Isabella Hutchison: convert and philanthropist
Isabella Hutchison (neé Cunninghame) was an Edinburgh philanthropist who became Catholic, funding the establishment of St Margaret’s Convent and supporting the work of the Sisters of Mercy in helping poor people of Edinburgh. Isabella’s background and the Jamaica connection Isabella Cunninghame was born in Port Glasgow in 1780 to merchant John Cunningham and Ann Semple. […]
The voyage of the Henry and Francis to New Jersey, 1685
The voyage of the Henry and Francis from Leith, September 1685 In early September 1685, a ship weighed anchor in the Forth and headed out into the North Sea on a long and tragic voyage. The Henry and Francis of Newcastle, chartered by Fife laird George Scot of Pitlochie, was bound for East New Jersey, […]
Royal High School, Calton Hill Bicentenary
On a sweltering summer day, exactly two hundred years ago, the foundation stone for Edinburgh’s new Royal High School was laid on a fresh site on Calton Hill. Like several city institutions the school was making the move across the valley from the overcrowded Old Town to the ordered and classical New Town. The new building, […]
May Drummond: a forgotten Edinburgh celebrity
A remarkable woman Writing in 1825, Robert Chambers described May Drummond as ‘one of the most remarkable women that Scotland ever produced’. [1] Many praised her eloquence and ready wit. Crowds flocked to hear her speak. Young women looked to her as a role model, poetry was written about her, and she attracted both admiration […]
Popular Portobello Pierrots
Pierrots were troupes who entertained residents, day-trippers and holidaymakers in Portobello and other seaside resorts between the 1890s and 1930s. They offered a hugely popular mix of song, dance and comedy which has influenced subsequent generations. We know something of their local history but want to find out more. What groups were there? What did […]
Unexpected consequences when kings hunt
Two legends in the Coats of Arms of the Canongate and Edinburgh Unexpected consequences when kings hunt is the theme of two legends represented in the Coats of Arms of the Canongate and of Edinburgh. The Canongate legend involves the 12th century Scottish King David I. That of Edinburgh involves a 7th century hermit living […]
Edinburgh’s Lincoln Monument
A post to mark the 160th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, 26 May 1865 Commemorating Scottish veterans and Abraham Lincoln The Lincoln Monument in Old Calton Cemetery was unveiled on 21 August 1893. Its purpose was to memorialise six Scottish soldiers who had fought in the Union Army during the American Civil […]
Finding the Trinity Stones: No Stones Unturned
Progress on ‘Reviving the Trinity Stones’ (Jean Guild Grant project) Enthusiastic stone spotters, Alison Macdonald, Hetty Lancaster, Jill Harrison, Jill Powlett-Brown and Matthew Nicholas from the OEC, Morningside Heritage Association and the Grange Association recently met at a secret site in Edinburgh to check out some important Trinity stones. Jill Harrison said “keeping locations secure is a real […]
The Maiden: Edinburgh’s First Lady of Executions
The story of The Maiden The Maiden, a guillotine-like device introduced to Edinburgh in the 16th century, remains a grim symbol of Scotland’s history of public punishment. This precursor to the French guillotine was used extensively to execute criminals and political dissidents, cementing its place in the city’s famously bloody heritage. The Maiden was introduced […]
The Story of Port Hopetoun
The year 2022 saw a double commemoration in the history of canals in Edinburgh. It marked the bicentenary of the opening of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal, with its eastern terminus at Port Hopetoun on Lothian Road, and also the centenary of the closure of Port Hopetoun – this existed for exactly a century. […]