Edinburgh, Scotland/edinburgh130
Previous | Home | NextThis is Edgar's plan with an overlay of key features of today's map identified in red. Gray Friar's Church (now Greyfriar's Kirk) is where Joseph Black was buried. (Two centuries before, corpses had been stolen from the graveyard for the Medical School, causing a scandal). In 1785-8 a bridge was constructed across Cowgate, which before was essentially a ravine. Before then travel from central Edinburgh to the College area was difficult. The street extending south from the bridge was called North Bridge; it transitioned to Nicolson Street just south of the College; Nicolson Street was constructed about the same time. New College was constructed just west of North Bridge in the early 1800s. The Medical laboratory was positioned at a point now underneath North Bridge. Hence, the discoveries of magnesium and nitrogen can be viewed by standing today in the middle of the street and looking down at the pavement! From 1756 to 1766 Black was at the University of Glasgow. He returned to Edinburgh in 1766 and remained until his death in 1799. Black in his latter years moved to a house on Nicolson just south of the College. He performed little research after returning to Edinburgh.
