Where was the tolbooth in wick?

[KAT1E]

does anyone out there know for sure where the tolbooth was in wick???

[Dog-eared]

Well, theres Tolbooth Lane, and isnt there a market cross on the market square.

Could you tell me what "toll " was taken at a tollbooth - was it a fee for marketing goods ?

[Hibeechick]

Wasn't it the largh house on Tolbooth lane?

[KAT1E]

yeah - i did always think it was macmillar house (castle type building half way up tolbooth lane) - but unsure now... could be that it has been flattened and replaced where either woolies or mackays is now????

the cross is where they hung people!!!!!!!

[KAT1E]

sorry - forgot to say that a tolbooth is the old word for prison!!!!!

[Whitewater]

Thanks for that Katie, it makes sense, the castle type house in tolbooth lane could easily have been a small prison.

[burstbucker]

1872 OS maps show the tolbooth on the site of M&Co shop. It means where the tolls were collected, they sometimes can be connected to a prison or jail.

[Hibeechick]

yeah - i did always think it was macmillar house (castle type building half way up tolbooth lane) - but unsure now... could be that it has been flattened and replaced where either woolies or mackays is now????

the cross is where they hung people!!!!!!!

Yea my Gran use to live there. Ill ask her.

[Macwull]

the cross is where they hung people!!!!!!!

The cross marks the centre of wick if im right, they hung people in parliament square which goes in between the 'New Oriental' (Great wall) Chinese and the fish shop.

[Fran]

The cross marks the centre of wick if im right, they hung people in parliament square which goes in between the 'New Oriental' (Great wall) Chinese and the fish shop.


They could do with bringing back hanging then there would be less crime

[horseman]

more hanging less crime--as one who views hanging as state sponsered crime that don't equate for me.

[Mosser]

does anyone out there know for sure where the tolbooth was in wick???
The Tolbooth (prison) and the town hall, until 1828 was the site where M &co is today. Wick did have a hangman and a whipper but there doesn't appear to be a record of anyone ever being hung. the whipping post and stocks were in the market place area.

[bonami]

Seen a bit on this in last weeks Groat 50yrs ago bit saying that last tolbooth in Wick was to be demolished to make way for new houses.Seemsit was in GeorgeSt .I thought it might have been were council houses are on corner of Robert St George St.

[south view 7]

The toll house on the north side of wick was in george st. at the corner of robert st.and was pulled down when they built the new houses in robert st. i remember a man who stayed there who was known as Antin,does anyone out there remember his proper name.....

[Moira]

The Tolbooth (prison) and the town hall, until 1828 was the site where M &co is today. .......

I remember "The Cross" being marked in different coloured cobble-stones between the old Fred Shearer's (M&Co. today) and The Ensign Shop on the other side of the road (Highland Council Offices today) before the Market Square and the road was pedestrianised.

There was an Airline Booking office located at left-hand corner of the now Woolies' building, bordering Tolbooth Lane. I seem to remember it was called BEA - possibly a predecessor of BA today?

[George Brims]

BEA (British European Airways) merged with BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) to form BA. BA later also swallowed British Caledonian, thus saving us from having to hear "I wish they all could be Caledonian girls" (a butchering of the old Beach Boys song) on the telly adverts.

[Tighsonas4]

The toll house on the north side of wick was in george st. at the corner of robert st.and was pulled down when they built the new houses in robert st. i remember a man who stayed there who was known as Antin,does anyone out there remember his proper name.....
the man where the tolbooth was in george si antim i remember him
thinh his name would have been antonthy everyone has heard of billy the snowman who survived for 4 days in a snowdrift on the ord
am nearly sure that was antims brother they were related anyway and the name was sutherland regards tony

[south view 7]

the man where the tolbooth was in george si antim i remember him
thinh his name would have been antonthy everyone has heard of billy the snowman who survived for 4 days in a snowdrift on the ord
am nearly sure that was antims brother they were related anyway and the name was sutherland regards tony

Thanks for that Tony....

[Trosk]

I believe the Tolbooth was where Mackays is now - built around 1750. It was also the prison (a small one with 4 cells which were always overcrowded). Its described in Wick Of the North and also shown on old maps of Wick.

[Tighsonas4]

seeing prisons has come into this .there was a prison at one time on the corner of rose street and bank row where mc caugheys yard used to be
it was gone before my time [lol]regards tony

[Elenna]

seeing prisons has come into this .there was a prison at one time on the corner of rose street and bank row where mc caugheys yard used to be
it was gone before my time [lol]regards tony

You're right, Tony...I hadn't thought about it in conjunction with the discussion regarding the Tolbooth, but thats where the Pulteneytown Police Station used to be. From what I recall hearing, it had one cell...and there was (at least, originally) a Sergeant and a Constable, making it the smallest police force in Britain.

I always wondered that there was no plaque, or other recognition nearby, marking the site :), as its an interesting bit of history! Does anyone know was the police station still there and got flattened when the bomb hit in July 1940, or was it gone before then?