Old Photograph Whittinghame Tower Scotland

Old photograph of Whittinghame Tower, East Lothian, Scotland. Whittingehame Tower was built on lands belonging to the Cospatrick Earls of March. In the 14th century the lands were acquired by the Douglases. During the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, they were held by James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton. The property subsequently passed through the hands of the Setons, Hays and Balfours of Balbirnie, who occupy the castle still. Arthur James Balfour, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905, belonged to this family. It is said that in 1567 the Earl of Morton, the Earl of Bothwell, the future husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and William Maitland of Lethington, the queen's secretary, were entertained here by the owner, Archibald Douglas. They conferred together in the shelter of a yew tree in the grounds to plot the murder of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, Queen Mary's unpopular and increasingly estranged husband. Morton, just returned from exile in England after the murder of David Rizzio, was unenthusiastic, and requested the queen's direct guidance. Despite the queen's reluctance to give the matter her sanction, the plot put together at Whittingehame was put into effect in due course. However, the hatching of this plot is more commonly thought to have taken place at Craigmillar Castle in late 1566. Mary's half brother, the Earl of Moray, was received at Whittingehame by Morton and Lethington about 18 months later, and they concurred with his expression of horror at the murder of Darnley. Bothwell was by then an outlaw.



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Old Photograph Whitekirk Church Scotland

Old photograph of Whitekirk Church, East Lothian, Scotland. Whitekirk was an important centre of pilgrimage when a nearby well was pronounced to have healing qualities around 1300. A shrine to Our Lady of Haddington was constructed. The original Church structure at Whitekirk was a 12th Century parish church, under the jurisdiction of Holyrood Abbey. However, in 1413 around 16,000 pilgrims came to Whitekirk and King James I placed the Whitekirk under his personal protection and built hostels to shelter the growing numbers of pilgrims.



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Old Photographs Kirkmichael Scotland

Old photograph of Kirkmichael, Perthshire, Scotland.



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Old Photograph Bridge Kirkmichael Scotland

Old photograph of the bridge at Kirkmichael, Perthshire, Scotland. The village here is split into two by the River Ardle. The river is formed by the confluence of the Brerachan Water and the Allt Fearnach at Straloch, 3 miles from the top of the strath. It flows past Kindrogan House and Enochdhu, where it takes in the Dirnanean Burn, and then through Kirkmichael. It flows on past Ballintuim and Bridge of Cally, half a mile south of which it joins the Black Water to form the River Ericht. The Ericht is a tributary of the River Isla, which in turn flows into the River Tay. The Ardle is bridged at Enochdhu, Kirkmichael, Pitcarmick, Dalnabreck, Ballintuim, Blackcraig, Cally Lodge and by the A93 at Bridge of Cally.



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Old Photograph Oldhamstocks School Scotland

Old photograph of the school in Oldhamstocks, East Lothian, Scotland. John Broadwood, born 6 October 1732, died 17 July 1812, was the Scottish founder of the piano manufacturer Broadwood and Sons. He was at St Helens, Cockburnspath in Berwickshire, and grew up in Oldhamstocks. He inherited his father James Broadwood's profession, that of a wright or carpenter, and as a young man walked from Oldhamstocks to London, England, a distance of almost 400 miles, where he worked for the harpsichord maker Burkat Shudi. Burkat Shudi died in 1773, and John Broadwood took control of the company in 1783. Broadwood is credited, together with Robert Stodart, founder of another famous firm of piano makers, of helping Americus Backers to perfect the English Grand Action, which remained in use by many makers virtually unchanged for 70 years and, in Broadwoods' case over 100 years, and continued in use in various improved forms until the early years of the 20th century. John married Shudi's daughter Barbara in 1769. They had four children, then Barbara died. He then married Mary Kitson in 1781 and had a further six children. Many of his descendants were involved in pianoforte manufacturing in England and some were involved in the British Army in India during the reign of Queen Victoria. Others emigrated to Australia, where Broadwood descendants still live. The Broadwood family tree can be traced back to circa 1580.



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