(anciently called Inverleith), the port of Edinburgh, is seated on the banks of the Forth, about a mile from the capital. It is divided into two parts, called North and South Leith. The former is a part of the barony of the Canongate; and is subject to the baron-bailie of that district, and to the magistrates of Edinburgh. The communication between North and South Leith is by a stone-bridge of three arches, which appears to have been founded by Robert Balentyne, Leith, abbot, of Holyrood-house, in 1493. The harbour, however, is what gives the importance to Leith, and indeed to Edinburgh also. It is formed by the confluence of the river called the Water of Leith with the Firth of Forth. The depth of water, at neap-tides, is about nine feet; but in high spring-tides, it is about 16 feet. In the beginning of the present century, the town-council of Edinburgh improved the harbour at an enormous expense, by extending a stone-pier a considerable way into the sea. In 1753, an act was passed for enlarging and deepening the harbour of Leith; but as no adequate means were proposed by the statute for defraying the expense, nothing was done in consequence. A plan was soon afterwards formed for enlarging the harbour upon a still larger plan; and, to carry this expensive project into execution, a bill was framed by which an additional duty from 1d. to 6d. a ton was to be laid upon all shipping in the harbour. But the scheme was dropped, in consequence of a vigorous opposition. In 1777, the town of Edinburgh considerably improved the harbour, by erecting an additional stone-quay towards its west side. Upwards of 100 ships can lie conveniently in this port. It is accommodated with wet and dry docks, and other conveniences for ship-building, which is there carried on to some extent, as vessels come to Leith to be repaired from all parts of Scotland.
The harbour of Leith was granted to the community of Edinburgh by king Robert, in 1329; but the banks of the harbour belonged to Logan of Restalrig, a turbulent and ambitious baron, from whom the citizens were under the necessity of purchasing the bank or waste piece of ground between the houses and the rivulet abovementioned, for the purposes of wharfs, as well as for erecting shops and granaries, neither of which they could do before. As the situation of Leith, however, is much more convenient for trade than that of Edinburgh, two miles distant from the harbour, the inhabitants of the metropolis have fallen upon various methods of restraining the trade of Leith. They first purchased, from Logan of Restalrig, an exclusive privilege of carrying on every species of traffic in the town of Leith; of keeping warehouses and inns for the entertainment of strangers in that place; and in 1483, the town-council of Edinburgh prohibited, under severe penalties, the citizens of Edinburgh from taking into partnership any inhabitant of Leith. To free themselves from this oppression, the people of Leith purchased the superiority of their town from Logan of Restalrig for 3000l. Scots, and it was erected into a burgh of barony by the queen-regent, Mary of Lorraine, who promised to erect it into a royal burgh. She died, however, before this was accomplished; and upon her death, Francis and Mary, in violation of the private rights of the people of Leith, re-fold the superiority to the town of Edinburgh, to whom it has since been confirmed by grants from successive sovereigns.
On the breaking out of the disturbances at the Reformation, the queen-regent caused the whole town to be fortified, that the French troops might have a more ready inlet into the kingdom. It was accordingly surrounded with a wall, having eight battions; but this wall went no farther than the street now called Bernard's-neck, because at that time the sea came up the length of that street; and even as late as 1623, a house situated exactly where the weigh-house is at present, is described as bounded on the east by the "sand of the sea-shore." All that space, therefore, on which the row of houses nearest the harbour of Leith now stands, has been gained since that time from the sea.
In the time of Charles I, a fortification was erected at Leith by the Covenanters. Cromwell built a strong fort at the place still called the citadel in North-Leith; but it was pulled down on the restoration of Charles II, by order of government. A gate with portcullises are the present remains of that fortification.—A palace also appears to have formerly stood here, situated at the north-east boundaries of the former town, on the spot where the present weigh-house stands. It was destroyed by the English in the time of Henry VIII. The remains of this building, called the king's work, with a garden, and piece of waste land that surrounded it, was erected into a barony by James VI, and bestowed upon Bernard Lindsay of Lochill, groom of the chamber to that prince. He is said to have fully repaired, and appropriated it to the recreations of the court; but it soon fell from its dignity, and became subservient to much more ignoble purposes. The tennis-court was converted into a weigh-house; and the street which bounds it still bears the name of the founder, from whom it is called Bernard's-neck.
