History of Leith, Edinburgh

These two albums of the Edinburgh Calotype Club, the first photographic club in the world, are among the earliest photograph albums in the world ever assembled. They contain over 300 images by a group of pioneering Scottish photographers working in Edinburgh and St. Andrews

Newhaven fisherman and fishwife.

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Welcome to our website which is a collection of pages dedicated to those who served in the Allied Merchant Navy during World War Two. All of us who have contributed to this site hope that you will find our topics interesting and educational as well a lasting tribute to the Merchant Navy and all the others who aided them in their vital role. The world today can never repay the debt owed to these men and women. To them we say “Thank you — we will never forget what you did.”

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A series of hand coloured steel engravings from the drawings and paintings of Thomas H. Shepherd. Engraved by various engravers and published in London 1829 - 30.

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Seadolby is the stories, articles and tall tales of the sea, travel, people and places. The merchant navy, the sailor, the culture shocks and the traveller by Ieuan Dolby

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Leith was part of Edinburgh, became separate and rejoined in 1920. Technically becomes Leith a bit down Leith Walk, the real centre is the Foot of the Walk at the junction with Great Junction Street.
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THE earliest centre of religious life in our Leith district was at Restalrig, where a church or chapel of some kind has existed from very remote times. Legend tells us that among those who came to Scotland with St. Rule, the founder of the first Christian church at St. Andrews, was St. Triduana, who had consecrated herself to the service of God. To avoid the attentions of Nectan, King of the Picts, who ruled from 706 to 732, and who greatly admired the beauty of her eyes, the saint plucked them out and sent them to him skewered on a thorn, after which she was allowed to live unmolested, and spent the rest of her days in devotion and service at Restalrig, where she is said to have died and been buried. (more…)

The abolition of Scotland’s feudal law system is completed today as three separate pieces of legislation come into force, marking the most far reaching changes to Scots property law in eight centuries.

The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc (Scotland) Act 2000, the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 are designed to modernise and simplify property law by giving owners greater rights. (more…)

Born: 11 August, 1929, in Edinburgh.
Died: 22 November, 2004, in Edinburgh, aged 75.

HUGH Riley was born and raised in the southside of Edinburgh into a boxing family presided over by his father and noted boxing coach and cornerman Johnny Riley.

Riley snr was a close associate of the legendary Scottish boxing teacher Charlie Cotter whose gym at the top of the capital’s Leith Street between 1895 and Cotter’s death in 1950 played host to many an international amateur and professional fight game luminaries. (more…)

Thanks for putting my article about the Garden Shed “on line” I hope someone may read about it and remember.I have another item which may interest Leithers if I can claim your indulgence,

On August 31st 1939(age10) I was taken from Fraser Grove to the City Hospital with Scarlet Fever.In consequence I missed the Wardie Primary Evacuation to the Wormit area of Fife.My Register teachr Miss Fraser was with the group.I was to join my Classmates once a reallocation of accommodation was provided for my mother myself and a classmate Jack Thomas.We were literally dumped in a farm bothy at Priory Farm Gauldry the farmer a Mr W Gray was singularly uncooperative and was only concerned with the money he was paid by the Billetin Officer!Imagine no electricity,well water,no running water Tilley Lamps and a dry lavatory next the pigsty.Roy Wilkie another classmate from Boswall area was ensconced in the local empty Manse with his mother and two sisters and all mod cons,yet they were only 100 yds from the Farm !That apart We enjoyed the lovely Autumn of’39 and even got paid 2/6 (25p today) at the “tattie howkin” (more…)

I guess every family has a tale to tell and a mystery to solve and my family is no exception. After many years of trying to solve these mysteries I have decided to place these stories on the internet to give all you budding Genealogists a challenge to achive something that has eluded me for years. There are no prizes and I have no wish to engage a professional researcher this is here for a bit of fun. Family research is my hobby and I enjoy helping others where I can.

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