Charles Edward Green
1866-1920, Publisher
In the late 19th century, Charles E Green purchased the estate of Gracemount and St Catherine's.
Charles E Green initially studied medicine at Edinburgh University but upon the death of his father he had to abandon his career and devote his energies into business. The business became a successful law publishing house – Messrs W Green and sons.
Charles E Green had many publications, which at the time were recognised by the differing professions: Encyclopedia of Law and Medicine and collection of Law Reports to name but a few. He was also the founder and proprietor of the Scots Law Times.
Charles devoted many years into extensively researching the origins of cancer, the results of which are in his mimeograph ‘The Cancer Problem’ - a work that secured the attention of the faculty and went through several editions.
Charles also wrote a volume of Scot’s character sketches ‘Life in a Lowland Parish’.
Charles dutifully carried out a reconstruction of Gracemount House, taking care to preserve the vaulted roof and pointed windows of days gone by.
His leisure time was devoted to art and agriculture, forming a valuable collection of paintings and successfully farming his own land in the local area of Gracemount and St Catherine's.
Charles also took a keen interest in local affairs and during the First World War became President of Recruitment for the district and Chairman of the Prince of Wales Fund.
Charles E Green passed away after a short illness in 1920.
The Green Trust later gifted Gracemount House and the surrounding grounds for the benefit of the community.
We have been advised that a Charles G Sommerville lived in Gracemount House for a period after the death of Charles E Green, but we do not have any further information.
Can you help find out more?
Maggie Green (nee Dalrymple) was the daughter of one of the most successful business men of the city of Edinburgh, John Dalrymple of Dalrymple Tea Merchants. Maggie is thought to have been the heir to both her husband, Charles E Green and father John Dalrypmle's estates.
A piece of further history to note about Charles E Green is that he also acquired the old school house in Upper Liberton - said to be the place where the fictional character Jeanie Dean unfolded her scheme to the school master (as in Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Heart of Midlothian, first published in 1818).
The building became the centre of social life in the village.
References:
We have sourced historical information from National Records of Scotland, Scottish-places.info, Geological society and National Galleries of Scotland.
Thank you to our Friends of the Mansion for providing some of this information.
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any inaccuracies with our historic or heritage information, please advise us at your earliest opportunity
so we can further research and update information accordingly
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