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65-626: The Ben Line or Ben Line Steamers, Limited was a Scottish shipping company based in Leith , Scotland founded in 1825 which was primarily involved in the Far East to Europe trade. A private company, it was largely owned by members of the Thomson family from Leith and the Thomson and Mitchell family from Alloa . In 1991 all its ships were sold and the company became Ben Line Agencies , a Singapore-based shipping agency, operating across Asia. As of 2013,

130-561: A Shia imambargah , a Sunni mosque and community centre, a Pentecostal centre and a Ukrainian Greek Catholic church . It also has a former Norwegian church , which is home now to the Leith School of Art . As of 2011 (the most recent Census for which data is available), the religious composition of Leith was as follows: Religion in Leith (2011) A regular stage coach service ran between Bernard Street and Edinburgh's Old Town from

195-604: A brief stop at the house of Andrew Lamb, before being collected and escorted by coach to Holyrood Palace , to begin her ill-fated six-year-long reign. Mary's court came to the sands of Leith to enjoy equestrian tournaments of " running at the ring " performed by courtiers and diplomats in exotic costumes. After the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots in 1567 , during the ensuing civil war, troops fighting for James VI of Scotland against his mother's supporters in Edinburgh Castle based themselves in Leith from 1571 to 1573,

260-543: A clutch of upmarket restaurants, including the first of the chain of Malmaison hotels in a conversion of a seamen's mission, whilst the once industrially-polluted and desolate banks of the Water of Leith were cleaned up and a public walkway opened. Leith's gradual revival was also helped by the decision of the then Scottish Office to site their new offices in Leith Docks (just north of the old infilled East Dock). The site

325-406: A contiguous urban area. Leith was merged with Edinburgh on 1 November 1920 despite a plebiscite in which the people of Leith voted 26,810 to 4,340 against the merger. The population of Leith at the time of the merger was 80,000, representing 20% of the entire population of Edinburgh in around 5% of the city area, reflecting the town's high density. It was Scotland's sixth largest town at the time of

390-525: A few weeks loaded their first ship Benarty in Antwerp.   Between 1902 and 1914, Bartram & Sons of Sunderland built nine ships for Ben Line, whose captains nicknamed them "North Country kerosene cans". By 1914 Ben Line had 14 ships with names starting with "Ben", plus five Baltic steamers of The St Petersburg Steamers, Ltd. Two Ben Line ships were sunk by enemy action and Benlarig disappeared in 1917. In April 1919 The Ben Line Steamers, Ltd

455-405: A fleet of four container ships, 13 cargo liners, three chemical tankers, six bulk carriers, and five rigs and drill ships. In addition, three oil tankers and one container carrier were managed on behalf of other owners. Furthermore, through the purchase of another company, it owned seven other vessels and became Britain's biggest offshore drilling contractor. Benreoch made history in 1984 as being

520-570: A parliamentary burgh, which jointly with Portobello and Musselburgh was represented by one Member of Parliament (MP). On 1 November 1833, Leith became a separate municipal burgh , with its own provost, magistrates, and council, and was no longer run by bailies. Historically the Lord Provost of Edinburgh was virtue officii Admiral of the Firth of Forth , the Provost of Leith was Admiral of

585-532: A period called the "Wars between Leith and Edinburgh" . In January 1581 The Shore was the scene of a mock combat, involving an assault on the Pope's Castel Sant'Angelo built on boats, for the marriage of Elizabeth Stuart, 2nd Countess of Moray and James Stewart for the entertainment of guests including James VI. In 1590, James's wife, Anne of Denmark , was lodged in the King's Wark when she arrived. In 1622 there

650-424: A planning condition, found a mass grave of 81 bodies from the 1645 plague. The archaeologists surmised that there was extreme fear of dying from this plague, likely Pneumonic , as many of the bodies were hastily buried in their clothes and still had money and other personal items on them, indicating that people did not want to touch the bodies, even to remove money. In 1650, Leith was a prospective battleground when

715-649: A site that is now Parliament Street, off Coalhill. According to the 18th-century historian William Maitland , her palace was situated on Rotten Row, now Water Street. Artifacts from the demolished residence are held by the National Museum of Scotland , and her sculptured coat of arms, dated 1560, can be seen in South Leith Parish Church . When the large French garrison stationed in Leith was attacked by Scottish Protestant lords , reinforced by troops and artillery sent from England, Mary of Guise

