Letter about the time capsule from Bridewell, 1883

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

52309

Title

Handwritten letter by J. B. Collinson, architect, explaining the circumstances of the discovery of a time capsule from the foundation stone of the Edinburgh Bridewell, February 1883

Description

One handwirtten letter dated 8 February, 1883 by J. B. Collinson explaining the circumstances when a glass jar with eleven coins was discovered within a stone when work to extend Bridewell was undertaken. It is believed that the stone was laid with masonic ceremonies on the 1st day of November, 1791. The Earl of Roseberry who was Under Secretary of State for the Home Department instructed that the stone and its contents were to be replaced. The stone and its contents were rediscovered when Bridewell was demolished to allow for St Andrews House to be built in the 1930s. Letter is signed at the bottom by A. Beatson Bell, Chairman of H.M Prison Commisions for Scotland on 30th April 1884.

Type

Document; Paper

Accession number

HH6403/1/2004

Copyright

The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries

The foundation stone for the Bridewell was laid on 30th November 1791 accompanied by a grand procession and full masonic honours. The Bridewell was Scotland’s first ‘new’ penitentiary where facilities and treatment of prisoners were far removed from those of the dilapidated and overcrowded old Tolbooth. This new model prison put prisoners to work in activities such as spinning and weaving, and the sale of this work helped to pay for the prison.

As part of the laying of the ground-breaking ceremony two glass time-capsules cast at the Glass House of Leith, were laid into the foundations. One contained coins of the reign, each encased in glass and in the other bottle were deposited two rolls of vellum, containing the names of the present officers of the Grand Lodge, and the present Magistrates of the city, together with an Edinburgh Almanack, and a copy of each of the Newspapers published in this city, viz the Caledonian Mercury, Evening Courant, Edinburgh Advertiser and Edinburgh Herald.

The bottles were carefully sealed up and covered with a piece of copper and upon the under side of the copper were engraved arms of the city of Edinburgh, the arms of the Right Hon. The Earl of Motton, Grand Master Mason of Scotland, the arms of Masonry, and the arms of the Right Hon. James Stirling, Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Upon the upper side of the plate, a Latin inscription. The jars were placed within the foundation stone.

In February 1883, when work was being undertaken at the Calton Jail site, workmen unearthed the Bridewell foundation stone and one of the time-capsules.

This handwritten letter in our collection from J. B. Collinson, architect, dated 8th February 1883, and signed by A. Beatson Bell, Chairman of H.M. Prison Commissions for Scotland, explains the circumstances when the time-capsule was discovered and states that the Earl of Roseberry, who was under-secretary of State for the Home Department, instructed that the stone and its contents were to be replaced. The stone and its contents were rediscovered when the Bridewell was demolished in the 1930s.

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