As Leith lay within the parish of Restalrig, the church of Restalrig was of consequence the place of worship for the inhabitants of Leith; but in 1650 the assembly ordered that church to be pulled down as a monument of idolatry, so that Leith wanted a parish-church for upwards of 50 years. During that period they resorted for worship, to a large and beautiful chapel already built, and dedicated to St Mary, which is now called South-Leith church; and in 1669 this chapel was by authority of parliament declared to be the parish-church of the district, to that Restalrig is now in the parish of South-Leith, as the latter was formerly in that of Restalrig. In 1772, a chapel of Ease was erected by the inhabitants, as the parish-church was insufficient to contain the number of hearers. Its dimensions are 72 feet by 52 within the walls; and it can accommodate 1500 persons. There is also an episcopal and several dissenting congregations in Leith. North-Leith is a parish by itself, and the church is situated at the south-end of the bridge.
Though a very great trade is carried on between Leith and many foreign ports, yet the articles of export and import fluctuate so much, that no quantity can be settled upon as an average, at least without having a table of exports and imports for such a number of years as is perhaps impossible to be obtained. The following is an account of the number of ships, &c., employed in the foreign and coasting trades, for one year ending January 5th 1778, taken from Mr Arnot's History of Edinburgh.
| Foreign Trade | |---------------| | Ships | Tons | Men | | 52 | 6800 | 428 |
| Coasting and Fishing Trades | |-----------------------------| | Ships | Tons | Men | | 44 | 3346 | 281 |
N.B. N.B. It is to be observed, that besides the vessels belonging to Leith, there are employed in the trade, ships belonging to other ports on the Frith, and to the north of England; to the amount of about one fourth of the tonnage of the Leith vessels. Ships in the London trade make, at an average, seven voyages up, and as many down, every two years.
The following is an account of the articles of import and export to and from the port of Leith, taken from the same work.
**IMPORTS.**
*From Denmark.* Considerable quantities of oats, pease, and barley, when the port is open: small quantities of butter, cheese, old iron, and scull iron.
*From Norway.* Deals, about 15,000 annually; battens, spars, handspikes, oak-spokes for cart-wheels; harrow-bills, hatchets, fir-timber, middle balks, small balks, pailing boards, wood-hoops for cooperers; oak-knees for ships; tar, in 1777, 3000 barrels; oak-timber, bar-iron, ears, tree-nails, flock-fish, barley, sieve-rims.
*From Sweden.* Bar-iron, about 400 tons annually; deals, about 10,000 annually; battens; tar, in 1777 about 600 barrels; barrel-flaves, handspikes, spars, pailing boards, fir-timber, oats, barley.
*From Russia.* Bar-iron, about 600 tons annually; deals, in 1777, 35,000; battens, in 1777, 12,000; fir-timber; flax, about 250 tons annually; hemp, cordelia; tallow, in 1777, 200 tons; hogs-bristles, matts, wheat, oats, barley, ships matts, spars, hieve-rims, feather-beds, oak-timber, a considerable quantity of linens of different kinds; flax-feed, about 1000 barrels annually; cordage, elk's hair, old iron, furs, knees of oak for ships; handspikes, neats-tongues, isinglass, indigo, rosin; tar, in 1777, 1100 barrels; tallow-candles, hard-soap, pearl-ashes, fail-cloth, pailing boards.