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780-563: A squadron of seven ships with the intention of destroying British commerce in the North Sea. He intended to capture the port of Leith and hold it for ransom, but his plan was thwarted when a gale on 16 September kept him at the mouth of the Firth of Forth. The scare he caused led to the hasty erection of Leith Fort, with a battery of nine guns, designed by James Craig , the architect of Edinburgh's New Town, and built in 1780. A Georgian terrace to

845-700: A timber keel from France for building one of the king's ships. The town was burnt by the Earl of Hertford (on the orders of Henry VIII ) in retaliation for the rejection of the Treaty of Greenwich by the Parliament of Scotland in 1543. Mary of Guise ruled Scotland from Leith in 1560 as Regent while her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots remained in France. Mary of Guise moved the Scottish Court to Leith, to

910-547: Is a port area in the north of Edinburgh , Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith . The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of Holyrood Abbey in 1128 in which it is termed Inverlet (Inverleith). After centuries of control by Edinburgh, Leith was made a separate burgh in 1833 only to be merged into Edinburgh in 1920. Leith

975-562: Is located on the southern coast of the Firth of Forth and lies within the City of Edinburgh council area ; since 2007 it has formed one of 17 multi-member wards of the city. As the major port serving Edinburgh, Leith has seen many significant events in Scottish history. The earliest evidence of settlement in Leith comes from several archaeological digs undertaken in The Shore area in

1040-635: The Battle of the Argenta Gap (April 1945). He ended the war at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and spent 1945/6 as a staff officer in Milan . He won a Military MBE in 1945 and was also Mentioned in Dispatches . He returned to Cambridge after the war in 1947 but changed course from Modern Languages to Economics. He graduated MA in 1949 and obtained a post with William Thomson & Co in Leith who were

1105-858: The Trinity House in Kirkgate was erected in Grecian architectural style at an expense of £2500. In 1809, the Tally Toor , a martello tower was constructed to defend the entrance of the harbour during the Napoleonic Wars . It is now a scheduled monument within the port. Historically Leith was governed by the Town Council of Edinburgh, with separately organised baillies appointed by various bodies without contact with each other. The result became very unsatisfactory, and half of Leith

1170-694: The 1860s, including the iron ship James Wishart . The Far Eastern ships sailed to China and Japan via a base in Singapore, including the China tea trade. Their first (brig-rigged) steamship, Benledi of 1,557 tons gross was built in Glasgow at Barclay Curle Clydeholm shipyard. Two steamers, Petersburg and Stirling , were acquired in 1877 for the Baltic trade. William Thomson appointed Killick Martin & Company agents for Ben Line Steamers in 1883, and within

1235-579: The 1960s, the Beeching report recommended the closure of almost all of Leith's railway infrastructure. Today, only one freight line that connects to the dock remains in use. Although there are no longer any passenger rail services serving Leith, two station buildings partially remain: The SS Sirius (built in Leith) beat the SS Great Western by one day in being the first steamship to cross

1300-515: The Army of the Covenant, led by General David Leslie , threw up an earthen rampart between Calton Hill and Leith to defend the northern approach to Edinburgh against Oliver Cromwell 's forces. This rampart became the line of one of Edinburgh's longest streets, Leith Walk . After Cromwell's victory at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 and subsequent occupation of Scotland, a fort known as Leith Citadel

1365-465: The Atlantic but, as a much smaller ship, was eclipsed by the press coverage given to the larger ship. Leith offered ferry services to many European ports, including Hamburg and Oslo. Today, Leith is served by various bus services provided by Lothian Buses and a tram service provided by Edinburgh Trams . This tram service was due to serve Leith in 2011, however, due to construction and funding issues,

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1430-511: The Far East trade. The company also entered the bulk trades by purchasing both dry bulk vessels and chemical tankers. In 1974 The company diversified into offshore oil exploration by forming a partnership with an American firm, Ocean Drilling and Exploration Co ( ODECO ), an experienced operator. The joint company, which was called Ben Odeco, owned and operated semi-submersible rigs, jack-up rigs and drill ships. By 1977 The Ben Line Group employed over 2,000 shore-based and sea-going staff, and owned

