The houses on the southern side of the river in Lasswade

Lasswade is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...

, Scotland, on the

River North Esk The North Esk () is a river in Angus, Scotland, Angus and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is formed by the meeting of the Water of Mark (from Glen Mark) and the Water of Lee (from Loch Lee), and enters the North Sea four miles north of Montrose, Ang ...

, south of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

city centre, contiguous with

Bonnyrigg Bonnyrigg is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, which is southeast of Edinburgh city centre, between the Rivers North and South Esk. The town had a population of 14,663 in the 2001 census which rose to 15,677 in the 2011 census, both figures b ...

and between

Dalkeith Dalkeith ( ; , ) is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1541. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-century castle (now Dalkeith Pala ...

to the east and

Loanhead Loanhead is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, in a commuter belt to the south of Edinburgh, and close to Roslin, Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith. The town was built on coal and oil shale mining, and the paper industries. History Loanhead was a tiny vil ...

to the west.

Melville Castle Melville Castle is a three-storey Gothic mansion situated less than a mile (>2 km) west-south-west of Dalkeith, Midlothian, near the North Esk. History An earlier tower house on the site was demolished when the present structure, desig ...

lies to the north east. The Gaelic form is ''Leas Bhaid'', meaning the "clump at the fort." Lasswade lies within the Edinburgh

Green Belt A green belt or greenbelt is a policy, and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wilderness, wild, or agricultural landscape, land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts ...

. Most of the population is retired or commutes to Edinburgh to work. There are, however, several local businesses, including horse riding stables (Edinburgh & Lasswade Riding Centre), golf driving ranges and golf courses (Kings Acre Golf Course and Melville Golf Centre), an alpine plant nursery (Kevock Garden Plants) a pub (The Laird and Dog) and a restaurant (The Paper Mill). There is also an athletics club formed in 1981.

Etymology and name

The name ''Lasswade'' may be derived from the Brittonic ''*lï:s'' meaning "a court, palace administrative centre", and ''wï:δ'', "a wood" (cf.

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

''llys gwŷdd''). Also possible is an

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

derivation from the elements ''lǣswe'', "pasture", and ''wæd'', "a ford". Although the settlement may date back to the 8th century, the first written record of "Leswade" dates to 1150. On

William Roy Major-General William Roy (4 May 17261 July 1790) was a Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian. He was an innovator who applied new scientific discoveries and newly emerging technologies to the accurate geodetic mapping of Gr ...

's map of 1750, it appears as Laswaid. Up until the late 18th century, all spelling was unfixed and was based upon the sound as perceived. According to legend, the area got its name from a sturdy local girl called Jenny, who would wade across the river carrying travellers on her back before a bridge was built. A short verse from the area tells the story as follows:

History

The old

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

was built in the 13th century, though little of it survives today. It was abandoned in 1793, and much of its ruins collapsed in 1866. The 17th-century Scottish poet

William Drummond of Hawthornden William Drummond (13 December 15854 December 1649), called "of Hawthornden", was a Scottish poet. Life Drummond was born at Hawthornden Castle, Midlothian, to John Drummond, the first laird of Hawthornden, and Susannah Fowler, sister of the ...

was buried within its grounds. The first paper mill was built in Lasswade in 1750, and papermaking remained important until the start of the 20th century.

Sir John Lauder, 1st Baronet Sir John Lauder, 1st Baronet, of Newington and Fountainhall (1595 – 2 April 1692) was a notable Scottish baillie and Treasurer of the City of Edinburgh Council, who was raised to a Nova Scotia baronetcy in 1688. Antecedents Lauder was born ...

of Fountainhall was born at Melville Mill, Lasswade, in 1595; and the present 18th-century Barony House was known as Lasswade Cottage when Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

rented it (1798–1804). He was visited here by the writer

James Hogg James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots language, Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a ...

(the 'Ettrick Shepherd') and the

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ...

Thomas de Quincey Thomas Penson De Quincey (; Thomas Penson Quincey; 15 August 17858 December 1859) was an English writer, essayist, and literary critic, best known for his ''Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' (1821).Eaton, Horace Ainsworth, ''Thomas De Q ...

, author of ''

Confessions of an English Opium Eater ''Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' is an 1821 autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his laudanum addiction and its effect on his life. The ''Confessions'' was "the first major work De Quincey published and the one t ...

'', also lived in nearby

Polton Polton is a village located in Lasswade parish, Midlothian, Scotland, anciently a superiority of the Ramsay family, cadets of Dalhousie. In 1618 David Ramsay of Polton was in possession. (See: ''Analecta Scotica'', Edinburgh, 1834). Notable res ...

for some years, from 1843, in the cottage now known as de Quincey Cottage. The Scottish

landscape artist Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...

