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 below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in Midlothian, Scotland, on the

River North Esk The North Esk ( gd, Easg Thuath) is a river in 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. I ...

, nine miles (14.5 kilometres) south of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

city centre, contiguous with Bonnyrigg and between Dalkeith to the east and Loanhead to the west.

Melville Castle Melville Castle is a three-storey Gothic castellated 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 stru ...

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 is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which ...

. 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 Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to: *Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain *Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic *Britons (Celtic people) The Br ...

''*lï:s'' meaning "a court, palace administrative centre", and ''wï:δ'', "a wood" (c.f. Welsh ''llys gwŷdd''). Also possible is an

Old English Old English (, ), 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 was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...

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'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 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 community activities, ...

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.

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, who was raised to a Nova Scotia baronetcy in 1688. Antecedents Lauder was born at Melvi ...

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, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

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 and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a friend of many ...

(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 (; 15 August 17858 December 1859) was an English writer, essayist, and literary critic, best known for his '' Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' (1821). Many scholars suggest that in publishing this work De Quinc ...

, author of '' Confessions of an English Opium Eater'', also lived in nearby

Polton Polton is a village located in Lasswade parish, Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian li ...

for some years, from 1843, in the cottage now known as de Quincey Cottage. The Scottish landscape artist William McTaggart moved to Lasswade in 1889, and many of his later works depict the Moorfoot Hills. Former 19th-century industries include paper mills, flour mills and a carpet factory. Created a police burgh in 1881, Lasswade merged with Bonnyrigg 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, 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, 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, both of which it overlaps. Restalri ...

. The current Lasswade Parish Church building was originally built in 1830 as a plain box chapel for the former United Presbyterian Church (later United Free Church), it was remodelled by Hardy & Wight in 1894 and became part of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

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) discovered in the late 1940s. St Leonards 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 style, Blanc was also a keen antiquarian who oversaw meticulously researched restoration projects. ...

. 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 ( gd, Baile Cholgain) is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated south-west 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 ...

and Liberton), on the east, by Dalkeith, Newbattle, Cockpen and Carrington, on the south by

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; sco, Penicuik; gd, Peighinn na Cuthaig) 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 a ...

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 p ...

. 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 name is first recorded for the farm of Pentla ...

to the north and the Moorfoot Hills 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, formerly known as the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew, is a 15th-century chapel located in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland. Rosslyn Chapel was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Catholic collegiate church ...

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 Loanhead, 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 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 ac ...

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 syst ...

, 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 FZS (31 May 1860, Lasswade, Midlothian – 9 October 1935, Hascombe, Surrey) was a Scottish artist who specialised in wildlife, painting mostly in watercolour. He regularly visited Scotland to sketch birds in the wild, his fa ...

, 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 founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

who partook in the

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

. 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 ( Scottish Gaelic ''Allt a' Bhonnaich'') 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 i ...

Margaret Calderwood Margaret Calderwood (1715 – 1774) was a Scottish diarist just after the Jacobite uprising of 1745. She wrote of her journeys through England to Brussels, but this work was not published until the 19th century. Life Margaret was the daughter ...

, diarist *Prof

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 Camp ...

, 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 In ...

FRSE born here in 1824 * William McTaggart, painter

Notable persons interred in Lasswade

*Seven Viscounts Melville * Charles Clough (geologist) *Rev Walter Gregor * 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. **The military branch responsible for supplying and developing these items, e.g., the Unite ...

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

External links

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