1495-633: The Government were lost compared with only two in World War I. Ships managed by the Ben Line included two MAC or Merchant Aircraft Carrier ships, Empire MacAlpine and Empire MacKendrick . The MAC ships carried Fairey Swordfish biplanes as well as cargo. In 1943 the company headquarters was moved from Leith to Edinburgh. Postwar the line concentrated on the Far East trade, with a base in Singapore from 1951. In 1953 an underwater formation in

1560-643: The John Knox Church. The church was active from 1688 and was last used by a visit of John Wesley but the huge crowd he drew was too large to fit. Leith still has several notable historic churches, including North Leith Parish Church and South Leith Parish Church (both of the Church of Scotland ), and the Roman Catholic St Mary's Star of the Sea . The area has Sikh and Hindu temples,

1625-789: The UK). The first public sewer in Scotland was built in Bernard Street in 1780; this flowed into the Water of Leith. Leith was formerly a port linked to the trade of the Hanseatic League . Leith is also home to The Queen's former floating Royal residence, the Royal Yacht Britannia, now a five-star visitor attraction and evening events venue permanently berthed at the Ocean Terminal shopping centre. Leith

1690-536: The area. The planned development, which was given supplementary planning guidance by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2004, was a small town with up to 17,000 new homes. One of the areas is Timber Bush which was originally used as a timber market. Until its amalgamation with Edinburgh in 1920, the southern-most town border was the middle of Pilrig Street. Expansion in the Georgian era gave rise to streets such as Queen Charlotte Street, named after Charlotte ,

1755-535: The coasts off North Borneo was named "Benrinnes Reef" after the ship that discovered it. Between 1950 and 1972, Ben Line continued to develop its liner services between Europe and the Far East, operating fast, custom-built 'tween deck vessels. Ben Line pioneered a number of new trade routes, and became one of the leading liner companies in the trade. From 1970 to 1982 the line came under the Chairmanship of Michael Strachan . In 1972 Ben Line Ship Management Ltd

1820-621: The company combined with the East Asiatic Company of Copenhagen. Following the sale of Ben Line's ships and rigs, emphasis was placed on the development of Ben Line Agencies, which is owned by its key stakeholders, many of whom are managers of the company. Descendants of the original shareholders also retained a substantial interest in the company. During this period Ben Line Agencies operated from offices in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The main business activity

1885-574: The company had over 110 offices and 2,000 employees operating in four specific areas: port agency, liner agency, offshore support and project logistics services. The company was founded in 1825 as ship-brokers by two brothers, William Thomson (1806–1889) and Alexander Thomson (1795–1880). Their sister Jemima married Thomas Henderson, an older brother of Patrick Henderson. Originally the Thomson brothers were "merchants and marble-cutters" and were involved in importing Carrara marble from Leghorn, Italy , with help from Thomas Henderson. Their first ship in 1839

1950-455: The consort of George III . Historically, due its Catholic connections (and French garrison), Leith was one of the last towns to have Catholic sympathies post-Reformation. Although the preceptory (small monastery) of St Anthony's was destroyed soon after 1560 the other churches were quickly adapted to Protestant use. There was also an Episcopalian meeting house near Kapple's Wynd (later renamed Cables Wynd) from 1688, somewhat inexplicably called

2015-557: The contemporary perception of their greater flexibility. In the mid-19th century the railways came. Leith had one horse-drawn line pre-dating steam-trains, bringing coal from Dalkeith to a station at the north end of Constitution Street, to serve the glassworks there. This dated from the late 18th century. Steam trains arrived in the 1840s, being some of the earliest lines in Britain. When the railways were at their height, Leith had four passenger stations and many goods stations. However, in

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2080-564: The demonstrations surrounding the invasion of Sudetenland . He then won a place at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge . His university career was interrupted by the Second World War and in 1940 he joined the Lothian and Border Horse Regiment (he was an able horseman). He was employed to interrogate captured German pilots due to his knowledge of German. He then joined Military Intelligence. A few weeks later he met Enoch Powell for

2145-623: The first time. Powell asked for Strachan as his second-in-command and they spent most of the war together. This included Operation Claymore , a commando raid on the Lofoten Islands in 1941, plus a long-time posting to GHQ Middle East, based in Cairo . In July 1943 they made a journey by truck together, from Cairo to Tangiers . He was then promoted to Brigade Major of the 26th Armoured Brigade and saw fierce action with them in Italy including