William McTaggart William McTaggart (25 October 1835 – 2 April 1910) was a Scottish landscape and marine painter who was influenced by Impressionism. Life and work The son of a crofter, William McTaggart was born in the small village of Aros, near Cam ...

moved to Lasswade in 1889, and many of his later works depict the

Moorfoot Hills The Moorfoot Hills are a range of hills south of Edinburgh in east central Scotland, one of the ranges which collectively form the Southern Uplands. Etymology The name ''Moorfoot'' was recorded as ''Morthwait'' in 1142. The second element is ...

. Former 19th-century industries include paper mills, flour mills and a carpet factory. Created a

police burgh A police burgh was a Scottish burgh which had adopted a "police system" for governing the town. They existed from 1833 to 1975. The 1833 act The first police burghs were created under the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 ( 3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 46 ...

in 1881, Lasswade merged with

in 1929. It was a popular holiday resort in the 19th century for wealthy Edinburgh residents; yet, by the 1950s, much of the village's population had left for modern houses in Bonnyrigg. Groome (1885) noted as chief proprietors in the parish: Lieut.-Col. Gibsone of Pentland, Viscount Melville, Drummond of Hawthornden, Sir Geo. Clerk of Penicuik, and Mrs Durham of Polton. The estates along both banks of the Esk were: *left bank:

Mavisbank House Mavisbank is a country house outside Loanhead, south of Edinburgh in Midlothian, Scotland. It was designed by architect William Adam in collaboration with his client, Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, and was constructed between 1723 and 1727. The fi ...

, Dryden Bank, Dryden, and Rosebank *right bank: Eldin (residence of John Clerk, F.R.S. (1728–1812), inventor of the naval tactic of breaking the enemy's line), Polton, Springfield, Glenesk, Hawthornden, Gorton, and Auchendinny (residence of

Henry Mackenzie Henry Mackenzie FRSE (August 1745 – 14 January 1831, born and died in Edinburgh) was a Scottish lawyer, novelist and writer sometimes seen as the Addison of the North. While remembered mostly as an author, his main income came from legal ro ...

, the author of ''

The Man of Feeling ''The Man of Feeling'' is a sentimental novel published in 1771, written by Scottish author Henry Mackenzie. The novel presents a series of moral vignettes which the naïve protagonist Harley either observes, is told about, or participates in ...

'')

Other notable buildings

The pre-Reformation church was dedicated to St Edwin and under the control of the Dean of

Restalrig Restalrig ( ) is a small residential suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland (historically, an estate and independent parish). It is located east of the city centre, west of Craigentinny and to the east of Lochend, Edinburgh, Lochend, both of which it ...

. The current

Lasswade Parish Church Lasswade and Rosewell Parish Church serves the communities of Lasswade, Poltonhall and Rosewell, Midlothian, Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. Old Lasswade Parish Church The pre-Reformation church was abandoned in 1793 ...

building was originally built in 1830 as a plain box chapel for the former United Presbyterian Church (later

United Free Church The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; , ) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and the majority of the 19th-century Free Church of Scotland. The maj ...

), it was remodelled by Hardy & Wight in 1894 and became part of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

in 1929. The parish has used this building since 1956, because of a structural fault in the Old Parish Church (subsequently demolished, built in 1793 from plans by

John Clerk, Lord Eldin John Clerk, Lord Eldin FRSE FSA (1757– 30 May 1832) was a Scottish judge based in Edinburgh. Life He was the eldest son of Susannah Adam, the sister of John Adam and Robert Adam, and John Clerk of Eldin, son of John Clerk of Penicuik. He ...

) discovered in the late 1940s. St Leonard's Episcopal Church on Lower Broomieknowe dates from 1890 and is by

Hippolyte Blanc Hippolyte Jean Blanc (18 August 1844 – 17 March 1917) was a Scottish architect. Best known for his church buildings in the Gothic revival architecture, Gothic revival style, Blanc was also a keen antiquarian who oversaw meticulously rese ...

. The former board school of 1875 stands with commanding views over the village on the northern slopes next to the Old Kirkyard. It is now converted to flats. Lasswade High School moved to its current premises in the west of Bonnyrigg in 1956, being rebuilt on the same site in 2013.

Parish

The parish of Lasswade is bounded on the north by the City of Edinburgh (namely the former parishes of

Colinton Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated southwest of the city centre. Up until the late 18th century it appears on maps as Collington. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-w ...

and Liberton), on the east, by

Newbattle Newbattle (from Old Scots ''Neubothle'', "new building") is a village and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland. The village lies south of Dalkeith, about seven miles from Edinburgh. It is notable for containing Newbattle Abbey, a stately hom ...

