Jamestown, Fife
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jamestown is a hamlet in Fife, Scotland. It is contiguous with North Queensferry and Inverkeithing, and is 9 miles northwest of Edinburgh city centre.
| Jamestown | |
|---|---|
| Hamlet | |
 Jamestown (right) from above, 2015. | |
| • Edinburgh | 9.4 mi (15.1 km) |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | INVERKEITHING |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
Located on the south side of the Inner Bay of Inverkeithing Bay, Jamestown became an important centre for shipping and industry during the 19th century, and shipbreaking in the 20th century.
Jamestown is located on the Fife Coastal Path, and is part of the Ferryhills Nature Protected Area.
The nearby Jamestown Viaduct carries the Fife Circle Line over the hamlet, and the M90 passes by to the west.
Jamestown takes its name from James Reid, who converted the 19th century chemical works situated here into dwellings.[1]
History
In 1270, a group of Jews maked an unsuccessful application to Alexander III to settle in Jamestown.[2]
In the 1850s, the Ordnance Survey described Jamestown as "a cluster of cottage houses occupied by workmen employed in the different quarries in the neighbourhood".[1]
In the 19th century, Jamestown developed industries in chemical works and brick works. Jamestown also began extraction at Cruicks Quarry.[3]
In the 19th and 20th century, Jamestown was popular with Irish dockworkers, and served those who worked in nearby Rosyth dockyard. There was formerly a Roman Catholic chapel in Jamestown, built to serve the many Irish dockworkers who came to the area.[4] Opened in 1913 and dedicated to St Peter in Chains, it was replaced by St Peter in Chains Church, Inverkeithing in 1977.[5] The area's Irish heritage is referenced in the name of Shamrock Terrace, a block of tenements at the bottom of Ferryhills Road.[4]
In 1921, Thomas Ward and Sons shipbreakers took over an old brick works in Jamestown and began operations. In the years that followed, many famous ships were broken at Jamestown including:
- The battleship HMS Dreadnought in 1923.
- The hull of the Titanic's sister ship RMS Olympic in 1937
- The Nazi Party cruise ship Robert Ley in 1947
- The RMS Mauretania in 1966.
Today, Robertson's metal recycling operate in Jamestown processing and exporting metal.[6]
Landmarks
Jamestown's prominent Naval Base Mansions were built in 1909 to house labourers from the dockyard at Rosyth. The building is B-listed, and is now used as a furniture store.[4]
The Jamestown Viaduct, constructed between 1887 and 1890 for the Forth Bridge, crosses over Jamestown.[7]
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