2210-417: The heaviest semi-submersible drilling rig (17,200 tons) to be transported on board a semi-submersible carrier, voyaging some 14,000 miles from New Zealand to Spain. In 1987 a strategic decision to start actively seeking outside shipping agency principals to complement the in-house core business activity of container liner shipping – Ben Line Agencies was established. In 1991 the remaining ships were sold, and

2275-604: The home of the Royal Yacht Britannia , the Ocean Terminal shopping centre , and administrative offices for several departments of the Scottish Government . The council and government's 'Leith Project' provided a further economic boost. The shore area of Leith, once unattractive, is now a centre for a range of new pubs and restaurants in charming surroundings. On 6 November 2003, Leith was

2340-548: The late 20th century. Amongst the finds were medieval wharf edges from the 12th century. This date fits with the earliest documentary evidence of settlement in Leith, the foundation charter of Holyrood Abbey. Mary of Guelders , the bride of James II , arrived on 18 May 1449 and rested in the Convent of St Anthony. Prominent Leith merchants and shipowners included James Makysone, who supplied tapestry to James IV in 1498 for his new lodging at Stirling Castle and in 1503 imported

2405-693: The location for the MTV Europe Music Awards , with a temporary venue being built next to Ocean Terminal. Leith was Scotland's leader in several industries for many centuries. Of these the most notable are: After decades of industrial decline, deindustrialisation , slum clearance and resultant depopulation in the post-war era, Leith gradually began to enjoy an upturn in fortunes in the late 1980s. Several old industrial sites were developed with modest, affordable housing, while small industrial business units were constructed at Swanfield, Bonnington, Seafield and off Lindsay Road. The Shore developed

2470-559: The merger. Until 1923 there was no through tram service between Leith and Edinburgh; at the boundary in Leith Walk it was necessary to change from a Leith tram (electrically powered) to an Edinburgh tram (cable hauled) until the electrification of the Edinburgh Corporation Tramways in the early 1920s. Leith has undergone significant regeneration and is now a busy port with visits from cruise liners and

2535-490: The mid-18th century. By 1863 this had become a horse-drawn omnibus running every 5 minutes from 9   am to 10   pm. This was put on tracks sometime around 1880 effectively then becoming a horse-drawn tram. Leith was the first town in Scotland to electrify its tram system (1905). Leith Corporation Tramways were merged into Edinburgh Corporation Tramways as part of the 1920 merger of the two burgh councils. Tram services ran until 1956 and were then replaced by buses due to

2600-423: The morning when the tide beached the ships. The Scottish authorities requested the fighting stop. The ships were allowed into Leith harbour where artillery from Edinburgh Castle was placed to ensure order. Leith suffered during the 1645 plague outbreak, with over 50% of the population in the southern district dying. Archaeological excavations in 2016 at St Mary's RC Primary School, by Wardell Armstrong, as part of

2665-461: The north-east served as officers' quarters, and was known as "London Row" because, being brick-built, it looked more like a London terrace than any in Edinburgh. The fort was in active use until 1955, latterly serving for National Service training. Most of the barracks were demolished to build a Council housing scheme centred on Fort House and enclosed by the old fort walls. The council development

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2730-509: The opening of the first new wet dock, the first of its kind in Scotland. The Fife packet called The Buccleuch was the first to enter the dock, with the civic dignitaries on board, amid discharges of artillery from the fort and His Majesty's warships in Leith Roads. The foundation stone for the second (middle) wet dock was laid on 14 March 1811, which was completed and opened with due ceremony in 1817 by Lord Provost Arbuthnot. The same year

2795-900: The operators of the Edinburgh branch of the Ben Line Shipping Company. In 1970 he became Chairman of Ben Line Steamers Ltd and Ben Line Containers Ltd , creating the Ben Line Ship Management Ltd in 1973. From 1972 (whilst still operating the Ben Line) he became a non-executive Director of the Bank of Scotland . In 1979 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh . His proposers were John Cameron, Lord Cameron , Anthony Elliot Ritchie , Robert Allan Smith and Sir John Atwell . He

2860-468: The permanently moored Royal Yacht Britannia. The Edinburgh Trams light rail line extension, from the city centre to Newhaven opened to passengers in June 2023 providing Leith and the new dock developments with a fast and convenient route for both local commuters and visitors. In 2004 the owner of the docks, Forth Ports , announced plans to eventually close the port and carry out a major redevelopment of