, Cockpen and Carrington, on the south by

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; ; ) is a town and former Police burgh, burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian, River North Esk. It lies on the A701 road, A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hil ...

and on the west by

Glencorse Glencorse is a parish of Midlothian, Scotland, lying south of Edinburgh.Gazetteer of Scotland, publ, by W & AK Johnston, Edinburgh, 1937. Article on Glencorse. Places are presented alphabetically It is bounded on the north-west by the former pa ...

. It extends about 7 miles from north to south and its greatest breadth is about 6 miles.Gazetteer of Scotland, 2nd edition, by W. Groome, publ. 1896. Article on Lasswade Prior to 1633 the north-east salient of the parish, around

, formed the separate parish of Melville and Lugton.The Statistical Account of Edinburghshire, by the Ministers of the Respective Parishes, publ. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh, 1845. Article on Lasswade The parish lies between the

Pentland Hills The Pentland Hills are a range of hills southwest of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around in length, and runs southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale. Etymology The hills take their name from the hamlet of Pe ...

to the north and the

to the south and includes the easternmost part of the Pentland Hills, around the estate of Pentland. The

flows into the parish from the south-west and, after forming the western boundary, then cuts through the centre of the parish, flowing north-easterly towards the village of Lasswade. At Lasswade the river forms the boundary on the north-east side, such that the suburb of Westmill on the south-east bank lies in the parish of Cockpen. The chief antiquities within the parish are

Rosslyn Chapel Rosslyn Chapel, also known as the Collegiate Chapel of Saint Matthew, is a 15th-century Scottish Episcopal Church, Episcopal chapel located in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. The chapel was founded by William Si ...

and the mansions of

Hawthornden Castle Hawthornden Castle is located on the River North Esk in Midlothian, Scotland. The castle lies a mile to the east of Roslin at grid reference , and is just downstream from Roslin Castle. Hawthornden comprises a 15th-century ruin, with a 17th-c ...

and Melville Castle. The parish includes the villages of Lasswade, Roslin and Rosewell, and the small town of

, plus part of the town of Bonnyrigg. The Community Council areas for the parish are: * Bonnyrigg/Lasswade * Poltonhall and District * Loanhead and District * Roslin/Bilston * Rosewell and District A large part of the areas of Bonnyrigg/Lasswade and Poltonhall and District lies within Cockpen parish. Lasswade is one of the most ancient Parishes in Scotland. Burial ground evidence shows that the church was active as early as the 9th century.Lasswade and Rosewell Parish Church web site www.lasswadechurch.co.uk/history.html retrieved April 2016. Before the Reformation, the present civil parish consisted of three parishes – Lasswade, Melville and Pentland – and the provostry of Roslin. Melville parish comprised the baronies of Melville and Lugton. In 1633, the barony of Melville which formed the greater part of the parish of Melville was united to Lasswade, and the barony of Lugton to Dalkeith.Topographical, Statistical, and Historical Gazetteer of Scotland (article on Melville), publ. A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1853 Pentland was erected into a parish before 1275. The parish of Pentland comprehended the baronies of Pentland and Falford (or Fulford) and the name Pentland appears in charters of the 12th century. In 13th and 14th centuries the northern Pentland Hills were called the Moor of Pentland, implying that the hills took the name from the parish or estate and not vice versa.Topographical, Statistical, and Historical Gazetteer of Scotland (article on Pentland), publ. A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1853 The parish was suppressed in 1647, and the northern part annexed to Lasswade, while the southern, comprising the barony of Falford, was united to the new parish of St.Catherine's, now called Glencorse. However the churchyard of Pentland was still in use at least to 1907.Historic Scotland (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland) web site, entry on Pentland burial ground http://canmore.org.uk/site/51681 retrieved April 2016 The parish of Lasswade was divided in two, ecclesiastically, when Roslin parish was erected in 1835. The Church in Rosewell was built 1871–72 and opened for worship 1874, when Rosewell became a separate ecclesiastical parish. It was re-united with Lasswade in 2008. A Parochial Board was established under the Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845. Within the parish of Lasswade, police burghs were created at Bonnyrigg, 1865 (main part in the parish of Cockpen); Lasswade, 1881; and Loanhead, 1884. Police burghs were communities over a certain size who were entitled to police many of their own affairs, such as cleansing, street lighting and water supply as well as public order. Police burghs were run by elected commissioners or magistrates. In 1901, police burgh functions were taken over by town or burgh councils.Catalogue of Midlothian Burgh Council archives retrieved April 2016 With the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 ( 57 & 58 Vict. c. 58) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It created a Local Government Board for Scotland and replaced existing parochial boards with parish councils. Part I of the a ...

the Parish Council was established, but this only administered the “landward” part of the parish, i.e. the burghs were excluded. Under the terms of the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 ( 19 & 20 Geo. 5. c. 25) reorganised local government in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint county councils, large and small burghs and district councils. The Act also abolished the Scottish poor law s ...

