Aberdeen in 100 Dates E-Book

Elma McMenemy

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 125

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

15th August 1903 - On this day Aberdeen Football Club played its first match, holding Stenhousemuir to a 1-1 draw. 21st April 1943 - Luftwaffe bombers dropped 130 bombs on Aberdeen, killing ninety-seven civilians and twenty-seven soldiers. 15th August 1963 - On this day Henry John Burnett was hanged at Craiginches Prison, Aberdeen – the last execution to take place in Scotland. Experience 100 key dates that shaped Aberdeen's history, highlighted its people's genius (or silliness) and embraced the unexpected. Featuring an amazing mix of pivotal, social, criminal and sporting events, this book reveals a past that will fascinate, delight and even shock both residents and visitors to this Scottish city.

Leseprobe

For Brian

with love and thanks for your sense of humour, eye for detail

and for giving me the time to complete this.

In memory of my godson,

Simon Marshall (1971–2014)

who loved all sorts of trivia.

Acknowledgements

I should like to thank the following for the help and support they have given me in researching and writing Aberdeen in 100 Dates:

Martin Hall and Barry Robertson of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives; Dr Christopher P. Croly, Aberdeen City Historian; staff of Aberdeen City Libraries Local Studies Department; Aberdeen Harbour Board Management Team; Fiona Musk, NHS Grampian Archivist; the Friends of Stonehaven Open Air Pool; Hilary Hinton, Honorary Librarian, Medico-Chirugical Society; Ruth Duncan, Curator, The Gordon Highlanders’ Museum; David N. Parkinson, Late Convener The Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen; Kevin Brown, The Shore Porters’ Society; Paul Higson, the North East Scotland Preservation Trust; Caroline Mitchell and Yvonne Thackery, Chivas Brothers; Andrew MacGregor, University of Aberdeen Library, Special Collections and Museums; Jonathan Shackleton, The Robert Gordon University; Royal Aberdeen Golf Club; The Commonwealth Games Federation; Jeff Lawrence of Holyoke, Massachusetts; Bev Clarke of Tasmania; Brian Lockhart, author of Robert Gordon’s Legacy; Rebecca Abrams, author of Touching Distance; Blue Badge Guide Colleagues Pam Wells, Malcolm Milne and Lesley Miller (retired); Lorna Numbers and, not least, my husband, Brian McMenemy for his patience, constructive criticism and red-pen corrections.

Any mistakes are, of course, my own.

Contents

Title

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Aberdeen in 100 Dates

Ad 563 Whit Sunday

Ad 678 8 January

1136 30 June

1179 28 August

1313 24 October

1411 24 July

1420 22 January

1457 6 February

1494 (1495) 10 February

1497 21 April

1498 22 June

1514 25 October

1562 2 November

1573 25 April

1593 2 April

1594 16 July

1595 31 October

1596 8 August

1633 7 February

1633 24 June

1639 19 June

1642 10 May

1644 13 September

1647 3 December

1652 24 May

1715 20 September

1746 6 March

1747 29 December

1748 25 December

1750 10 July

1753 24 July

1768 3 December

1771 26 December

1784 14 November

1787 1 June

1789 14 December

1794 24 June

1795 21 April

1813 1 April

1815 1 June

1815 5 June

1817 21 February

1830 26 June

1831 19 December

1833 15 October

1838 6 June

1842 4 October

1848 7 September

1850 12 September

1851 13 July

1860 15 September

1868 22 August

1876 5 April

1881 2 July

1883 27 September

1884 12 June

1887 27 July

1889 13 December

1898 14 May

1903 15 August

1906 27 September

1906 3 December

1913 9 December

1914 30 July

1914 29 August

1914 15 October

1915 25 September

1923 22 February

1934 2 June

1934 28 July

1936 23 September

1941 10 October

1942 18 July

1943 21 April

1950 14 January

1952 31 October

1958 12 May

1958 24 July

1963 15 August

1964 21 May

1966 1 November

1968 2 December

1972 2 February

1973 13 August

1975 3 November

1980 28 August

1983 11 May

1983 25 October

1988 6 July

1990 25 June

1991 8 August

1992 12 June

1998 10 December

1999 18 July

2001 20 April

2006 21 September

2010 16 April

2014 1 July

2014 10 September

2015 3 July

Sources and References

About the Author

Copyright

Introduction

The area in and around Aberdeen has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. The evidence is still here to see – burial cairns, recumbent stone circles, hill forts and carved Pictish stones. A recent excavation, 15 miles west of the city, revealed what is believed to be the earliest calendar in the world, created more than 10,000 years ago. With no exact dates known, this early history is impossible to include within Aberdeen in 100 Dates. Similarly, the exact days are not known for the battle of Mons Graupius when the Romans routed the native Picts, nor for when the Vikings visited the city they considered a holiday resort and a place to trade.

