48 Albany Street
1886 – 1901 Charles Chirnside
Accountant
1902 – 1924 Peter and Agnes (neé Paterson) HornePeter Horne was the sole partner of Sutherland & Horne, Jewellers, based in South St Andrew Street. Around 1930 the business was acquired by Henry Tatton & Son and moved to Rose Street.Peter died in 1919, and Agnes in 1924.1925 – 1930 Arthur George and Edyth BennettArthur Bennett was a Petty Officer in the First World War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal: ‘Lt. Arthur George Bennett was in charge of a section of trench mortars, which took part in a barrage, and on completion of this he went forward with the infantry to reconnoitre the hostile trench mortar position, taking with him a gunner. They met four of the enemy, partly concealed, who had been overlooked by the first wave, and who were then sniping our men from the rear. With difficulty they got round, and then rushed them, taking them prisoners, thereby undoubtedly saving many casualties.’
In 1950, their son, Charles, married Margaret Magnusson, the daughter of the Icelandic Consul-General and sister of the TV presenter, Magnus Magnusson.
The Bennetts moved to Inverleith Gardens.
1932 – (about) 1970 Reverend William Percival and Edith Prescott
The Reverend William Percival Prescott and his wife, Edith, shared the ministry at Buccleuch Evangelical Church in West Crosscauseway. Prescott had previously been a minister in Plymouth. In 1935, the Countess of Tankerville opened a new church for the congregation and at the opening, Sherriff Jameson said: ‘You have an extremist for your minister. What the church needs is extremists – completely devoted men and women. The time was when some thought it enough to try to be respectable for six days, and on Sunday sit in a comfortable pew absorbing a sermon, and thus be a good enough servant of the Founder of Christianity. But I know that to be a true servant you must be absolutely and truly devoted.’ The newspaper report recounted: ‘A dedication prayer prepared by Edith Prescott was read and Mr Jack Hogg, who is known throughout Australia, as well as here in England, as a descriptive pianist and vocalist, gave a sketch at the piano in which he conveyed with artists effect impressions of the life of David – David going out with his sheep to the pasture, listening to the birds singing, the admirably suggested advent of a thunderstorm, and his playing of the harp. Mr Percival Prescott spoke briefly, thanking those who have taken part in the service.’
Percival Prescott wrote to the newspapers on a diverse range of subjects, including the fight for religious freedom in Italy, the Czech crisis in 1948, Capitalism and Communism, and proposed changes to the laws in Rugby to reduce the number of scrums. Edith is reported as writing poems and plays, though none traced.
They had at least two children. In 1937, Careen married Lauclan Ross, an American, and, as it is recorded that they had a child at the house in 1950, it is likely they also lived here for a time.
In 1948, their son, Westby, married Helen Sylvia Miller, the daughter of Haswell Miller, the Keeper of the National Galleries. Westby (photo) was a young painter at the time. He won a scholarship to Edinburgh College of Art, studying there under William Gilles. After wartime commissions to draw historic landmarks and bridges of the Borders, he became interested in painting restoration, and became a conservator of repute. He was Head of Picture Conservation at the National Maritime Museum from 1961 to 1983, where he created a department of conservation which gained international prominence. In particular, he and his colleagues became associated with research into methods of lining paintings - the common practice of backing old canvases with new canvas and adhesive, until then routinely applied whether necessary or not – and helped achieve a fundamental shift in attitudes in conservators and curators alike. His obituary in The Independent recounted ‘At a Conservation conference on the cleaning of paintings in Brussels in 1990, he was to speak to his published paper entitled "Eastlake Revisited: some milestones on the road to ruin" - and a sober lecture on the technical failings of 19th-century artists and restorers was anticipated. But he arrived complete with props and costume changes - and, roaming about the stage, he proceeded to enact, with shouts and cries and melodramatic dying falls, the withering away by time, neglect and foul mistreatment of a family portrait. It brought the house down, but the serious points it was making were not lost on his wildly applauding audience. It remains a much-loved memory of an unforgettable, deeply thoughtful and altogether delightful man.'
The house then became offices.
1970 - 1975 Blockley Goodwin and Warner
Architects based in Loughborough in Leicestershire. This was a branch office as the firm were responsible for designing a number of school in Lanarkshire.
1982 - 1989 Scottish National Association of Youth Theatre / Scottish Youth Theatre
Offices of Scottish Youth Theatre. 'The Scottish Youth Theatre, with cash help from the BP group in Scotland, is to run a new radio drama course in Edinburgh. The course will concentrate on the acting side of radio drama and will be run by BBC Scotland Radio drama producer Patrick Ranier and Shccna McDonald, of Scottish Television. The course is open to 16-21 year-olds, and will cost £60. '