*From Prussia.* Fir-timber, in 1777, 1200 loads; deals, battens, pipe and barrel staves; wheat, oats, barley, pease, pearl-ashes, flax, hemp, bar-iron, scull-iron, old iron, ships matts, linen-yarn, weed-ashes, pot-ashes, ox and cow-hides, calves-skins.
*From Poland.* Weed-ashes, pearl-ashes, and pot-ashes; oak-plank, in 1777, 115 loads; oak-timber, clap-boards, barrel and kilderkin flaves; pipe and hoghead flaves; salt-petre, honey, spruce-beer, hogs-bristles, wheat, deals, feathers for beds, tree-nails, linens, linen-yarn, linen-rags, ox and cow-hides, calves-skins, beech and elm timber, oats, barley, pease.
*From Germany.* Oak-timber, in 1777, 116 loads; oak-plank, in 1777, 37 loads; oak-bark, linen-rags, wheat, oats, barley, beans and pease, apples; linen-yarn, in 1777, 116 tons; oak-knees, for ships; earthen ware, pearl-ashes, smalt, Rhenish wine, vinegar; pipe, hoghead, and barrel flaves; firkin-flaves, chestnuts, madder; tanned leather, in 1777, 11000 pounds; seal-skins, mineral waters, beech-timber, calf-pelts, horse-hides, matts, flax-feed, bar-iron, linens, wood-hoops, wooden clocks, tree-nails, caraway-seeds, juniper-berrries, drugs.
*From Holland.* Flax, about 350 tons annually; flax-feed, about 500 hogheads annually; madder, clover-seed, matts, wood hoops for cooperers; linen-yarn, in 1777, 11,330 pound weight; old-iron, but-
ter and cheese, cinnamon, unbound books, garden-seeds, tanned leather, wheat, oats, barley, pease and beans, pearl-ashes, smalt, wainscots, Rhenish wine, oak-bark, iron nails, cork, bridges thread, mule, wood-ashes, galley-tiles, writing paper, wooden clocks, taras, oakum, faccharum saturni, white-lead, mineral waters, flower-roots, bars for mill-stones, goose-quills, liquorice-juice, onions, hard soap, linen-rags, oak-timber, goat-skins, red-lead, apples, vinegar.
*From France.* Wine, walnuts, chestnuts, prunes, cork, brandy, pickles, apples, olives, succadis, capers, anchovies, dried plums, almonds, salt, rosin, vinegar, verdigris.
*From Spain.* Wine and oil, grapes, figs, almonds, raisins, lemons and oranges, salt, cork, brandy, Je-fuits-bark, cow-hides, reeds, lemon-juice, drugs, rosin, and turpentine.
*From Portugal.* Wine and oil, raisins, cork, salt, lemons and oranges, figs, reeds, onions, sumach, drugs, succadis, rosin.
*From Guernsey.* French, Spanish, and Portuguese wines; rosin, cork, apples and pears; brandy, chestnuts and walnuts; pickles, capers, olives, anchovies, cows, cider, prunes.
*From Ireland.* Butter.
*From Gibraltar.* Spanish and Portuguese wines.
*From Italy.* Drugs, Levant wine, currants, salad-oil, rough and polished marble, gum-arabic, cheese, anchovies, brimstone.
*From Sicily.* Salt.
*From North America,* (before the differences with our colonies.) Rice, indigo, tar, pitch, turpentine, pine-plank, lignum-vitae, barrel and hoghead flaves, ox and cow hides, deer-skins, otter and racoon skins, logwood, mahogany, fir-planks, sago powder, muscovado sugar, rum.
*From the West Indies.* Rum, muscovado sugar, indigo, cotton-wool, cow-hides, mahogany, logwood, and fullic; coffee-berries, succadis, pimento.
**EXPORTS.**
*To Denmark.* Coals, red-iron, fire-grates, thread-stockings.
*To Norway.* Lead, earthen-ware, strong beer, glass-bottles, tow, printed linen, printed paper, tanned leather, hard-ware, woollen drapery, bricks, wheat, flour, small coals, malt, haberdashery.
