Lauder Town Hall is a municipal structure in the Market Place in Lauder, Scottish Borders, Scotland. The structure, which is used as the local registrar's office and as a venue for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies, is a Category B listed building.[1]
The first municipal in the town was a tolbooth which was designed in the Scottish medieval style and dated back at least to the mid-16th century.[2] In 1598, it was attacked by an angry mob drawn from the Homes and Cranstoun families, led by Lord Home: they entered the tolbooth, retrieved and executed a prisoner, William Lawther, who was being held for the murder of one of their kinsmen, John Cranstoun, and then burnt the building to the ground.[3] The building was burnt to the ground again and was subsequently repaired in 1606.[2] A man and five women were held in the tolbooth, tried for witchcraft in the courtroom and then executed in October 1649 during the Great Scottish witch hunt.[4]
By the late 1720s, the old tolbooth was dilapidated and the local laird, Charles Maitland, 6th Earl of Lauderdale, whose seat was at Thirlestane Castle, contributed £100 towards the rebuilding of the structure: it was rebuilt in stone with a harled finish and the works were completed in 1735.[2][5] The design involved a long flight of steps leading up to a doorway with a Gibbs surround on the first floor. Above the doorway, there was a pair of blind oculi, with voussoirs at the cardinal points, and the whole structure was surmounted by a gable which was broken by a clock tower with a pyramid-shaped roof and weather vane. Internally, the principal rooms were two barrel vaulted prison cells on the ground floor as well one smaller, windowless cell known as the "black hole" underneath the staircase; there was a single large assembly hall, which was used both as a court room and as the burgh council chamber, on the first floor.[1]
In 1790, a new bell, cast by George Watt of Edinburgh, was installed in the clock tower[6] and, on 18 July 1793, during a severe and prolonged thunderstorm, a "ball of fire struck the steeple above the Tollbooth, and did considerable damage".[7] In November 1831, a public meeting was held in the town hall to discuss the Reform Bill and to demand "speedy reform"[8] and, following a critical report by a prisons inspector, the use of the prison cells for the incarceration of criminals was discontinued in 1843.[9] A one-handed clock, which had been installed in the tower when the town hall was rebuilt in the 18th century, was relocated to a gable in a stable block at Mellerstain House in 1859: it was replaced by a new two-handed clock which was installed at the town hall at that time.[10][11]
^Mackie, J. D. (1969). Calendar of the State Papers relating to Scotland: 1547-1603; no. 156. Vol. 13. Edinburgh. p. 207.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Craig, Mary W. (9 December 2021). "Scottish Borders: Hob Grieve". Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
^Tolbooths and Town-houses Civic Architecture in Scotland to 1833. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. 1996. p. 130. ISBN978-0114957995.
^Clouston, R. W. M. (1998). The Bells of Berwickshire. Vol. 47. Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. p. 237.
^"Scotland – Edinburgh, July 18". The Times (2736). London, England: 4. 26 July 1793.
^"Haddington Burghs". History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
^Reports from Commissioners. Vol. 35. House of Lords. 1844. p. 77.
^ ab"Town Hall". Scotland Starts Here. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
^Hamilton, Mary Agnes (1925). J. Ramsay MacDonald (1923-1925). L. Parsons. p. 125.
