4 Albany Street (shop)
Some other plots had already been built on the North side when James Dodds, a builder, received permission to build the corner tenement in 1814. It was probably completed in 1815/16 and consisted of two shops on the street level and three flats entered from a common stair. A third shop was entered from Dublin Street (and so not included in this history).
This shop was small and had no living accommodation. Information on residents is confused until the 1860s as before then the shop and flats at 2a were all listed as Number 4.
1820 - 1822 Adjutants OfficeMoved to Edinburgh Castle
1823 - 1828 T Browne
Artificial Florist, Room Decorator and Ostrich Feather Dyer.
1830s John Maben
Maben, an accountant advertised that he had constructed at the premises in Albany Street: ‘A Fire-Proof Depository – Bonds, Deeds, Leases, Written Securities, and family plate Chests may be securely deposited therein, and free access thereto during office hours, from 10 till 4 o’clock daily.’
1844 – 1847 Grant & Taylor
A publisher of religious magazines and books. One of the first they published from Albany Street was The Magazine of the Rising Generation, described as: ‘A small monthly publication, conducted with very considerable talent, and parents or guardians of youth could not put a more appropriate publication into the hands of their children…communicating sound instruction and imparting right impressions to the youthful mind.’ After a few years, the business moved to George Street.
1847 – 1850 J. HandyHandy moved his business here from the shop in the tenement across the road with its entrance on Duke (Dublin) Street. Straw bonnets were very popular at the time and athough straw suitable for making bonnets was produced in England, the climate was not always favourable, so many straw bonnets were imported from Italy. These were called Leghorn Bonnets after the Leghorn area (Livorno, Tuscany).
1850 – 1861 Robert Hunter
Hunter was a cabinetmaker and his son, James, worked with him. This was deemed their 'warehouse' and they also had workshop premises in Albany Street Lane, and continued to work from there after leaving these premises.
1861 – 1873 Robert White
White moved his fruit shop from across the road at Number 1. He also had a nursery garden at St Mark’s East, probably one of the many that existed in the open fields on either side of the northern part of Inverleith Row during the 19th century. Thus he advertised bedding out plants and fruit bushes, alongside his fresh fruit and vegetables. In December 1868, he advertised: ‘Christmas trees of all sizes for sale from sixpence’. Another advert from this time sought: ‘a lad about eighteen to drive a horse and make himself useful in a garden. One from the country preferred.’ His wife appears to have acted as some form of agency for the hire of servants as there are a recurring number of adverts that refer potential applicants to her. She also had a role in letting some of the apartments and rooms in Number 2.
1871 – 1929 Cuthbertson family
William Cuthbertson moved his stationers business here from Prince Albert Buildings. The shop also continued to act as an informal agency for the hire of servants. The family lived in one of the upstairs flats at 2a. William died in 1883, and his wife, Mary, in 1887, and their two daughters continued the business continued into the 1900s.
