Lerwick Addresses that have changed
Locating where your ancestors lived is interesting. Unfortunately, this may be made difficult by streets being renamed or renumbered. Also, streets and buildings may have local colloquial names. Lerwick has had many changes over the years and much has been written about this, for example the Shetland Archivist, Brian Smith’s blog on Lerwick Street names.
The following names were in common use in former times and appear in old records and books. The modern name and notes should help you locate them.
Please let us know if there are any others that you are having difficult locating.
Albany Street now part of St Olaf Street from Scalloway Road to Harbour Street.
Back Baker’s Closs now Navy Lane.
Back Charlotte Lane formerly Thatch House Lane now Back Charlotte Street.
Battery Closs now Navy Lane and Mounthooly Street.
Bain’s Court now Site opposite 'The Lodberry', South end of Commercial Street.
Baker’s Closs now Mounthooly Street.
Bankfield now Ness of Sound.
Betty Mann’s Closs now Crooked Lane.
Brown’s Buildings, the building on Commercial Road at the foot of Burgh Road and east (Building contains Laing's Chemist).
Bullet Loan later London Road and now Knab Road.
Carlton Place the block of houses on the north side at the top of Prince Alfred Street turning into and along Lower Hillhead.
Charlotte Place the block of buildings at the north end of Commercial Street on the east side.
Church Lane formerly South Kirk Closs now (roughly) Church Road.
Copland’s Court houses at the back of 2-8 Commercial Street, the court being entered from Gellie’s Pier.
Copland’s Walk Commercial Street between Gellie’s Pier and Stout’s Pier (numbers 2-8).
Craigie’s Court stood where Quendale House now stands.
Da Dirty Closs now Chromate Lane.
Draw Well Closs was between Water Lane and Lochend House. Had one inhabited house.
Dunchatton Street now part of Glenfarquhar.
Fleet Street now the north end of North Lochside from Bruce Crescent to Grantfield. Original buildings demolished.
Garrison Closs now Charlotte Street.
Gilbertson’s Closs now Gardie Lane.
Gladstone Terrace still so named. On the Hillhead between Quendale Lane and Pitt Lane.
Grierson’s Closs now Quendale Lane.
Gullet’s Brae Scalloway Road from the Hillhead to King Harald Street. NB Gullet is the local pronunciation of the surname Goodlad.
Half Closs was a lane from the Hillhead north of Quendale Lane that went only halfway down to Commercial Street. Demolished and are now part of the car park.
House of David 92 Saint Olaf Street. The name is a humorous nickname as David Sutherland had it built as his family home.
James Street now Saint Olaf Street from Scalloway Road to Breiwick Road.
James Tait’s Closs now Bank Lane.
Kelday’s Court to the west of Commercial Street where the Grand Hotel now stands.
Leask’s Closs formerly Mowbray’s Closs now Pitt Lane.
Leather Lane now Union Street.
London Road formerly Bullet Loan and now Knab Road.
Manson’s Closs also called Sutherland’s Closs, now Fox Lane.
Mariners’ Court in Reform Lane on the left going up.
Mountalt Place near the top of Mounthooly Street.
Mowbray’s Closs later Leask’s Closs now Pitt Lane.
Murray’s Closs the first court to the north of Chromate Lane, also known as Scottshall Court.
Nice Court now Hayfield Court.
Nicol’s Court now Norna’s Court.
North Kirk Closs now Queens Lane.
Ogilvy’ s Buildings. Commercial Street from the foot of Charlotte Street north on the west side.
Parkfield Road now Saint Sunniva Street.
Ravens Court stood between Bain’s Court and Water Lane.
Robert Cheyne’s Closs now Park Lane.
Ross Court buildings, now demolished, opposite the Sea Door at the south end of Commercial Street.
Royal Buildings at the foot of Back Charlotte Street. Was at one time the Royal Hotel, now Boots the Chemist.
Saint Olaf Street Still so named but originally Saint Olaf Street only ran from Harbour Street to Commercial Road. Albany Street and James Street continued in a straight line to the south until 1924 when it was decided to rename the entire length as Saint Olaf Street. The houses in the original section were then renumbered – thus number 6 in 1920 was number 96 in 1930.
Scottshall Court the first court to the north of Chromate Lane, also known as Murray’s Closs.
Sheriff’s Closs now Law Lane.
Skipper’s Court was in Navy Lane near the bottom on the left going up.
Slaughter House Road now Harbour Street.
South Kirk Closs later Church Lane now (roughly) Church Road.
Spence’s Court to the north of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Da Steep Closs now Hangcliff Lane.
Stove’s Buildings at the top of Reform Lane on the North Side where a short length of lane goes in.
Strong’s Court on the left hand side of South Kirk Closs when going up.
Summerside Terrace 32-36 King Harald Street.
Sutherland’s Closs also called Manson’s Closs, now Fox Lane.
Swallow Lane now Bank Lane.
Tait’s Closs now Reform Lane.
Thatch House Lane later Back Charlotte Lane now Back Charlotte Street.
Town Hall Brae the colloquial term for the slope from the Hillhead to Saint Olaf Street, but the road is officially King Erik Street.
Union Bank Lane formerly Swallow Lane now Bank Lane.
Whisky Lane now Market Street.
Widows’ Homes now called Anderson Homes, Twageos Road.
Yates’ Closs now Chromate Lane.
Yates’ Court a small court on the north side of Chromate Lane.