Liberton is a suburb of

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

, the capital of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. It is in the south of the city, south of

The Inch The Inch is a district of Edinburgh, Scotland, located to the south of Inch Park in the south of the city. It is located 2 miles (3 km) south south-east of central Edinburgh. It incorporates the Inch housing development, Inch Park and the ca ...

, east of the

Braid Hills The Braid Hills form an area towards the south-western edge of Edinburgh, Scotland. The hills themselves are largely open space. Housing in the area is mostly confined to detached villas, and some large terraced houses. The ''Braid Hills Hotel'' ...

, north of Gracemount and west of

Moredun Moredun is a district in the south-east of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of Liberton, Edinburgh, Liberton, while Craigour is situated just to its north. The estate of Gut-tres or Goodtrees was the family home of Sir James Stew ...

. Incorporated into the city in 1920, the area was once home to

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

, who lived in a small cottage near the

Braid Burn The Braid Burn is a burn or stream in length that flows through south and east Edinburgh. Course The burn forms near Bonaly in the Pentland Hills south-west of the city, when the Bonaly and Howden burns that flow from the Pentlands meet. From ...

, which is now inside the grounds of the Cameron Toll Shopping Centre car park and is now a small school. Increased development in the area from the mid 1970’s to current times has seen Liberton develop into a popular choice for homeowners with areas such as Double Hedges, Alnwickhill and Howdenhall often representing better value for money than locations closer to the city centre. In recent years once thriving community pubs and hotels have closed with the likes of the Liberton Inn, Northfield House Hotel and The Marmion, formerly The Captains Cabin, all having been converted to or planning permission being sought for retail premises or flats.

Derivation

The name, of

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 settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

origin and formerly written ''Libertun'', has generally been believed to signify '

Leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damage ...

Town', the area being supposed at one time to have contained a small colony of lepers exiled from the city. However modern authorities have suggested it may more probably have meant ‘barley farm on a hillside’, from the Old English words ''hlith'', hillside and ''bere-tūn'', barley farm. This rural parish was split into Over Liberton and Nether Liberton, the latter centring on a water mill standing on the Braid Burn.

History

A chapel of Liberton was granted to the monks of

Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Ref ...

in 1143 by MacBeth, Baron of Liberton. The latter is mentioned in the Charters of King David I from 1124. In 1240 a document records the transfer of the church from St Cuthberts in Edinburgh back to Holyrood Abbey and this control continued until the Reformation. In 1387 Nether Liberton was under control of Adam Forrester (whose family later owned

Corstorphine Corstorphine (Scottish Gaelic: ''Crois Thoirfinn'') ( ) is an area of the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. Formerly a separate village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, it is now a suburb of the city, having been formally incorporate ...

) and is recorded (with Provost Andrew Yichtson) as benefactor of the repairs and rebuilding of

St Giles Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...

that year. At the time of the Reformation a church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, already existed at Liberton, under control of

. The current Liberton Church, designed by

James Gillespie Graham James Gillespie Graham (11 June 1776 – 11 March 1855) was a Scottish architect, prominent in the early 19th century. Life Graham was born in Dunblane on 11 June 1776. He was the son of Malcolm Gillespie, a solicitor. He was christened as J ...

, was built in 1815 after the old church was burned beyond repair. The graveyard contains a "table stone" to the south-west of the church bearing one of the earliest known sculpted depictions of ploughing. A modern cemetery lies to the north-west of the older kirkyard. The war memorial at the western entrance (1920) is by

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 ...

Liberton Tower Liberton Tower is a four-storey, square-plan tower house in the Edinburgh suburb of Liberton, on the east side of the Braid Hills. History Located in Over or Upper Liberton, it was originally owned by the Dalmahoy family, whose arms appear on a ...

is a well-preserved and restored late medieval (15th century) tower house standing to the south of the Braid Hills. Liberton House nearby is a late 16th-century A-listed fortified house, also restored. The house is open to the public free of charge by appointment only. Although the area is mostly residential, it has a riding school and stables, which take advantage of the nearby

to offer pony trekking leisure activities. Also in the area is Liberton High School, numerous primary schools (Liberton, St John Vianny, Gracemount and St Katherine’s) and sporting activities are represented by Liberton Bowling Clu
(Website)
based opposite the Kirk, a Golf club off Gilmerton Road and a Rugby Union club situated at Double Hedges Park. Liberton became part of Edinburgh on 1 November 1920.

Liberton Cemetery and Kirkyard

Local family names include Speedy, Flockhart, Inch, Tod, Plenderleith, Borrowman and Torrance.

Notable Monuments and Interments

Tom Aiken Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

(1872-1943) Scottish billiards champion *

William Inglis Clark William Inglis Clark FRSE (4 June 1855 – 21 December 1932) was a Scottish pharmaceutical chemist. He is also remembered as a keen amateur mountaineer. Clark invented a neutral encapsulation of foul-tasting medicines. As a chemist and keen ama ...

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

(1855-1932), chemist and mountaineer (stone vandalised) *

Arthur Robertson Cushny Arthur Robertson Cushny FRS FRSE LLD (6 March 1866 – 25 February 1926), was a Scottish pharmacologist and physiologist who became a Fellow of the Royal Society. Life Cushny was born on 6 March 1866 in Fochabers, Moray, Scotland, the fourt ...

FRS (1866-1926), physiologist *

Henry John Dobson Henry John Dobson ARCA RSW (1858–1928) was a 19th/20th century Scottish artist. He is best remembered for his 1893 portrait of Keir Hardie. Life He was born in St John's Town of Dalry in 1858, the son of Thomas Dobson, a wool merchant. He main ...

