LIBERTON - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

"LIBERTON, a parish in the county of Edinburgh, Scotland, 2 miles S. of Edinburgh. It contains the villages of Upper (or Over) Liberton, Liberton Kirk, and Nether Liberton, with Gilmerton and Green End. Its length northward is about 7 miles, and its greatest breadth is 4 miles. The area of the parish is about 4,140 acres, of which 3,550 are under tillage. It is watered by the Braid-burn and Burdiehouse-burn. The parish, which lies at the base of the Pentland hills, is exceedingly populous, and its coal mines and lime works are most extensive and valuable. There are several sandstone quarries in the neighbourhood.

It is in the presbytery of Edinburgh and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, in the patronage of the crown. The minister's stipend is £327. The parish church, situated at Kirk Liberton, is a semi-Gothic structure; it was erected in 1815 and is very commodious. There are besides a chapel-of-ease and two Free churches in the parish. There are nine schools, four of which are partly endowed.

Craigmillar Castle is an old ruin standing on rising ground, and commands an extensive prospect. Queen Mary, after her return in 1561, made this castle her residence. Niddry, Southfield, Mount Vernon, and Brunstane are the chief mansions. Galachlaw Hill, in this parish, is the site of Cromwell's encampment previous to the battle of Dunbar in 1650. The ancient Balm well at St. Catherine's contains mineral oil."

"BURDIEHOUSE, a hamlet in the parish of Liberton, in the county of Edinburgh, Scotland, 4 miles to the S. of Edinburgh. French Protestant refugees settled here after the revocation of the edict of Nantes, and are supposed to have named the place Bordeaux House. It is, however, said by some that this name was given by the attendants of Queen Mary. Here are extensive beds of limestone, which are largely burnt for lime, and are remarkably rich in fossil remains. The Megalichthys, a species of fossil fish, with remarkable teeth and scales, was discovered in the quarries here in 1833."

"CAMERON BRIDGE, a village in the parish of Liberton, in the county of Edinburgh, Scotland, 2 miles from Edinburgh, on the road to Dalkeith."

"GILMERTON, an extinct quoad sacra parish, and a village in the parish of Liberton, county Edinburgh, Scotland, 4 miles S.E. of Edinburgh. Here are a Free church, chapel-of-ease, and police station. Coal and limestone are extensively worked. A curious artificial cave exists, which was chiselled out by Paterson, the blacksmith, and in which, with his family, he took up his abode."

"MORTON, a post-office village in the parish of Liberton, county Edinburgh, Scotland, 4 miles S. of Edinburgh. The principal residence is Morton Hall."

"NIDDRY, (or Niddrie), a village in the parish of Liberton, county Edinburgh, Scotland, 3 miles S.E. of Edinburgh, and 1¾ mile S. of Portobello. It has a station on the North British railway. The village occupies a gentle eminence. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the collieries. The colliers' habitations form a lengthy row of red-tiled cottages. In the vicinity are traces of an ancient chapel founded in 1389.

"STENHOUSE, a hamlet in the parish of Liberton, county Edinburgh, Scotland, 3 miles S.E. of Edinburgh."

"STRAITON, a village in the parish of Liberton, county Edinburgh, Scotland, 4 miles S. of Edinburgh."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

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