Aberdeen was originally two separate and very different burghs. The first was founded by St Machar on the south bank of the River Don. This religious settlement became known as Old Aberdeen. Later a cathedral was built here and the first university was founded nearby. Meanwhile, an important harbour developed 2 miles south, at the estuary of the River Dee. These two settlements were linked from early times: originally the income from ships using the harbour was paid to the Bishops of Old Aberdeen. The thriving commercial town which grew up near the port had its own Mither Kirk, the Kirk of St Nicholas, which was the spiritual heart of what became New Aberdeen. Today, the church’s medieval artefacts give an interesting insight into life at that time. It is the church where new councils are ‘kirked’ and significant memorial services are held. Many of the people mentioned in the pages which follow are buried in its ancient kirkyard.

In 1891 Old and New Aberdeen were amalgamated and Torry, formerly part of Kincardineshire, became part of the city. Other settlements were already integrated in Aberdeen as they were within the ‘gas limits’, that is, their piped gas supply was provided by the city system. Several outlying villages, including Dyce, Kingswells, Cults and Peterculter (pronounced ‘petercooter’), are now also incorporated in Aberdeen. The city has had a long association with its hinterland. Buchan and Mar were part of the Sheriffdom of Aberdeen as early as 1136 and the city’s history is inextricably linked with that of the old counties which now comprise Aberdeenshire. Therefore some events from outside the city itself have been included in this book.

Aberdeen’s development as the city we know today has been influenced by academic institutions, commerce and industries which changed over the centuries: textiles, fishing, agriculture, papermaking, granite, shipbuilding, whaling, tourism and offshore oil and gas. The 100 dates have been chosen to reflect as many of these as possible and to give a feeling for life in the city from the earliest times to the present day.

Much information for these 100 dates has come, directly or indirectly, from Aberdeen’s amazing burgh records, held by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives. The burgh registers from 1398–1509 have been recognised by UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme.

Elma McMenemy,

May 2016

ABERDEEN IN 100 DATES

AD 563

Whit Sunday

Machar, or Mocumma, is believed to have arrived on this day on the island of Iona. He was one of twelve disciples who accompanied St Columba on his voyage from Ireland. The Aberdeen Breviary, published 1,000 years after he lived, tells how St Machar brought Christianity to the Don Valley and Aberdeen.

St Columba sent Machar to travel east across the Scottish mainland and spread the word of God to the Picts. Machar’s mission was to find a river which flowed in the shape of a bishop’s pastoral staff. He found this place near the estuary of the River Don and built a small church in the area we now know as Old Aberdeen. West of Aberdeen in Strathdon are ‘Macker’s Haugh’ and Tobar Mhachar, Machar’s Well, a spring which miraculously provided fine salmon at a time of famine.

The Cathedral Church of St Machar now stands on the site of Machar’s church. Inside, a granite stone, carved with a primitive cross, is displayed. This has been scientifically dated to the time of St Machar and is believed to be from his church. The cathedral bearing his name is one of the world’s oldest granite cathedrals. Most of the present building dates from the 1300s and early 1400s. The magnificent heraldic ceiling was installed in 1520.

AD 678

8 January

St Nathalan, also known as Nachlan, lived to a great age and died on this day. In modern times, his feast day is celebrated on 19 January. He is believed to have been born of a noble Pictish family at Tullich by the River Dee and is credited with many miracles. It is said that he gave away all his corn during a famine and, having no seed to sow, he scattered sand on his land and amazingly reaped a plentiful harvest. However, in another season Nathalan’s crops failed and in frustration he blamed God. Filled with remorse for his outburst, he made a pilgrimage to Rome with his right arm chained and padlocked to his right leg as a penance. Before setting off he threw the key to the padlock into the River Dee. Months later, on arrival in Rome, he bought a fish to eat and on cutting it open he discovered the key to his padlock. Nathalan recognised this as a sign that God had forgiven him and released his chain. The Pope also acknowledged this miracle by making him a bishop.

