Newhaven fishwives - Mrs Hall and unknown woman

Category

Library Item

Item no

37457

Title

Page from Leith Miscellany, volume V, Newhaven fishwives - Mrs Hall and unknown woman

Artist / maker

Hill, David Octavius

Date

1845

Type

Calotype; Photograph

Newhaven was founded by James IV in 1504 as a royal dockyard. It became an important fishing village, famous initially for oysters and later herring. An indoor fish market was built there in 1896. Newhaven fishwives, with their distinctive striped clothes, sold their goods around Edinburgh. David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson famously photographed these fishwives and other Newhaven residents in the 1840s. The area now has a population of roughly five thousand.

South Leith Church, in Kirkgate, originated as a chapel dedicated to St Mary in 1483. It was used as Leith's parish church after the Reformation of 1560, when the General Assembly ordered the previous parish church, Restalrig Church, to be demolished, although this was only confirmed in 1609. The steeple, which had been built in 1674, was demolished in 1836 because it was at risk of collapsing. Further major renovations were made from 1847-1848, by the architect Thomas Hamilton.

Bernard Street runs from the junction of Constitution Street and Baltic Street to the Water of Leith at The Shore. It was named after Bernard Lyndsay, Chamberlain to James VI of Scotland and First of England.

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Agriculture and fisheries > Equipment > Baskets

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Headscarves

Clothing and dress > Garments > Shawls

Homes > Residential buildings > Tenements

People > Adults > Women

People > Agriculture and fisheries > Fisherwomen

Places > Edinburgh areas > Leith

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Religion > Religious facilities > Churches

Transport > Infrastructure > Bus stops

Transport > Land > Cars

Transport > Land > Taxis