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Queensberry Lodgings
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The third and current municipal building on the south side of Peebles
High Street started life as a domestic property in the 16th century. It
belonged to the Cross Kirk and was known as the Dean's House before
being acquired by John Hay, 1st Earl of Tweeddale in 1624. In 1653, it
passed to John Hay, 1st Marquess of Tweeddale and, in 1687, it was
inherited by William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry who made it
available as a lodging to his son, William Douglas, 1st Earl of March.
After the building, known by this time as the Queensberry Lodging, had
passed down the Queensberry line through much of the 18th century,
William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry sold it to the provost, Dr
James Reid, in 1781. It then remained in the Reid family until it was
acquired by the publisher, William Chambers, in 1857.
Ownership
of the complex passed to the burgh council in 1911. The burgh council
then took up an offer by the Scottish-American, Andrew Carnegie, to
finance a five-bay extension to the west.
The burgh hall
continued to serve as the meeting place of the burgh council for much of
the 20th century, but ceased to be the local seat of government after
the enlarged Tweeddale District Council was formed at the former County
Hall in Rosetta Road in 1975. In 1990, a new room was opened in the
museum to display friezes donated by William Chambers which reproduced
sections of the Elgin Marbles,
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Source
Sources for this article include:
Historic Environment Scotland. Canmore.
"The origins of settlements at Kelso and Peebles, Scottish
Borders archaeological excavations in Wester and Easter Kelso
and Cuddyside/Bridgegate, Peebles". Border Burghs Archaeology
Project and the Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust. 2003.
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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