Earlier this month, on the way to visit our daughter in Broughty Ferry, I noticed a signpost on the Ferry Road to ‘Peep O’Day Lane‘. Fascinated by the name of this Dundee street I have spent some time in the archives, exploring its name .
In a map of Dundee dated 1793 there is shown as existing at this spot the Peep o’ Day Mansion, which had formerly been the residence of the Hon. Walter Ogilvy of Clova, who became sixth titular Earl of Airlie. This Walter Ogilvy was the younger brother of the famous Lord Ogilvy of 1745, who raised a Forfarshire Regiment to fight for Prince Charlie, and escaped from Culloden to France.
Walter was born at Cortachy Castle in 1733, educated at Edinburgh University and was admitted as an Advocate in 1757. He never practised his profession, but led the life of a younger son of the nobility. It seems probable that he had built this mansion either at the time of his first marriage in 1761, or at the time when his brother, Lord Ogilvy, returned from France in 1778. It is probable that the name was descriptive of the position of the house – facing towards the east where the dawn would be visible.
Walter Ogilvie died in 1819, aged 86 years:
Peep o’Day then became the site of industry [fossil fuel collection]:
March 1845, Dundee Courier:
September 1845, Dundee Courier:
Ordnance Survey map, 1st Edition, 1850s:
September 1857, Dundee Courier:
Ordnance Survey Book, Dundee, 1850s:
February 1865, Dundee Advertiser:
3 June 1866:
3 November 1872:
John Zuill Kay:
Spring 1878, in poor health John Zuill Kay went to Genoa. James Boyd was the informant of his death:
The last family of Peep o’Day, the Boyds:
September 1875:
13 November 1876, Agnes McCrae, dies at Peep o’Day house, she was in her 21st year:
3 December 1880:
3 October 1882:
3 December 1890:
3 March 1892:
Tombstone of the Miller McCrae family:
3 March 1927:
4 October 1943, Dundee Evening Telegraph:
This post is for the Eden Project.