Inverkeithing

Prehistory

The earliest known finds from Inverkeithing are Neolithic, including stone axe heads, suggesting people were clearing woodland and establishing a settlement in Inverkeithing during the fourth millennium BC. The discovery of collared urn in Inverkeithing indicates burial activity in the second millennium BC.^[27]

Ancient origins

There is some evidence that during the Roman conquest of Britain, Roman governor Agricola established an encampment in the area between AD 78–87 during his war against the Caledonians.^[5] Roman Road in Inverkeithing is believed to be of Roman origin, and a bronze Roman coin dating from AD 218 to 222 was found in Inverkeithing.^[27]

The town's early history is tied to the founding of a church around the 5th century by St Erat, supposedly a follower of St Ninian. The first written reference to St Erat is in a sasine from 1588, so not hard evidence for Inverkeithing's early history, or even for the existence of the saint.^[28]

Medieval Inverkeithing (12th to 16th century)

Inverkeithing is first documented in 1114, when it is mentioned in the foundation charter of Scone Abbey granted by King Alexander I.^[29][30] In 1163 it appears as "Innirkeithin" in Pope Alexander III's summons of the clergy of the British Isles to the Council of Tours.^[31] Inverkeithing was made one of Fife's first royal burghs—which brought with it legal and trading privileges—in the 12th century.^[32][33] While the precise date is unknown, its burgh status may have been bestowed during the reign of David I,^[7] and it is mentioned as an existing burgh as early as 1161 by Malcolm IV.^[34] The settlement was an obvious choice to be created a burgh, as its location at the narrowest crossing point of the Firth of Forth and its sheltered bay were both strategically important.^[5]

Throughout much of the Middle Ages, Inverkeithing was an important resting place and staging post for pilgrims. Travelers on their way to the shrines of Saint Margaret in Dunfermline and Saint Andrew in St Andrews would often stop in the town after crossing the Firth of Forth via the Queen's Ferry.^[35] A hostel for pilgrims in Inverkeithing is documented as a possession of Dryburgh Abbey as early as 1196.^[35] A Franciscan friary was established in Inverkeithing in the mid-14th century, which was also intended to serve religious travellers, and survives to this day as Inverkeithing Friary, one of the few remnants of a house of the Greyfriars to have survived in Scotland, commemorated since in the Fife Pilgrim Way.^[5][36]

Inverkeithing's medieval church was consecrated to St. Peter by Bishop David de Bernham on 24 August 1244.^[37] One of the earliest accounts of life in Inverkeithing comes from the 14th-century Lanercost Chronicle. At Easter 1282, the Chronicle relates, the parish priest of Inverkeithing had "revived the profane rites of Priapus, collecting young girls from the villages, and compelling them to dance in circles to the honour of Father Bacchus, [...] singing and dancing himself and stirring them to lust by filthy language." When the priest exhibited similar behaviour during Lent, a scandalised citizen stabbed him to death.^[38] The incident was used by influential archaeologist and folklorist Margaret Murray in her 1931 book The God of the Witches as support for her (now mostly discredited) hypothesis of the survival of British paganism into the Middle Ages.^[39][40][41]

Inverkeithing was the last place that King Alexander III was seen before he died on 19 March 1286. The King had crossed the Forth from Dalmeny in a storm to pay a birthday visit to Queen Yolande, who was staying in Kinghorn. On arriving in Inverkeithing, the party was met by one of the burgesses of the town, Alexander Le Saucier, who tried to convince the King to stay the night.^[42] However, the pleas fell on deaf ears, and Alexander set off into the rainy night with two local guides.^[43] The group lost its way near Kinghorn and got separated from the King, who was found dead at the bottom of a steep embankment on the next day, having presumably fallen from his horse.^[44]

All the 14th century Scottish monarchs had a connection with Inverkeithing.^[8] Edward I ("Longshanks") stayed in Inverkeithing on 2 March 1304 on his return to Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence. This is evidenced by letters written here as he made his way from Dunfermline to St Andrews.^[45] King Robert I sentenced Roger de Mowbray, baron of Inverkeithing, to death for treason after he sealed the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, causing the town to be forfeited to the crown. In 1429, authorities of the Burgh were reimbursed for expenses from landing and passing through the town subjected by Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James I.^[46] In November 1504, a plague scare at Dunfermline Palace saw four African women including Ellen More, with John Mosman, the court apothecary, stay in Inverkeithing.^[47]