(1858-1928), artist from St John's Town of Dalry, Kirkcudbrightshire, father of artists

Henry Raeburn Dobson Henry Raeburn Dobson (also known as Raeburn Dobson) (29 May 1901 – 22 May 1985;) was a Scottish portrait and landscape painter from Edinburgh. He was active in Edinburgh and Brussels from 1918/1920 until 1980. His father, Henry John Dobson (18 ...

and

Cowan Dobson David Cowan Dobson (1894–1980) was a leading Scottish portrait artist. Dobson was born in Bradford to Scottish parents and around 1920 moved to London. Family Dobson was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, the second son of the Scottish portrait ...

. *Prof

Robert Flint Robert Flint LLD DD (14 March 1838 – 1910) was a Scottish theologian and philosopher who wrote also on sociology. Life Flint was born at Greenburn, Sibbaldbie near Applegarth in Dumfriesshire on 14 March 1838, the son of Grace Johnston (' ...

(1838-1910), theologian and philosopher *

Charles Edward Green Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

(1866-1920), author of the ''Encyclopaedia of Agriculture'' *A monument to the children who died at Dr Guthrie's School *Rev George William Jones

(1879-1918), academic, killed as a pilot in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

* Rt Hon Sir John McNeill (1795-1883) and Lady Emma Augusta Campbell *John McVeagh (d.1861), civil engineer *Rev Joseph Moffett DD (1885-1962), theologian * Charles Roy Nasmith

(1882-1954) US consul * Robert Payton Reid ARSA (1857-1945), artist *Ethel Constance Roussel (d.1917), widow of the artist

Arthur Melville Arthur Melville (1855–1904) was a Scottish painter of Orientalist subjects, among others. Early life and art education Arthur Melville was born in Loanhead-of-Guthrie, Forfarshire (now Angus, Scotland) on 10 April 1855. The family mov ...

(in the family plot of David Croall of Southfield) *Lt John Thornton (1780-1870), participant in the

Battle of Nivelle The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the river Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814). After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops (20,0 ...

*Prof Findlater Simpson (1842-1923), theologian

Ministers of Liberton

Liberton was a relatively important rural charge. *Alexander Forrester 1562 to 1566 formerly a Canon at

, probably the son or nephew of Alexander Forrester a Laird of Liberton in 1536 *Andrew Blackhall 1564 to 1567 *Thomas Cranstoun 1569 to 1570 and 1574 to 1579 *John Davidson 1579 to 1584 *Michael Cranstoun 1586 to 1590 translated to

Cramond Kirk Cramond Kirk is a church situated in the middle area Cramond parish, in the north west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Built on the site of an old Roman fort, parts of the Cramond Kirk building date back to the fourteenth century and the church tower is ...

*James Bennet 1591 to 1609 * John Adamson 1609 to 1623 became Principal of

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 ...

*John Cranstoun briefly in 1624 before translating back to

South Leith Parish Church South Leith Parish Church, originally the Kirk of Our Lady, St Mary, is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. It is the principal church and congregation in Leith, in Edinburgh. Its kirkyard is the burial place for John Home (author of ''D ...

*Andrew Learmonth 1627 to 1639 *Archibald Newton 1639 to 1657 * Andrew Cant 1659 to 1673 translated to

Trinity College Church Trinity College Kirk was a royal collegiate church in Edinburgh, Scotland. The kirk and its adjacent almshouse, Trinity Hospital, were founded in 1460 by Mary of Gueldres in memory of her husband, King James II who had been killed at th ...

*Ninian Paterson 1674 to 1683 deposed for "immorality" *Robert Farquhar 1683 to 1687 *Alexander Cumin(g) 1687 to 1689 *James Webster 1689 to 1691 *Gideon Jacque 1692 to 1695 * Samuel Semple 1697 to 1742 * John Jardine 1741 to 1750 translated to

Lady Yester's Church Lady Yester's Kirk was a parish church of the Church of Scotland and one of the burgh churches of Edinburgh. Founded in 1647, it served the south-eastern part of Edinburgh's Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town until its union with Greyfriars Kirk in 19 ...

*David Moubray 1751 briefly *Thomas White 1751 to 1789 *James Grant MA 1789 to 1831 *William Purdie 1831 to 1834 *

James Begg James Begg (31 October 1808 in New Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland – 29 September 1883) was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly 1865/66. Life He was born in the manse at New Monkla ...

1835 to 1843 from

Lady Glenorchy's Church Lady Glenorchy's Church or Chapel in Edinburgh was a curious quoad sacra parish church founded in the 18th century, with an unusual history, both due to its enforced relocation caused by the building of Waverley Station and the splitting of the ch ...

left at the

Disruption of 1843 The Disruption of 1843, also known as the Great Disruption, was a schism in 1843 in which 450 evangelical ministers broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland. The main conflict was over whether the Church of S ...

Moderator of the Free Church in 1865 *John Stewart 1843 to 1879

Father of the Church The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical pe ...

William Henry Gray William Henry Gray (1825-1908) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1888, the highest position in the Church of Scotland. From 1889 he was styled Very Rev Dr William H. Gray. As ...

1880 to 1897 Moderator in 1888 *Robert Burnett 1898 to ?

Other notable residents

*James Goodwillie

(1866-1953) mathematician, born and raised in Liberton * Archie Scott (1918-2019), first-class cricketer

Trivia

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, a sister city of Edinburgh's, has a suburb called Liberton.

References

External links

Liberton Golf Club

Liberton Bowling Club
{{Authority control Areas of Edinburgh Parishes formerly in Midlothian