History of Leith, Edinburgh

By David M. Robertson M.D. FSA. Scot.

During the progress of the restoration of St Marys Church, South Leith, in 1847-48, 1 was one morning waited on by Mr James Dryden, the Inspector of Works to Messrs Hamilton, architects, who requested me to examine a coffin which had just been brought to view,
On proceeding with him to the church, I found at the north end, immediately under the floor of the portion used as the Session Room, a coffin covered with purple velvet (a portion of which is herewith produced) (more…)

Robert Gavin was born in Leith in 1827,his father was Peter Gavin who was a merchant, he never married. Educated at the Leith High School and later studied drawing at the Trustees Academy in Edinburgh. By 1855 he was a ARSA and in 1868-69 went to America and the continent. By 1873 he was living in Tangiers and painted negro subjects. By 1879 he became a RSA. He died in 1883 at Newhaven and was buried in Warriston Cemetery.

The above is taken from the accounts of James IV in 1497 and it can be seen that he made a donation to the New Kirk of Leith to our Ladie eighteen shillings scots. This Church later became South Leith Parish Church

The Barbarian Scot

The legend of Sawney Bean doesn’t appear before the 18th century and may have orginated out of the anti-Scottish propaganda of the mid 18th century due to anti-Jacobite feeling in England.

The picture above is taken from Michael Lynchs A New History of Scotland and below is written.

To London Sawney came,who from his birth
had dropped his folio gates on mother earth
Shown to a boghouse,gazed with wondering eyes
then down each venthole thrust his brawny thighs
And squeezing cry’d Sawney cried Sawneys a laird I trow
never did he disembaage till now

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The Scotsman article of 1922 concerned itself with the visit to South Leith Church and the talk given on the history of the Church in which he says that the Church had been errected on an earlier Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Robert Louis Stevenson used John Pews name for Blind Pew in his story “Treasure Island” John Pew died on the 26th December 1799 and buried at South Leith Churchyard.

From the LEITH BURGHS PILOT of 29th November, 1873.

In our obituary notice of last week occurred the name of JOHN HUTTON, LEITH, the oldest member of the Merchant Company here, and one of the oldest members of the Chamber of Commerce, Edinburgh. Having retired from business many years ago, the name of Bailie Hutton is almost unknown to the present generation, but some thirty or forty years ago it was one of the most prominent in the Port.
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