Inverkeithing became an important meeting place in medieval Scotland: the Parliament of Scotland met in Inverkeithing in April 1354, during the reign of David II.^[48] In 1487, an Act of Parliament during the reign of James III specified that the Convention of Royal Burghs would be held annually in Inverkeithing.^[7][33] Evolving in parallel to the Parliament of Scotland, the Convention was an important representative assembly of trading towns. While the Act specified Inverkeithing as the host, it is unclear how many meetings were held there before the Convention moved to Edinburgh in 1552.^[7]

By the end of the medieval era, Inverkeithing remained an important settlement. The town was one of the few Scottish burghs to have four stone gates—known as "ports"—around its medieval settlement; Inverkeithing town walls were added in 1557 (the last remains of which can still be found on the south side of Roman Road and the site of the east port is still visible at King Street).^[49] Inverkeithing enjoyed a successful trade in wool, fleece and hides, and served as a hub of commerce for Fife. The town's flourishing was evidenced by its weekly markets and five annual fairs.^[5] Inverkeithing was granted a charter of confirmation as a Royal Burgh by James VI in 1598.^[50]

Early Modern Inverkeithing (17th to mid-18th century)

The Scottish Reformation deeply touched Inverkeithing. Inverkeithing Friary had been sold off to a private buyer as part of the reformation in 1559. In 1611, the parishes of Inverkeithing and Rosyth were united, with the union being formally decreed in 1618.^[51] Most significantly, Inverkeithing was a hotbed for witch trials in the 17th century. In 1621 six local women were tried for witchcraft in the Tolbooth^[52] and between 1621 and 1652, at least 51 people were executed for witchcraft in Inverkeithing, an unusually large number for a town of this size; the much larger Kirkcaldy only saw 18 executions in the same period.^[53] The reason is believed to be a combination of cholera outbreaks, famine, and the appointment of Rev. Walter Bruce—a known witch hunter—as minister of St Peter's.^[54] Bruce played a pivotal role in initiating the so-called Great Scottish witch hunt of 1649–50. The executions were carried out at Witch Knowe to the south of town (which today is within Hope Street Cemetery and Witchknowe Park).^[54][55]

A pivotal battle during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms took place at Inverkeithing. 20 July 1651, the Battle of Inverkeithing was fought on two sites in the area, one north of the town close to Pitreavie Castle, the other to the south on and around the peninsula of North Queensferry and the isthmus connecting it to Inverkeithing. The battle took place during Oliver Cromwell's invasion of the Kingdom of Scotland following the Third English Civil War. It was an attempt by the English Parliamentarian forces to outflank the army of Scottish Covenanters loyal to Charles II at Stirling and get access to the north of Scotland.^[56] This was the last major engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and led to Scotland passing into Cromwell's control. Cromwell's 4,500 troops defeated a Scottish force of roughly equal size, forcing the Covenanters to abandon Stirling and march south to support Charles II. Of the estimated 800 MacLean clansmen who fought in the battle, only 35 were said to have survived, although Covenanter officer Sir James Balfour estimated the clan's losses at around 100.^[57] An apocryphal account states that the Pinkerton Burn ran red with blood for three days afterwards. This was a significant episode in the history of Clan MacLean, and the 20th century poet Sorley MacLean mentions Inverkeithing in one of his poems.

In 1707, James Spittle representing Inverkeithing voted in favour of ratification of the Treaty of Union (see Act of Union). As a result of the Act, in 1708 Inverkeithing lost its separate Parliament of Scotland constituency and became part of the wider Stirling Burghs constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Daniel Defoe, writing of Inverkeithing in his Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain in 1724, relates that Inverkeithing had briefly become known in England in the early 1700s for a crime of passion in which Robert Balfour, 5th Lord Balfour of Burleigh, murdered an Inverkeithing schoolmaster who had married a woman Balfour loved—the nobleman was later sentenced to death, but escaped captivity by exchanging clothes with his sister.^[58]

Inverkeithing was in decline following its prosperity during the medieval era, as trade had begun to decrease by the 16th century. Political and social instability, caused by both plague and war, caused this downward trend to continue in the 17th century. In 1654, Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu mentions Inverkeithing as "formerly a flourishing market" in his Nova Fifae Descriptio.^[59] Daniel Defoe found the town to be "still populous, but decayed, as to what it has formerly been",^[60] sentiments echoed by Sir William Burrell when he toured Scotland in 1758.^[61] At the time, the parish had a population of over 2,200,^[45] and industry had become both smaller in scale and more diverse.

