History of Leith, Edinburgh

Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (c. 1506 – January 22, 1552) was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of King Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549. He was born in about 1506 to Sir John Seymour and Margaret Wentworth. Edward was the eldest brother of Jane Seymour, who would become King Henry VIII’s third Queen consort. Their brother, Thomas, also gained power through their sister’s advancement. His first marriage to Catharine Fillol was annulled when it was discovered she was having an affair with his father, John Seymour. His second marriage was to Anne Stanhope. for more click here

Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) became King of England, King of France (in practice only the town and surrounding district of Calais) and Ireland on 28 January 1547, and crowned on 20 February, at just nine years of age. Edward, the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England’s first ruler who was Protestant at the time of his ascension to the throne. Edward’s entire rule was mediated through a council of regency as he never reached maturity. The council was first led by his uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (1547–1549), and then by John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1549–1553). for more click here

The Scots Navy was created in about 1000 to combat the Viking invasions. Initially it consisted of longships, some captured from the Vikings. After Magnus VI of Norway ceded Scandinavian control over northern Scotland and the Western Isles to Alexander III, the navy was neglected. for more click here

The Rough Wooing was a term coined by Sir Walter Scott and H. E. Marshall to describe the Anglo-Scottish war pursued intermittently from 1544 to 1551. It followed from the failure of the Scots to honour the terms of the 1543 Treaty of Greenwich, by which the infant Mary Queen of Scots was betrothed to Edward Prince of Wales, the son and heir of Henry VIII. The war had the opposite effect from that intended: rather than agree that Mary be married to Edward, the Scots sent their queen to France, where she was betrothed to the Dauphin Francis, the son of Henry II. The war itself can be divided into two distinct phases. The first, while Henry was still alive, was principally a campaign of large-scale intimidation, England’s main military effort being directed against France. The second phase under Protector Somerset saw a much more serious onslaught on Scotland, with major invasions in 1547 and 1548. for more click here

acknowledgement-The Francis Frith Collection

The beginnings of the Christian church in Scotland can be traced to around the 5th century. At that time there was Celtic (pronounced Keltic) missionary activity with St Ninian and St Columba being the best known. The Celtic church worship style changed when Roman Catholicism came to prominence in the 11th century under King Malcolm III and Queen Margaret. for more click here

John Knox’s House 1897

Take a moment to remember places that have been important in your life. for more click here

The Scottish Episcopal Church (Scottish Gaelic: Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba) is a Christian denomination in Scotland and a member of the Anglican Communion. It consists of seven dioceses in Scotland. Like all Anglican churches, it recognizes the primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who does not however have any formal authority in Scotland. It has enjoyed a distinct identity since the 17th century. The current Primus is the Most Revd Idris Jones who became Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church on 16 May 2006. for more click here