Carrubber’s Close

No. 135 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SJ

This was a place of secret episcopal worship, with a particular American connection. During much of the 17th century, Stewart kings attempted to force episcopacy upon a population committed to Presbyterianism, and the eventual victory of the latter cause in 1690 left Episcopalians in a vulnerable position. Its adherents had to worship in secret, one such place being in a little chapel situated down this close (on the site now occupied by Old St Paul’s Episcopal Church). It still contains the original wooden alter, made to fold up for quick concealment. An American who worshipped secretly in the little chapel was Samuel Seabury, while he was a medical student at Edinburgh University in the 1750s. Later, after returning home, he became the first American episcopal bishop.

A century or so later, this location became the home of the highly popular Carrubber’s Close Mission in 1858.  However, the little chapel proved inadequate, so the Mission was sometimes compelled to provide a street-preaching service. One of those who attended was the celebrated American evangelist Dwight Moody, and he was so impressed by what he witnessed that he determined that the Mission should be housed in an appropriate building. “You can’t run a mission on air!” he supposedly declared and set about raising £10,000 to purchase a site a little further down the High Street, there to construct a handsome Mission house, which was to retain the name of its humble predecessor (see next stopping point).