In the mid 18th century, the congregation of Inverkeithing Parish Church split over the choice of a minister by right of patronage, leading to the creation of St John's Church in 1752 by 127 parishioners. By the 1830's, the congregation at St John's Church comprised roughly half the burgh’s population. The spit would continue for over 250 years until the two churches united in 2006.^[62]

Industrial Inverkeithing (mid 18th to 19th century)

Inverkeithing developed many industries during the Industrial Revolution, bringing new wealth and expansion to the town. In the 18th century, lead and coal were mined, there was an iron foundry, a brewery, tan works, soap works, a salt pan and timber works.^[5] A whisky distillery was opened in 1795, and operated until the mid-19th century; its buildings were later used for oil works.^[63][64] The Halbeath Waggon Railway opened in 1783.^[65] The importance of fishing declined with increasing industrialisation and, by 1891, Inverkeithing only had 14 resident fishermen.^[66]

Town expansion took place in the early 19th century - including the rebuilding of St Peter's Church in 1826, Inverkeithing Corn Exchange in 1833, and residential expansion partly directed by Sir Robert Preston.^[67] The town's three bridges over the Keithing Burn—Boreland Road Bridge, King Street Bridge and Commercial Road Bridge—were built in 1829, 1815 and 1821, respectively.^[68][69] In the early 19th century through to 1835, a land lazaretto stood at Inverkeithing harbour for the purpose of local quarantine: only the second land lazaretto in Scotland, and later the setting of James Simpson's 1886 work "Reminiscences of childhood at Inverkeithing, or, Life at a lazaretto"^[70][71]

On 6 September 1842, Inverkeithing received a royal visit from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.^[72]

By the mid-19th century quarrying, engineering and shipbuilding were major industries in the area and the population increased due to an influx of labourers employed in greenstone quarries. The quarries provided material for major works, such as the extension of Leith Pier and some of the piers of the Forth Bridge.^[45] By 1870, engineering and shipbuilding had largely ceased, and the harbour lost freight traffic to the railways. Inverkeithing Railway Station opened in 1877, and was significantly expanded in 1890 as a dual track railway following the completion of the nearby Forth Rail Bridge, which led to another surge in population and new building.^[73]

Modern Inverkeithing (20th Century onwards)

At the beginning of the 20th century, Inverkeithing became known for new industries. Shipbreaking at Thos. W. Ward's yard saw famous ships including the revolutionary battleship HMS Dreadnought in 1923,^[74][75] the hull of the Titanic's sister ship RMS Olympic in 1937,^[76] the Nazi Party cruise ship Robert Ley in 1947,^[77] passenger steamer and later depot ship HMS Montclare in 1958,^[78] and the second RMS Mauretania in 1966.^{[79][80] [81]} By 1925, quarrying remained a major operation at Cruicks quarry^[82] and Prestonhill quarry, but the town's saltworks, iron foundry and sawmill had closed.^[5] Caldwell's paper mill, opened in 1914, would remain until 2003.

The First and Second World Wars had a great impact on Inverkeithing, claiming the lives of 166: 130 in WWI and 36 in WWII.^[83] On 16 October 1939, the first air raid of Britain of the Second World War took place: the Battle of the River Forth. Pilots of the 602 (Glasgow) squadron spotted Luftwaffe aircraft of Helmuth Pohle over Inverkeithing. At Inverkeithing orders were given to chase through broken clouds, resulting in the killing of two German crew and incapacitating the German aircraft engines.^[84]

Inverkeithing United F.C. was founded in 1906, and would win the Scottish Junior Cup in 1912. In 1914, Inverkeithing saw the opening of one of the first cinemas in Scotland, Majestic Cinema, with the capacity for 1,000 people.^[85] In 1971, the hard rock band Nazareth started rehearsals as a full time band in Inverkeithing; the band would become the most studio recorded Scottish rock band of all time.^[86] In 1930, Inverkeithing was granted its own Burgh Arms, based on the oldest known Burgh seals from 1296 and 1357.^[87] In 1975, all Royal Burghs were disbanded and Inverkeithing became part of Fife Council, ending the autonomy Inverkeithing had enjoyed since the 11th century.^[88]

Inverkeithing Friary and Gardens

One of the best surviving examples of a friary building in Scotland is the category A listed Hospitium of the Grey Friars.^[92] The Franciscan friary is mentioned in 1384, when it would have been a thriving hub for pilgrims to Dunfermline and St Andrews, comprising accommodations, cloisters, storage cellars, and a chapel.^[35] The friary was sold in 1559 during the Scottish Reformation and remodelled into a tenement; the building was originally cruciform.^[93][94] The foundations of the north range of the complex, together with a well and several cellars, can be seen in the public gardens next to the hospitium.^[35]