2925-409: The port, and his four bailies were admirals-depute. Emperor Nicholas II of Russia arrived by sea at Leith with his family and suite on Tuesday 22 September 1896. Scottish anarchist Thomas Hastie Bell managed to get in his face to criticise him. Leith was the scene of the dockers strike in 1913 recounted in the book Red Scotland . Continued growth meant that Leith and Edinburgh formed

2990-436: The principal parish kirk for Leith was South Leith Parish Church, originally constructed in 1483. In June 1811 a census gave the population of South Leith as 15,938; North Leith 4,875. With a procession and ceremony, the foundation stone of the new church for the parish of North Leith was laid on 11 April 1814. Leith was the port of entry for the visit of King George IV to Scotland , and The Old Ship Hotel and King's Landing

3055-553: The section of the line towards Leith and Newhaven was delayed. It opened just after midday on 7 June 2023 with Leith stops at Balfour Street (Leith Walk), Foot of the Walk (Constitution Street), The Shore (Constitution Street), Port of Leith and Ocean Terminal . Leith has a long history of pioneering social advances, some of which were the first of their kind in Scotland: All boys were educated for free from 1555 onwards. This

3120-587: The siege in April 1560 and are listed as scheduled monuments, but may be natural hillocks. The best documented day of the siege was 7 May 1560, when the English and Scots charged the walls of Leith with ladders that turned out to be too short. John Knox records the delight of Mary of Guise at the failure of the attack, and English sources report 1000 casualties. On 19 August 1561, Mary, Queen of Scots, arrived in Leith and, finding no welcoming party to receive her, made

3185-480: Was Liner Agency. Over the next decade the company built a portfolio of shipping services including a liner agency, port agency, project logistics, offshore support, international freight forwarding, port representation, tank containers & leasing and P&I club representation and surveying. In 2011 it opened its 100th office. Ben Line Agencies have 130 offices with 2300 employees in 2023. Leith Leith ( / l iː θ / ; Scottish Gaelic : Lìte )

3250-990: Was a Trustee of the National Library of Scotland and of the Carnegie Trust for Scottish University. He was also a member of the Royal Company of Archers . In 1980 his MBE was upgraded by Queen Elizabeth II to a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was also a member of the Hakluyt Society . He retired from the Ben Line in 1982 but continued as a Director of the Bank of Scotland until 1990. He died on 30 November 2000. In 1948 he married Iris Hemingway. They had two sons and two daughters. From 1970 they lived in "Glenhighton" in

3315-528: Was an award-winning scheme in its day (1955), but the building was demolished in January 2013 and the site has been redeveloped with new low-density housing, again award-winning. A pair of the old fort's gatehouses survive at the southern entrance to the scheme. From the twelfth century South Leith was part of the parish of Restalrig and had no church of its own. After the Scottish Reformation

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3380-400: Was born on 23 October 1919 the son of Francis William Strachan and his wife, Violet Blackwell Palmer. His father was a British Army officer of Scots descent and his mother was a wealthy widow from the Crosse & Blackwell fortune. He was raised on a country estate in Herefordshire . He was educated privately at Rugby School . He spent some time at Berlin University in 1938, witnessing

3445-524: Was chosen as part of a design-and-build competition against other sites at Haymarket and Marionville. It was completed in 1994. The hoped-for influx of well-paid civil service jobs failed to have much local impact as most commute to the office, and only a small percentage venture beyond the confines of the office during lunchtimes. It did further foster Leith's growing reputation as a white-collar , small business location. Further large-scale service and tourist development followed, including Ocean Terminal and

3510-415: Was conflict between privateer " Dunkirker ships " flying the Spanish flag and ships from the Dutch Republic . King James allowed a Dunkirker to lie at Leith Roads in June 1622, and soldiers from the ship were able to come ashore at Leith. Three Dutch ships, commanded by Willem de Zoete , Lord of Hautain, Admiral of Zeeland , arrived and attacked the Dunkirker through the night. The fighting stopped in