, Bonnyrigg and Lasswade were united to become the burgh of Bonnyrigg and Lasswade. Burgh or town councils were abolished in 1975. The parish council ceased in 1930 when parish councils in Scotland were abolished,Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 but civil parishes persist for census and other non-administrative purposes. The civil parish has a population of 18,126 (in 2011)Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, publ. by National Records of Scotland. Web site http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved March 2016. See “Standard Outputs”, Table KS101SC, Area type: Civil Parish 1930 and an area of 10,678 acres.Gazetteer of Scotland, publ, by W & AK Johnston, Edinburgh, 1937. Article on Lasswade. Places are presented alphabetically

Famous residents

Archibald Thorburn Archibald Thorburn Fellow of the Zoological Society of London, FZS (31 May 1860, Lasswade, Midlothian – 9 October 1935, Hascombe, Surrey) was a Scotland, Scottish artist who specialised in wildlife, painting mostly in watercolour. He explored ...

, wildlife artist *

Richard Baird Smith Richard Baird Smith (31 December 1818 – 13 December 1861) was a British engineer officer in the East India Company, who played a prominent part as Chief Engineer in the Siege of Delhi of 1857. Early life Baird Smith was born on 31 December 18 ...

, a senior officer in the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

who partook in the

Siege of Delhi The siege of Delhi was a decisive conflict of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The rebellion against the authority of the East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but was essentially sparked by the mass uprising by the ...

. There is a monument to him near the Old Kirkyard. *

Pilkington Jackson Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson RSA, FRBS, FRSA (11 October 1887 – 20 September 1973) was a British sculptor prominent in Scotland in the 20th century. Throughout his career he worked closely with the architect Sir Robert Lorimer. He ...

, sculptor of the Robert the Bruce monument at

Bannockburn Bannockburn () is an area immediately south of the centre of Stirling in Scotland. It is part of the City of Stirling. It is named after the Bannock Burn, a stream running through the town before flowing into the River Forth. History Land in ...

* Margaret Calderwood, diarist *Professor

Alexander Campbell Fraser Alexander Campbell Fraser (3 September 1819 – 2 December 1914) was a Scottish theologian and philosopher. Life He was born in the manse at Ardchattan, Argyll, the son of the parish minister, Rev Hugh Fraser, and his wife, Maria Helen Ca ...

, philosopher *

John Ivor Murray John Ivor Murray FRSE FRCSE (1824 – 24 July 1903), known as Ivor, was a Scottish surgeon who practised in China, Hong Kong and then in Sebastopol in the Crimean War. He was notably adventurous, travelling through Borneo, collecting for the Ind ...

born here in 1824 *

, painter *

John Notman John Notman (July 22, 1803 March 3, 1865) was a Scottish-born American architect and landscape architect based in Philadelphia. He designed buildings, cemeteries, churches and country estates in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and h ...

(1810–1865), architect and landscape architect

Notable persons interred in Lasswade

*Seven Viscounts Melville *

Charles Clough (geologist) Charles Thomas Clough MA, LLD, FGS, FRSE (23 December 1852 – 27 August 1916) was a prominent British geologist and mapmaker. The Edinburgh Geological Society named the Clough Medal in his honour. Life Charles Clough was born in Huddersfield, ...

*Rev

Walter Gregor Walter Gregor (1825–1897) was a Scottish folklorist, linguist and minister of religion. His anthropological research work won him an international reputation. Life The son of James Gregor, a tenant farmer of Forgieside, near Keith, Banffshir ...

* Sir Robert Preston of Valleyfield *Sir William Calderwood, Lord Polton *

, poet

References

* Francis H. Groome (ed.),
Lasswade
in: ''

Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland Ordnance may refer to: Military and defense *Materiel in military logistics, including weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and maintenance tools and equipment *Artillery *Artillery shells *Aircraft ordnance, weapons carried by and used by an aircraft ...

: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical'', Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh (1882–1885).

External links

*
Lasswade
at

Gazetteer for Scotland The ''Gazetteer for Scotland'' is a gazetteer covering the geography, history and people of Scotland. It was conceived in 1995 by Bruce Gittings of the University of Edinburgh and David Munro of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and co ...

Lasswade & Rosewell Parish Church
(Church of Scotland)
Lasswade Rugby Football ClubLocal history society
{{authority control Villages in Midlothian Parishes in Midlothian Bonnyrigg and Lasswade