Elisabeth and the grandson of her eldest son, Alexander, who was attending the Edinburgh Academy. In 1882, Mrs Jopp subscribed 2s6p to the fund providing a New Year’s Treat for poor children. She died in 1893, and her unmarried daughters who lived on in the house.
By 1900, only Elizabeth Jopp was living in the house, supported by a cook and one housemaid. In 1923, following the death of John Jopp his widow, Mary, came to Edinburgh from Bournemouth to live with Elizabeth. With her was her unmarried daughter. Elizabeth died in 1929 and Mary in 1934. Mary’s daughter, M.E. Jopp, lived on in the house until her death around 1944.
