Gazetteer of Scotland

LEI
tent, as vefiels come to Leith from \
the neighbouring ports to be repaired
In 1800, the town council of Edin-
burgh, always active in promoting
improvements, began to build a new
bafon, with extenfive docks on the N.
iide» which when completed., will ren-
der it a very capacious, as well as a
fafe and convenient ftation for trading
vefiels of almoft any burden. Ships,
indeed, can only enter at full tide ;
but the Roads of Leith, which lie a-
bout a mile off from the mouth of
the harbour, afford the mod excel-
lent anchorage ground at all times, for
mips of any fize. The harbour of
Leith was granted to the community
of Edinburgh by King Robert I. in
1329; but the banks of the harbour
belonged to Logan of Reftalrig, an
ambitious and turbulent baron, from
whom the citizens were obliged to
purchafe the bank betwixt the houfe
and the rivulet, for building wharfs,
and erecting mops and granaries, nei-
ther of which they could do before.
As the fituation of Leith was more
favourable and convenient for mercan-
tile tranfactions than the metropolis,
the town council of Edinburgh has
fallen upon many methods to reftrain
and hamper the efforts of the inhabit-
ants of Leith. They firft purchafed
from the Baron of Reftalrig an exclu-
sive privilege of carrying on every fpe-
ceis of traffic in the town of Leith,
and of keeping warehoufes for the re-
ception of merchandife, and inns for
the entertainment of ftrangers in that
place; and, in 1483, an act of town
council was paffed, by which the citi-
zens of Edinburgh were prohibited,
Tinder fevere penalties, from joining
in partnership with any inhabitant of
Leith. To free themfelves from thefe
oppreffive acts, the people of Leith
purchafed the fuperiority of their
town from Logan of Reftalrig, for
3000I. Scots, and it was erected into a
free burgh of barony by the Queen
Regent, Mary of Lorraine, who pro-
mised to erect it into a royal borough.
She died, however, before this was
aceompliftied ; and, upon her death,
Erancis and Mary, in violation of the
private rights of the people of Leith,
ibid the fuperiority of the burgh to
their opprelfors, the inhabitants of
Edinburgh, to whom it has iince been
confirmed by the grants of fucceffive
LEI
fovereigns. At the time of receiving
its charter from the Queen Regent,
the inhabitants of Leith were divided
into 4 clafies, viz. the mariners, malt-
men, trades and traffickers, who were'
erected into corporations by the fame
charter. Of thefe the mariners were
the mod numerous ; they obtained
from the fame Queen, a gift, after-
wards ratified by William and Mary,
of one penny duty per ton, on goods
in the harbour of Leith, for the fup-
port of their poor ; which now pro-
duces a fum of 120I. or 130I. per an.;
for the fame charitable purpofe, every
fhipmafter or mariner pays iixpence
per pound out of their wages ; by
which the corporation is enabled to
pay from 600I. to 700I. per annum in
charitable donations. The 4 corpora-
tions ftill retain their charters, and the
government of the town is vefted in 2.
magiftrate fent from Edinburgh, hav-
ing the power and title of Admiral of
Leith, and in 2 rending bailies, elect-
ed from the inhabitants of Leith by
the town council of Edinburgh. Aa
the town was ill fupplied with water,
and the ftreets neither properly clean-
ed nor lighted; in 1771, an act of par-
liament was obtained, appointing cer-
tain perfons from the magiftrates of
Edinburgh, Lords of Seflion, members
of the corporations of Leith, and in-
habitants of Edinburgh and Leith, to
act as co7mnij]ioners of police, and to
levy a fum not exceeding fixpence in
the pound, upon the valued rent of
Leith. The great change which has
been produced fince that period, fhews
the good effect: of the act, and that it
had been judicioufly prepared, and
carefully executed. Leith was ftrongly
fortified by the Queen Regent, at the
time of the reformation, and was fur-
rounded with a wall having 8 baf-
tions. The fortifications, erected by
Oliver Cromwell in North Leith, cal-
led the Citadel, for the purpofe of de-
fending the harbour, were demoliftied
by order of government, at the reftor-
ation of Charles II. and the ground
given to the Duke of Lauderdale, from
whom the council of Edinburgh was
obliged to purchafe it at the enormous
price of 6000I. About 16 years ago,
a battery of 9 guns was erected to the
W. of the citadel, in conlequence of
the appearance of Paul Jones, who,
with only 3 armed ihips of fmall ii^