| The Story of Leith On the Firth of Forth
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| | important family connected to Leith was
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| near to Scotland's Capital city is the
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| | the de Lestalric family who were Normans
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| Port of Leith. Not a large Port by
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| | invited into Scotland by David I and they
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| international standards but despite this
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| | built a castle at Lochend giving the
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| one of the most famous ports not only in
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| | district around it the name in later
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| Scotland but also in the United Kingdom.
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| | years Restalrig. This family died out in
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| Within its small compass the story of
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| | 1382 and passed onto the Logan family
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| Scotland can be told. It has seen war and
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| | until 1609 when James VI disinherited the
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| death, times of plague, battles on the
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| | Logan family for high treason. After
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| Forth, Kings and Queens of Scotland, days
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| | which it was held by the Balmerino family
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| of high adventure, the Reformation of the
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| | until 1746 which because of their
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| Church of Scotland started here and was
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| | adherence to the Jacobite cause (ie
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| completed in Leith in 1560 decided on the
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| | supporters of the Stewart cause to claim
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| battle field between Leith and Edinburgh
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| | the throne of Great Britain) Lord
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| at the Siege of Leith, it has seen Trials
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| | Balmerino was not only disinherited but
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| for Witchcraft, The Knight Templars
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| | was beheaded for treason. Leith was
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| (Crusaders) and the Knights of St John
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| | passed to Lord Murray until the 1920's
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| from Torphican, The Industrial Revolution
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| | when all the remaining land at Restalrig
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| which brought wealth to a few and misery
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| | and Lochend was passed to the Edinburgh
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| to the many (the industrial Revolution
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| | Council.The main trades in the past were
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| was the period from the late 18th century
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| | Shipbuilding, the Wine Trade, flour
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| to throughout the 19th century which saw
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| | milling, biscuit making, rope making and
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| people move from the countryside into the
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| | the Timber Trade. In Leith Ramage and
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| large towns and cities to find work in
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| | Fergusons, Hawthorns did shipbuilding.
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| the new factories driven by the newly
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| | Cran and Somerville, Robb and Mortons.
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| invented steam engines, it also seen the
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| | Rope making was done at the Roperie at
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| development of steam trains, the
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| | Salmander St. Along with these was sugar
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| replacement of wooden hull ships by steam
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| | refining and Glass making.So how did
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| ships (eg the Sirius which was built in
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| | Leith become the Principal Port for
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| Leith in the 19th century was the first
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| | Scotland? This happened in 1296. Edward I
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| steamship to cross the Atlantic), the
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| | of England realised that the only way to
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| list of famous people and events in the
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| | defeat the Scots was by destroying the
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| history of Leith is endless. So where to
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| | economy of the country. At this time wool
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| begin the Story....Imagine in you minds
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| | from the Border Abbeys such as Melrose
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| eye a river running through a thick
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| | and Kelso was exported to the Low
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| forest. Within the forest are deer,
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| | Countries (Belgium and Holland which were
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| wolves, foxes, bears and the Great Elk.
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| | part of what was called the Hanseatic
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| On the banks of the river is a small
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| | League) through Berwick. So in 1296
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| village of the Votandini these are a
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| | Berwick was destroyed, something like
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| Celtic people who covered their bodies in
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| | 7-9000 people were killed, and the trade
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| Tattoos from head to foot. In battle they
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| | was destroyed. The monks had a problem,
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| would cut of the heads of their enemies
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| | which was solved by putting the wool on
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| and drill holes in the skull (Trepanning)
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| | the backs of horses over the hills, up
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| after which they were buried around
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| | the Old Dalkeith road, around Arthur
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| sacred wells. The idea was that the
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| | Seat, and into Leith and so from 1296 to
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| spirits of the dead warriors would
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| | 1707 Leith was the Principal Port for
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| protect the sacred wells from evil
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| | Scotland. In 1707 due to Union of
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| spirits because in Celtic Mythology the
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| | Parliaments Glasgow gradually superseded
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| wells were gateways to the other world.