^"Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
^"Lauder Burgh". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
April 14, 2024
lauder, town, hall, municipal, structure, market, place, lauder, scottish, borders, scotland, structure, which, used, local, registrar, office, venue, weddings, civil, partnership, ceremonies, category, listed, building, locationmarket, place, laudercoordinate. Lauder Town Hall is a municipal structure in the Market Place in Lauder Scottish Borders Scotland The structure which is used as the local registrar s office and as a venue for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies is a Category B listed building 1 Lauder Town HallLauder Town HallLocationMarket Place LauderCoordinates55 43 09 N 2 44 53 W 55 7192 N 2 7481 W 55 7192 2 7481Built1735Architectural style s Scottish medieval styleListed Building Category BOfficial nameMid Row Lauder Town HallDesignated9 June 1971Reference no LB37201Shown in the Scottish BordersHistory editThe first municipal in the town was a tolbooth which was designed in the Scottish medieval style and dated back at least to the mid 16th century 2 In 1598 it was attacked by an angry mob drawn from the Homes and Cranstoun families led by Lord Home they entered the tolbooth retrieved and executed a prisoner William Lawther who was being held for the murder of one of their kinsmen John Cranstoun and then burnt the building to the ground 3 The building was burnt to the ground again and was subsequently repaired in 1606 2 A man and five women were held in the tolbooth tried for witchcraft in the courtroom and then executed in October 1649 during the Great Scottish witch hunt 4 By the late 1720s the old tolbooth was dilapidated and the local laird Charles Maitland 6th Earl of Lauderdale whose seat was at Thirlestane Castle contributed 100 towards the rebuilding of the structure it was rebuilt in stone with a harled finish and the works were completed in 1735 2 5 The design involved a long flight of steps leading up to a doorway with a Gibbs surround on the first floor Above the doorway there was a pair of blind oculi with voussoirs at the cardinal points and the whole structure was surmounted by a gable which was broken by a clock tower with a pyramid shaped roof and weather vane Internally the principal rooms were two barrel vaulted prison cells on the ground floor as well one smaller windowless cell known as the black hole underneath the staircase there was a single large assembly hall which was used both as a court room and as the burgh council chamber on the first floor 1 In 1790 a new bell cast by George Watt of Edinburgh was installed in the clock tower 6 and on 18 July 1793 during a severe and prolonged thunderstorm a ball of fire struck the steeple above the Tollbooth and did considerable damage 7 In November 1831 a public meeting was held in the town hall to discuss the Reform Bill and to demand speedy reform 8 and following a critical report by a prisons inspector the use of the prison cells for the incarceration of criminals was discontinued in 1843 9 A one handed clock which had been installed in the tower when the town hall was rebuilt in the 18th century was relocated to a gable in a stable block at Mellerstain House in 1859 it was replaced by a new two handed clock which was installed at the town hall at that time 10 11 The future Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald visited the town hall to make a speech in support of the local Labour Party candidate Robert Spence during the December 1923 General Election 12 The building 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 when the enlarged Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council was formed in 1975 13 14 It was subsequently used as the local registrar s office and as a venue for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies 10 See also editList of listed buildings in Lauder Scottish BordersReferences edit a b Historic Environment Scotland Mid Row Lauder Town Hall LB37201 Retrieved 9 July 2022 a b c Historic Environment Scotland Lauder Market Place Town Hall 55905 Canmore Retrieved 9 July 2022 Mackie J D 1969 Calendar of the State Papers relating to Scotland 1547 1603 no 156 Vol 13 Edinburgh p 207 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Craig Mary W 9 December 2021 Scottish Borders Hob Grieve Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland Retrieved 9 July 2022 Tolbooths and Town houses Civic Architecture in Scotland to 1833 Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland 1996 p 130 ISBN 978 0114957995 Clouston R W M 1998 The Bells of Berwickshire Vol 47 Berwickshire Naturalists Club p 237 Scotland Edinburgh July 18 The Times 2736 London England 4 26 July 1793 Haddington Burghs History of Parliament Retrieved 9 July 2022 Reports from Commissioners Vol 35 House of Lords 1844 p 77 a b Town Hall Scotland Starts Here Retrieved 9 July 2022 Historic Environment Scotland Mellerstain House Stables And Cottages 104343 Canmore Retrieved 9 July 2022 Hamilton Mary Agnes 1925 J Ramsay MacDonald 1923 1925 L Parsons p 125 Local Government Scotland Act 1973 Legislation gov uk Retrieved 29 March 2021 Lauder Burgh Vision of Britain Retrieved 9 July 2022 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lauder Town Hall amp oldid 1187650994, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