Bishop Nathalan returned to Deeside where he built several churches. One of these was at Tullich. The ruins of a later church, built in the 1400s, now stand on the site of Nathalan’s early church.

1136

30 June

The small harbour at the estuary of the River Dee was already well used by this day, when King David I granted Bishop Nechtan of Aberdeen the right to the income from vessels using the anchorage and its facilities. This is accepted as the foundation date of Aberdeen Harbour Board, acknowledged as the UK’s oldest business still in existence. At this time, vessels would anchor at the river mouth, sheltered on the north by Sandness, a large sandy promontory, and by high cliffs to the south. Small boats would ply back and forth, discharging the anchored ships’ cargoes, delivering goods for export and ferrying the crews to and fro. Over the centuries, Aberdeen Harbour witnessed witches being ‘tried’ by douping from the Shorehead, pirates, who included prominent Aberdonians, shipwrecks and sailors quarantined on arrival from plague-infested ports. The harbour gradually developed during this time to become the successful modern port that today supports the oil and gas, and other, industries.

This early charter by King David also granted the bishops of Aberdeen other privileges, properties and lands, including half of the fisheries of the River Don. Many of these property and land rights were reaffirmed in the solemn privilege of Pope Adrian IV issued in 1157 for Bishop Edward of Aberdeen.

1179

28 August

This is the date of the first charter granted to Aberdeen by King William I, known as William the Lion after he adopted the lion rampant as his coat of arms. The charter confirmed the rights given by his grandfather, David I, to the burgesses of Aberdeen. Burgesses were responsible citizens appointed as freemen and charged with guarding the burgh, its laws and customs. This charter, written in Latin, still exists in the city’s archives and is the oldest of any Scottish burgh. It granted the burgesses the right to a free ‘Hanse’ or economic league, protected by the king, who forbade anyone to trouble or disturb them in their trade. At this time, charters were dated only with the day and month; the practice of showing a year was not adopted until the reign of William’s son, Alexander II. However, 1179 is accepted as the most likely year, as the witnesses listed are known to have been present that year in Perth, where the charter was granted.

Aberdeen’s burgesses were honoured again during William’s reign when he visited their burgh, probably in 1201. They had contributed to the ransom paid for his freedom following his defeat and capture by Henry II of England. In gratitude, King William declared they need never pay any toll on their own goods ‘wherever they come within my kingdom’.

1313

24 October

Aberdeen’s burgesses and citizens were rewarded for their loyal support of King Robert the Bruce on this day. Local legend tells that, around 1308, with its castle in the possession of the English, Aberdeen’s citizens rose up and took it back in the name of the king. Their password was the French Bon Accord, meaning good agreement. Although there is no evidence to prove this story, the Royal Charter of 1313 is definitely a matter of record. In it, Robert I granted custodianship of his royal forest of Stocket to Aberdeen. This was royal hunting forest with open woodland that allowed good sport in hunting deer, wild boar and other game.

The Great Charter of 1319 granted more privileges to the burgesses and community of Aberdeen, including ownership of the burgh itself and the power to develop land within the forest of Stocket where they could ‘perform every kind of tillage’, erect dwelling houses and other buildings, dig fuel and much more. The burgh was also now granted the right to retain taxes raised from its citizens. This ensured a prosperous future for Aberdeen and laid the foundations of the burgh’s Common Good Fund, still in existence today. Land purchased in the late 1300s and early 1400s, added to the Stocket forest, formed the basis of The Freedom Lands, their boundaries marked by March Stones.

1411

24 July

Dawn on this day found Provost Davidson of Aberdeen and the Earl of Mar at the head of an army and striking camp at the confluence of the rivers Don and Urie. Together with many of Aberdeen’s most influential citizens, they had marched out from the burgh to meet an invasion led by Donald, Lord of the Isles. This well-educated nobleman laid claim to the extensive Earldom of Ross, owned by the Earl of Mar. With an army of around 10,000 men, Donald had marched from the Highlands to seize this land. They were camped on a plateau near the ‘fermtoun’ of Harlaw, near Inverurie.

The Earl of Mar’s force crossed the Urie and marched to Harlaw, where battle was joined. Despite an initial organised approach with formations of spearsmen, the fighting quickly degenerated into hand-to-hand combat. By sunset, Harlaw plateau was saturated, its streams running red with blood. The Lord of the Isles lost 900 Highlanders and 600 of the earl’s men lay dead, among them Provost Davidson. Both sides claimed victory, but Donald retreated back to the Isles, his claim to the land unsuccessful.