3575-403: Was erected in 1656 to regulate the port traffic. All that remains of the fort today is a vaulted trance in Dock Street which was its main entrance. New industry in Leith included the Leith Sugar House , founded in 1677. During the American War of Independence the Scot, John Paul Jones , who, with John Barry , is credited as founder of the US Navy , set sail on 14 August 1779 as commodore of

3640-430: Was forced to shut herself in Edinburgh Castle . In June 1560, Mary of Guise died, and the Siege of Leith ended with the departure of the French troops in accordance with the Treaty of Leith, also known as the Treaty of Edinburgh . Two mounds on Leith Links , known as "Giant's Brae" and "Lady Fyfe's Brae", identified as Somerset's Battery and Pelham's Battery respectively, are believed to be artillery mounds created for

3705-463: Was formed as a private company. Previously each ship voyage was a separate actuarial entity, with shareholders holding large or small numbers of 1/64 shares. A new trade was the carriage of soya beans from the port of Vladivostok to European ports. New ships were built by Charles Connell and Company of Glasgow. No Ben Line ship was laid up during the depression. During World War II, 14 Ben Line ships and four ships placed under Ben Line management by

3770-548: Was formed to offer a comprehensive range of ship management services to smaller owners, providing them with guidance from knowledge that Ben Line had gained over the years. In 1973 The company's first three container ships, each with a capacity of 3,000 TEUs and a deadweight of 50,000 tons, were delivered. These ships operated within the 17 strong fleet of a three-nation consortium (the Trio Group) made up of Ben Line, Hapag-Lloyd , Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Overseas Containers Ltd (OCL) all engaged in

3835-437: Was lost on Sable Island on the approaches to the St. Lawrence River in 1841. But the North Atlantic trade, carrying coal from William Mitchell ’s Alloa Coal Company to Canada and returning with timber to Leith, was a Thomson staple business for years. Several sailing ships acquired in the 1840s were built in Canada. A ship purchased by the Edinburgh brothers and their cousins Captain Watson Thomson and Andrew Thomson in 1848

3900-565: Was named as the fourth "coolest neighbourhood in the world" by Time Out in 2021. The Port of Leith distillery, currently under construction, will soon be the UK's only vertical whisky distillery. Leith is home to Leith Academy , one of the oldest schools in Scotland, and to the Leith School of Art, which along with Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland. From 1855 until 1987, Leith Nautical College provided training for Merchant Navy seafarers in Scotland. Michael Strachan (businessman) He

3965-405: Was paid for by the local trade guilds. All girls were educated from 1820, a long time after the boys, but a very early example of free education for females (only required by law from 1876). A free hospital service was provided from 1777, paid for by a local tax, with beds sponsored by local shops. Leith had electric street lighting from 1890 and electric trams from 1905 (only Blackpool was earlier in

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4030-443: Was provided with no municipal government whatever or any local magistrates . An act of Parliament, the Leith Municipal Government Act 1827 ( 7 & 8 Geo. 4 . c. cxii) arranged for municipal government and administration of justice in the town, providing watching, paving, cleansing, and lighting, with Edinburgh Council responding to the views of Leith townspeople. The Burgh Reform Act 1833 ( 3 & 4 Will. 4 . c. 46) made Leith

4095-400: Was the Signet which would in 1852/1853 venture to Australia. In the 1850s, the earliest ship to use the 'Ben' prefix (the Scottish word for mountain) was the Bencleuch , launched in 1853. The Thomsons and Mitchells moved into longer and more profitable routes to Australia (the Wanderer and Signet ) and the Far East (initially the Araby Maid 1) , purchasing nine larger sailing ships in

4160-456: Was the barque Carrara of 218 tons, built at Limekilns in Fife and used on the Leith–Leghorn run. The marble business declined in the 1830s, and with Alloa cousins Capt Watson Thomson with his nephew Andrew Thomson and William Mitchell, they acquired in 1840 for £3,500 the wooden ship Australia of 388 tons, built on the Tyne in 1825. She was used on the North Atlantic trade, carrying Alloa coal to Canada, and returning with timber to Leith, and

4225-424: Was then given its new name, to mark the king's arrival by ship's boat at Leith Shore for this event, and this monarch was welcomed by the High Constabulary of the Port of Leith . A painting of the occasion hung in Leith Town Hall , now Leith Police station. On 20 May 1806, there was a procession of the Lord Provost of Edinburgh , Baillies , and Council, along with a numerous company of ladies and gentleman, for

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