Inverkeithing Mercat Cross

Inverkeithing's Mercat Cross is one of the oldest and finest remaining examples of a mercat cross in Scotland, dating from 1389.^[91][95] The cross is believed to have been built as a memorial of the marriage between the Duke of Rothesay and the daughter of the Earl of Douglas.^[96][91] Two of the shields on the cross bear the arms of Queen Anabella Drummond and the Douglas family.^[91] Later, a unicorn and a shield depicting the St Andrew's Cross were added in 1688, the work of John Boyd of South Queensferry.^[91][97]

Inverkeithing Town House

On Townhall Street is Inverkeithing Town House (also known as the Tolbooth).^[91][98] The Renaissance tower, at the western end of the building, is the oldest part of the tolbooth, dating from 1755.^[97] A three-storey classical building followed in 1770 as a replacement for the previous tolbooth.^[97] The building featured a prison or 'black hole' on the ground floor, the court room on the middle and the debtors' prison on the top.^[97] The building was fully renovated and remodelled for community use from 2022 to 2024.^[99]

St. Peter's Church

Inverkeithing Parish Church of St. Peter was founded by Waltheof of Allerdale as a wooden Celtic church before being adapted into a Norman stone structure, which was bequeathed by the monks of Dunfermline Abbey in 1139.^[91] The Norman foundations were reused for the 13th century Gothic structure, and a tower was added in the 14th century, which survived extensive fire damage in 1825.^[91][100] The main part of the church is a large neo-Gothic 'preaching box' of 1826–27, designed by James Gillespie Graham.^[101] The church's interior is graced by one of the finest medieval furnishings to survive in any Scottish parish church: a sandstone font of around 1398, a royal gift, Inverkeithing being a favourite residence of Queen Anabella Drummond. Notable ministers include Robert Roche (Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1613) and witch hunter Walter Bruce, who served as 'Constant Moderator' of the Church of Scotland from 1662 until 1673.

Fordell's Lodging

Fordell's Lodging is opposite St Peter's Church and is a rare L-plan baronial tower house which dates from 1666 to 1671. The house was built by Sir John Henderson of Fordell, whose family held the office of hereditary provost and sheriff of Inverkeithing by a grant of Queen Mary.^[91] Awarded category A listing from Historic Scotland, the listing describes Fordell's Lodging as "one of Inverkeithing's most intact 17th century buildings" and "a very fine example of a 17th century town house built for a local landowner in one of the wealthy coastal towns of Fife".

Thomson's House

An "exceptionally preserved" and "pre-eminent" example of a traditional burgh town house according to Historic Scotland^[102], the house dates from 1617, and was reconstructed in 1965. The home is notable for its carved sandstone pediment, which includes the initials of the first owners John Thomson ("I.T.") and Bessie Thomsoun ("B.T."). Grade A listed by Historic Scotland, their statement of special interest for Thomson's House indicates: "[the house] is the best-preserved example of 17th century domestic burgh architecture in Inverkeithing and is a pre-eminent example of its type, similar to some of the best buildings in Culross".^[98][102]

Other historic buildings

• Moffat Cottage is associated with the Scottish Missionary movement: it was the home of missionary Robert Moffat, and David Livingstone is said to have stayed at the cottage between 1856 and 1857.^[103]
• Providence House is a preserved 17th century tenement with a stone lintel from 1688 inscribed with God's Providence is my Inheritance;^[104]
• Rosebery House was owned by the Earl of Rosebery and is possibly the oldest surviving house in the burgh;^[105][91]
• Spencerfield House is a laird's tower house built around 1592.^[106]
• The Burgh Arms pub dates from 1664, making it one of the oldest pubs in Fife.^[107]
• The Half Crown pub dates from the 17th century, and is notable as the former home of the "Father of the Russian Navy", Samuel Greig.^[108]

Other landmarks

• Ballast Bank Park is Inverkeithing's largest public park and hosts sport events.
• Inverkeithing War Memorial and gardens is a memorial for the 166 Inverkeithing men lost in the First and Second World Wars; some war dead are buried at Hope Street Cemetery.^[109][110]
• Inverkeithing Harbour is where Keithing Burn meets Inverkeithing Bay. It was a probable landing place for the Queensferry passage during the 12th century and was first recorded in 1587.^[111]