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| | Leith due to the Clyde being deeper and
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| The world of Ghosts and spirits such as
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| | because of Trade with North America.Some
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| the earth spirits, the spirits of the
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| | dates of importance:AD 80 Agricola
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| nature. This was Leith almost 3000 years
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| | marches through Leith from InvereskAD 208
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| ago before the Romans ever saw our
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| | The Emperor Severus encamps at CramondAD
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| district long before the district was
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| | 1128 David I founds HolyroodAD 1296 The
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| ever called Leith. Near to the village
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| | Abbot of Holyrood. Sir John de Lestalric,
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| was a clearing in the forest and the
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| | and the Parson of Restalrig swear fealty
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| people decided to hack a path from the
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| | to Edward IAD 1314 Edward II camps on
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| village to the clearing and the clearing
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| | Leith Links before BannockburnAD 1335 The
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| became the village Graveyard. The path
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| | English occupy LeithAD 1434 James I
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| from the village to the clearing became
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| | builds the Kings Wark (Armoury for
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| in time the "Kirkgate" and for centuries
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| | Scotland)AD 1493 Robert Ballantyne Abbot
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| chapels were built along the Kirkgate.
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| | of Holyrood builds St Ninians Church.
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| The Graveyard in time became the
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| | This later becomes North Leith Parish
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| Churchyard of South Leith Parish Church.
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| | ChurchAD 1511 The Great Michael launched
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| It is known from archaeology that South
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| | at Newhaven (this was the Largest warship
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| Leith Parish Church sits on an ancient
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| | of the Tudor age)AD 1544/47 Leith burnt
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| Celtic sacred site.The name Leith itself
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| | on the orders of Henry VIII during the
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| comes from two possible roots. If you
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| | "rough Wooing"AD 1560 The Siege of
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| look at old maps of Leith the spelling of
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| | LeithAD 1593 Trials and executions for
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| Leith Changes in several different ways
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| | witchcraftAD 1631 Balmerino House built
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| but the main spellings are "Leeth" and
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| | in the KirkgateAD 1650 Battle of Dunbar.
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| "Lyth" the meaning of "Leeth" is a
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| | Leith occupied by Oliver CromwellAD 1698
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| crossroads and Lyth means fish in short
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| | The Darien Expedition leaves from LeithAD
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| Leith was the town which could be
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| | 1751 Turnpike Act. Bonnington Toll
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| approached from the east or west along
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| | erectedAD 1806 The Old Dock opened. The
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| the coast or from the South and it was
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| | Queens Dock built 1817, The Victoria Dock
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| possible to catch a ferry to go north
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| | 1852, The Albert Dock 1869, The Edinburgh
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| across the Forth it also had a fish
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| | Dock 1881 and the Imperial Dock 1904AD
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| market. The people paying their tithes (a
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| | 1822 George IV lands in LeithAD 1833
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| tenth of their earnings were paid to the
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| | Leith becomes an independent
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| church) in fish, which was eaten on the
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| | parliamentary BurghAD 1915 The Gretna
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| many holy days of the Roman Catholic
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| | disasterAD 1920 Leith is amalgamated with
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| Church.The first mention of Leith is in
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| | EdinburghLeith has an extensive history
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| founding charter of Holyrood Abbey in
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| | going back several thousand years. The
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| 1128 in which it is called "InverLeith".
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| | above is just a very small sample of what
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| The word "Inver" meaning from the Gaelic,
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| | is available and known about Leith. For
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| the mouth of a river. Leading to the
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| | example the history of South Leith Church
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| assumption that the river got its name
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| | goes back several hundred years, The
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| from a family called Leith. The only
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| | Preceptory of St Anthony founded
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| problem with this is there was never a
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| | approximately 1380 and was demolished in
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| family called Leith connected to Leith to
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| | the Siege of Leith, Writers and Painters
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| give it its name. Also Leith was never a
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| | connected with Leith, The Templar
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| Gaelic speaking area it became Anglo-
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| | connection the list goes on and on and is
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| Saxon and formed part along with
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| | too large a subject to cover in this
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| Edinburgh of Northumbria, which was made
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| | brief introduction.Leith Historian and
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| up of two Kingdoms Bernica and Deria with
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| | Genealogist.
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| its capital at Bamburgh.The first
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