Discovering
Edinburgh...
By Bob McCulloch ©
The Great Michael
to the recurrence of the same surnames was 1507 was launched in 1511 and entered service
Newhaven, one of Edinburghʼs coastal villages
avoided by the use of nicknames, some not very in 1512. Her statistics are incredible; she was
is today one of the smart places to live due
complementary, while others were downright 240 feet long, with a beam of 36 feet, weighing
to the redevelopment of the harbour and the
rude, thus a young man whose name was Alec 1000 tons and with four masts she would be
Western Harbour housing development but this
Young would be known as “Ecky Bow”, Alec very fast. Her sides were ten feet thick oak and
was not always the case. Hardly anything of the
shortened to Eck and his motherʼs maiden name it was reported by Lindsay of Pitscottie “that
original small fi shing village remains but some of
of Bow or similarly Sandy Rutherford would be all the woods in Fife except those of Falkland
the architecture has been replicated and some
known as Sandy Whitestar, Whitestar being Palace went into her construction and that extra
street names are the only reminders of days
the name of his fatherʼs boat. Anyone coming timber was imported from France and the Baltic
gone bye. Newhaven fi shwives were a common
from the village was known as a “Bow Tow” countries”. When launched she was the largest
sight on the streets of Edinburgh selling the fi sh
believed to come from the practice of towing a warship in Europe, twice the size of King Henry
their husbands had caught. They were dressed
boat with a line attached to the bow of another V111ʼs favourite the “Mary Rose” The ships
in the traditional brightly coloured striped
boat, or to describe the partnership between a complement was 1420 made up of 300 sailors,
dresses and shawls and carried creels on their
husband (bow meaning fl oat) who caught the 120 gunners and 1000 soldiers, her armament
backs, which were supported by a leather strap
fi sh and the wife (tow meaning rope), who sold was, broadside 24 guns, 1 basilisk forward and
round their forehead. When travelling from
them and repaired the nets. The reason is lost 2 aft and 36 main guns. A basilisk was a very
Newhaven railway station up to Edinburgh they
heavy bronze cannon used during the Middle
were not allowed into the booking offi ce to buy
Ages. It could weigh up to 4000lbs and have a
tickets for reasons which can be imagined but
caliber of 5 inches, and it was believed that the
had to buy them from a special window outside
sight of its 160lb shot would scare the enemy
known as the “fi shwives window” which can
to death. The Basilisk takes its name from the
still be seen today on the building although the
mythological fi re breathing venomous serpent
railway line has closed. The last one retired
that could cause large-scale destruction and kill
from her stance on Buckstone Terrace in the
its victims with its glance alone.
late 1980s.
In the latter part of the 16
th
Century these
1763 is the year that herring were fi rst
guns fell out of favour with generals who
reported to be in the Forth and the
preferred lighter more accurate artillery but
discovery was made by Thomas Brown
remained in use in the Ottoman Empire until
of Donibristle who reported that they
the 19
th
century. The Michael, named after
were so plentiful they could be caught in
the Archangel Michael, was intended to lead
buckets. Another source of income was
a crusade against the Ottoman Empire and
the oyster beds, which were in plentiful
reclaim Palestine for Christendom, but due
supply, and Newhaven fi shwives would sell
to the “Auld Alliance” with France, Scotland
them for 2/6 (12p) per thousand. Fishermen
was honour bound to go to war with England
from the fi shing villages of Prestonpans and
to divert King Henry V111 in his war with French
Cockenzie would also fi sh these beds leading
King Louis X11. In August 1513 an invasion
to acrimonious feelings and pitched battles. The
force under the command of James Hamilton
situation ended up in court where the verdict
1
st
Earl of Carrick was assembled to attack
went to the Newhaven men although the court
English possessions in France, but the invasion
ruled that the oyster beds belonged to the city of
force instead of attacking the English sailed to
Edinburgh. Bad management over fi shing and
Ireland and attacked Carrickfergus and returned
the refusal of the fi shermen to agree realistic
in the mists of time and no one today is quite home with the loot before sailing to France. A
quotas eventually led the industry into a decline
sure which is the correct version. Known at one warship of this size was costly for a small nation
from which it never recovered. On wasteland
time as Our Ladyʼs Port of Grace, Edinburgh to maintain and in August 1513 the Michael
near the harbour in 1767 Thomas Peacock
became concerned that it could become a threat was rented out to France. After the Battle of
established an Inn, which became celebrated
to Leith or Granton so to have control over the Flodden in September 1513 when King James
for fi sh dinners. The Town Council of Edinburgh
future of the port, King James 1V purchased the 1V and most of the Scottish nobility were killed
had an annual oyster bed inspection from
area from Abbot Ballantyne of Holyrood. Unlike the Michael was sold to Louis X11 of France for
Newhaven, but if the weather was inclement
Leith whose port is tidal the natural deep water the bargain price of 40,000 livres and became
they “repaired to the Peacock for a meal and
channel of Newhaven harbour made it ideal for known as “La Grande Nef dʼEcosse” (The Big
liquid refreshments and deemed the inspection
shipbuilding and this persuaded King James Nave of Scotland) nave is from the Latin Navis,
successful”. The premises were extended in
1V that this was the place to fulfi ll his ambition meaning ship. Historian George Buchanan
1870. In the basement of the inn watermarks on
to build a Scottish navy. His plans included stated that the French allowed her to rot at her
the walls tell of fl ooding caused by high tides but
building a warship bigger than anything that had berth in Brest where her timbers were looted for
due to land reclamation, the inn is now a good
been built before and to do this he recruited Sir housing, but one historian Norman MacDougal
distance from the sea.
Andrew Wood of Largo who was the greatest has suggested that under her new name she
sailor of his time to supervise the project and the was part of the French invasion of England in
The village established itself as a close-knit
French master shipwright JacquesTerrell. The 1545 that led to the sinking of the Mary Rose in
community and social convention dictated
Michael or as she became known the “Great the Battle of the Solent on July 19
th
1545.
that young men and women should not marry
Michael” was a carrack (armed merchant man
outside the village. The confusion that arose due
of the 15
th
16
th
century). She had her keel lain in Copyright Bob McCulloch 2009
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