Brunton House

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Building summary
Name Brunton House
Address Brunton Street
Postcode KY15 7BQ
Other names Marchioness Dowager of Bute’s private school [1]
Date 17th century
Architect Robert Weir Schultz
See map Map D (55)
OS grid ref NO 25239 07311
Latitude & longitude 56°15′09″N 3°12′29″W

Brunton House is a private house in Brunton Street, adjoining Little Brunton and Wester Brunton. It was once the residence of the Simson family, hereditary falconers to the Kings of Scotland.

It is probably older than the date of 1712 on the armorial panel.

It was restored in 1894–95 for the third Marquess of Bute by Robert Weir Schultz as a school for the Roman Catholic children of the village, and refurbished in 1910 for use for use by Lord Ninian's chaplain,[1]. In 1953 Major Michael Crichton Stuart presented it to the National Trust for Scotland.[2]

It was restored in 1970 by the NTS under the Little Houses Improvement Scheme.[2]

HES listing details[3]
Reference: LB31328 Date: 12/01/1971 Category: A
Address/Site Name

Brunton House, Brunton Street (including garden walls)

Description

Dated 1712 at sculptured armorial panel, 3-storey 3-window, coursed rubble, moulded doorpiece; crowstepped and pantiled with slate skirting. Crowstepped stair tower at back.

Statement of special interest

Cobbled pavement

Former residents

  • 1906: George Lumsden[1]
  • Around 1906: Mrs O'Connor (teacher / manageress)[1]
  • 1911: Henley Woods (Roman Catholic Priest), aged 54, and his sister Cecilia Woods aged 32, both from Edinburgh, and a servant (housekeeper), Lily Preston aged 28, from Ireland.[4]

Further references

"The harled early C18 Wester Brunton House has been heavily restored. So too (by R. Weir Schultz in 1894–5, and again in 1970–1) has the adjoining Brunton House, crowstepped and with a smart armorial panel dated 1712."[5]


"Brunton House, Brunton Street, 1712 (restored 1894–5, and 1970–1, R W Schultz), a three-storey masterpiece in coursed rubble, pantiles and crowsteps, originally belonged to the Hereditary Falconers to the Crown."[6]


"It [the house in which Emilia Geddie lived] may be seen in the wynd which bears the name of Sharp's Close [sic]—a substantial three-storied house. Inserted beside the door is a deeply scuptured stone with heraldic emblems—with the initials, 'W.S. J.W. 1727.,' and the motto 'Diligentia et vigilantia.' The initials indicate William Stevenson and Jean Wallace."[7]

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Playfair and Burgess
  2. 2.0 2.1 Diane Watters and Miles Glendenning, Little Houses; The National Trust for Scotland's Improvement Scheme for Small Historic Homes (RCAHMS and NTS, 2006, page 105).
  3. HES record for LB31328
  4. 1911 census
  5. Gifford, Fife, page 221.
  6. Pride, Kingdom of Fife.
  7. Historical Antiquities, page 58.

Further images