*To Sweden.* Hard-ware, woollen drapery, cotton-fluffs, velvets, worsted hose, silk-fluffs, porter, floueware, lead, tanned leather.
*To Russia.* Coaches and chariots, with braces and harnesses, silk-fluffs, household-furniture, saddlery-ware, coals, Spanish salt, strong-beer, glass-bottles, chequered linen furniture, diaper, velvets, worsted stockings, printed linen handkerchiefs, fine linen, clocks, haberdashery, hard-ware, oil of vitriol, sal-ammoniac, wine.
*To Poland.* Coaches and chariots, with braces and harnesses; silk-fluffs, alum, worsted stockings, rum, herrings, mahogany furniture, floue-ware, small coals, hats.
*To Germany.* Household furniture, glass-bottles, porter and strong-beer, oil of vitriol, earthen ware, millinery ware, rum, coals, fail-cloth, lead, carpetting, worsted stockings.
*To Holland.* Lead, in 1776, 1650 tons; in 1777, 1,509 of rope-yarn, 60 rope-makers, and 450 spinners of flax.
In the middle of the last century, a manufactory of green glass was established at the citadel of Leith. Chopin-bottles were sold at 4s. 6d. per dozen, and other bottles in proportion. Soon afterwards this article was manufactured also in North Leith; and, in 1707, chopin-bottles were sold at 2s. 6d. per dozen, and so proportionally. The present Bottle-house Company was established in 1746. They began work in the bottle-house of North-Leith; but that house being burned down during the first year of the partnership, a new house was built on South-Leith sands in 1747, and an additional one in 1764. The annual expense of both houses is between 8000 or 9000l.
The manufactures of soft-soap and candles were erected by William St Clair of Roslin and some merchants; the former in 1750, and the latter in 1770; a manufacture of hard-soap was also established in 1770 by David Neilson. Besides these, there is also a sugar-house, and a considerable manufacture for making cards with which wool is combed.
The inhabitants of Leith were divided into four classes; and these erected into corporations by the queen dowager, Mary of Lorraine. These were mariners, maltmen, trades, and traffickers. The first of these consisted of ship-masters and sailors; the second of malt-makers and brewers; the third of coopers, bakers, smiths, wrights, &c.; and the fourth, of merchants and shop-keepers. Of these corporations the mariners are the most considerable. They obtained from Mary of Lorraine a gift, afterwards ratified by William and Mary, of one penny duty on the ton of goods in the harbour of Leith, for the support of their poor. This duty, which not many years ago did not amount to 40l. a-year, now rises from 70l. to 120l. as trade flourishes. For the same purpose the shipmasters also pay 6d. a-pound out of their own wages annually; and the like sum they give upon the wages of their sailors. From these and other donations, this corporation is enabled to pay from 600l. to 700l. a-year to their poor. Opposite to South-Leith church there is a large house belonging to them, called the Trinity hospital, because originally consecrated to the Holy Trinity. In this house some of their poor used formerly to be maintained, but now they are all out-pensioners. Besides other apartments, this hospital contains a large handsome hall for the meetings of the corporation. Adjoining to the school-house there is another hospital, called King James's hospital; and bears upon its front the cipher and arms of that prince. Here some poor women belonging to the other corporations are maintained.
As the town of Leith was very ill supplied with water, and the streets were neither properly cleaned nor lighted, an act was passed for remedying these defects in the year 1771, appointing certain persons from among the magistrates of Edinburgh, lords of session, inhabitants of Edinburgh and Leith, and members of the corporations of Leith, commissioners of police; empowering them to put this act in execution; and, for that purpose, to levy a sum not exceeding 6l. in the pound upon the valued rent of Leith. The great change which has since taken place on the streets of Leith shows the good effect of this act, and that it hath both both been judiciously prepared, and attentively executed.