Royalty, nobility and religion

• Walter Bruce (1605–1673), longest serving leader of the Church of Scotland in history as Constant Moderator from 1662 to 1673; minister of Inverkeithing.
• Queen Annabella Drummond of Scotland (1350–1401), Queen of Scotland from 1390 to 1401. Inverkeithing was among her favourite residences.^[154]
• Richard de Inverkeithing (d. 1272), 13th-century cleric; Bishop of Dunkeld; Chamberlain of King Alexander II; and guardian to the young Alexander III.
• Geoffrey de Mowbray (d. 1300), Lord of Inverkeithing; Scottish noble; sealer of the Treaty of Birgham and of the 'Auld Alliance' between France and Scotland in 1296.^[155]
• Roger de Mowbray (d. 1320), Lord of Inverkeithing and sealer of the Declaration of Arbroath, sentenced to death by Robert the Bruce.
• Robert Roche (1580–1640), leader of the Church of Scotland as Moderator of the Synod in 1613; minister for Inverkeithing from 1611.

Military

• Henry Echlin of Pittadro (d. 1606), negotiator during the 'lang siege' of Edinburgh Castle.^[156]
• Samuel Greig (1735–1788), Russian admiral and 'Father of the Russian Navy'. Appointed Knight of the Order of St Andrew by Catherine the Great.^[157]
• Tim Jones CBE (RAF officer), Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom. Educated at Inverkeithing High School.
• David Spence (1818–1877), recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Politics

• Sir John Henderson, 5th Baronet, provost of Inverkeithing 1791–1801. MP for Fifeshire (1780), Dysart Burghs (1780–84), Seaford (1785-6), and Stirling Burghs (1806-7).
• Janet McCallum (1881–1946), Scottish trade unionist and suffragette.
• Natalie McGarry (1981–), SNP politician and MP for Glasgow East 2015 - 2017.^[158]
• Lindsay Roy (1949–), Labour politician and MP for Glenrothes 2008 - 2015. Former rector of Inverkeithing High School.

Science and exploration

• David Livingstone (1813–1878), explorer and missionary, occasionally lived in Inverkeithing between 1855 and 1865.^[103][159]
• Sir Duncan McDonald (1921–1997), engineer closely associated with Northern Engineering Industries.
• Robert Moffat (1795–1883), African missionary; first to translate the bible into an African language; father-in-law of explorer David Livingstone.^[160][159]
• Rev Alexander Stoddart Wilson (1854–1909), naturalist, botanist and founder of the Andersonian Naturalists Society.

Film, TV, literature and music

• Morris Blythman (1919–1981), poet, musician and political activist; influential to the Scottish Folk Revival.^[161]
• Denise Coffey (1936–2022), English actress, comedian, director and playwright.^[162]
• James Simpson (1826–1882), author of "Reminiscences of Childhood at Inverkeithing; Or, Life at a Lazaretto" (1882); "Charles Waterton" (1880) and "Was John Bunyan a Gypsy?" (1882).^[71]

Sport

• Billy Bostock (1943–1996), former top goal scorer for Cowdenbeath F.C.^[163]
• Finlay Davidson (2004–), Scottish Commonwealth Games and World Championship para powerlifter.^[164]
• Gordon Durie (1965–), player for Scotland, Chelsea F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Rangers F.C., studied at Inverkeithing High School.
• Jock Gilfillan (1898–1976), football player for Heart of Midlothian F.C. and Portsmouth F.C.
• Stephen Hendry (1969–), multiple world champion snooker player, studied at Inverkeithing High School.^[165]
• Craig Levein (1964–), Scotland manager 2009–2014, manager at Heart of Midlothian 2017–2019, studied at Inverkeithing High School.^[166]
• Douglas Morgan (1890–1916), football player for Hull City and World War I casualty.
• Alexander Muir (1923–1995), player for Liverpool FC.
• Steven Pressley (1973–), player for Scotland, Celtic, Rangers and Hearts and manager for Dundee. Studied at Inverkeithing High School and played as a child for Inverkeithing F.C.
• Alan Stewart (1955–), Winter Olympic ski racer in the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games.
• Nan Young, professional national and international bowls player, Scotland Ladies champion 1962.^[167]

Miscellaneous

• James Anderson, manager of Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate after his presidency.^[168][169]
• Alexander Bell Donald (1842–1922), New Zealand merchant and founder of a major Pacific island trading company.^[170]