History of Leith, Edinburgh

This crime report begins: ‘An account of the Trial and Sentence of WATSON, the Radical, who fled from this country in the year 1820, and was to be Hanged in America on the 8th of February last, for the crimes of Housebreaking and Theft, with an account of his life since he landed in that country’. It was published by William Carse and probably sold for one penny. for more click here

This crime reports begins: ‘An Account of the Trial and Sentence of John Douglas, who is to be Executed at Edinburgh on Wednesday the 28th of January, 1824. For Highway Robbery, between Portobello and Musselburgh on November last.’ for more click here

This report begins: ‘An account of that woman who died in Jamaica Street, Edinburgh, on the 3d Feb. 1825, and after being coffined the room was entered by a window, the corpse stolen and the coffin filled with stones; also the apprehension of a resurrection man in Haddington church-yard with the instruments employed for lifting the dead. Likewise an account of the discovery of the body of a man in a trunk, by a porter at Pettycur while carrying it to the steamboat, on Tuesday the 8th Feb. and which had been brought from Dundee on its way to Edinburgh.’ It was published by J. Seller of Edinburgh, in 1825. for more click here

Regiment of Fencibles, for a mutiny in the city of Glasgow, four of whom received sentence of death, tree of which received a pardon at the place of execution. for more click here

Come all you brave hearts of Gold,
Let’s learn to be merry and wise
For it is a true saying of old,
Suspicion is doubtless disguis’d :
Whatever we say or do,
Let’s not drink to disturb our brain;
But laugh for an hour or two,
And never be Drunk again.
for more click here

This is a rather unusual broadside in that it reads much like a scene from a musical play, with several characters involved in the story. Written in verse form, the opening line of the dialogue reads: ‘Whaur gat ye the bawbees? / My boy Tammy’. A note below the title states that these lyrics should be sung to the tune, ‘My Boy Tammy’. Although no date is given, a footnote states that it was published by ‘SANDERSON, Printer, 36. Cowgate-head, Edinburgh’. for more click here

Born near Loch Broom, Wester Ross. Studied at Aberdeen University and at Divinity Hall and New College Edinburgh. Participated in the Disruption in the Church of Scotland and the subsequent founding of the Free Church in May 1843. for more click here

This comic dialogue begins: ‘Dramatis Personæ, – FALKLAND, BELCOUR. / Enter Belcour and Falkland, / Falk. What, Belcou! how are you my friend? you look sad. / Bal. no. do I?’ The broadside was published by William Shepherd at the Poet’s Box, 182 Overgate, Dundee. It does not carry a price or a date of publication. for more click here

This humorous ballad begins: ‘Of all the simple Things I know, / To rub o’er a whimsical Life, / There’s ne’r a Folly half so true, / As that very bad Bargain a Wife’. It is undated. No tune is given.

The institution of marriage is lampooned in this piece. The author bemoans the loss of the ‘mad Frolicks’ of his past, and speaks fondly of his batchelor days, which apparently were spent womanising and drinking. Now, he says, ‘I us’d to top a Bottle or two, / But now drink small Beer with my Spouse’. He has been fettered by the chains of marriage he feels like ‘like a Fox that is hamper’d . . . forc’d to creep in to my Hole’. for more click here

ENGLAND may or may not win the World Cup this summer but they are rightfully considered heroes for inventing football. However there is growing evidence that reveals the true pioneers of the game are from Scotland.

Research conducted by the Scottish Football Museum consistently shows how many of the true creators and ambassadors to today’s style of play were coaches and players north of the Border. The museum’s curator, Richard McBrearty, offers a compelling account from his seven years of evidence-gathering:

“It was only after we did a lot of research that we started looking into these so-called English or British pioneers (of football) and we found out that these were actually Scots,” he says. “That’s a story that hasn’t been told – a story that actually surprises even ourselves. We knew Scotland had an important role, but we didn’t appreciate how important Scots were. for more click here