S2 History EDINBURGH THROUGH THE AGES S2 History Home Learning Booklet! This booklet will contain tasks for you to complete during your home learning sessions. What will I learn about in this topic? An ‘Auld’ city- Old Town Edinburgh A Plagued City – The Leith Plague 1645 A Criminal City – Crime & punishment A Superstitious City A City of Two Towns A Hidden City A University City A Festival City WEEK 1: Edinburgh, An ‘Auld City’ Learning Intention: To understand what is was like to live in Edinburgh in the 16th century Success Criteria: I can describe the key features of Edinburgh in the 16th and 17th century using sources I can describe living conditions in Old Town Edinburgh I can explain why Edinburgh is known as the ‘Auld Reekie’ STARTER 1: What words, places or people do you think of when you think about Edinburgh? Fill in the mind map below with at least 6 points - you can add extra. EDINBURGH STARTER 2: a) Name the famous landmarks in Edinburgh - Can you match the correct names to the landmarks? Write the correct letter in the box b) Which is the odd picture out? Circle it. c) Can you explain why you think the picture you have chosen is the odd one out? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ A B C D St. Giles Cathedral Edinburgh Castle Holyrood Palace Queensferry Crossing AN ‘AULD’ CITY- OLD TOWN EDINBURGH In the 16th and 17th century, burghs were walled towns that had more importance than an ordinary town. They could hold markets and fairs and charge entry or a ‘toll’ to all outsiders who wanted to attend. They were also allowed to set up their own town councils and court as well as have the right to be represented in parliament. By 1130 the list of burghs had grown to include Berwick, Stirling, Dunfermline, Aberdeen, Perth, Scone and Edinburgh. Features of Edinburgh in the 16th and 17th Century The following features were very important to Edinburgh in the 16th and 17th centuries: The Flodden Walls: Edinburgh was surrounded by The Flodden Walls which marked the city boundary. They were built for two reasons- for defence and to make sure that people bringing goods to sell at the markets could not sneak into the Burgh without paying a toll fee at the Ports. The Netherbow Port: Due to the Flodden Walls, people could only enter Edinburgh through gates known as ‘Ports.’ The Netherbow Port was the main entrance into the Edinburgh. It was one of five other gateways dotted along the Flodden Wall but its location at the end of the High Street marked it out as the most important for people selling goods in the city. Traders would make their way from the harbour at Leith to the Ports and be required to pay a toll fee. The heads of invaders or those found guilty of committing serious crimes were often exhibited above the gate. The High Street: The High Street was the main street in Edinburgh. It started at the Netherbow Port and finished at the entry to Edinburgh Castle. This was where all the main trading deals took place. Lots of houses were built off the High Street which could be accessed by narrow streets called a ‘close’ or a ‘wynd.’ St Giles Cathedral: St Giles' Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the leading place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its crown steeple is a recognisable feature of the city skyline. The Tron: The Tron was the public weighing beam that stood outside of the building. This was an important gathering point, where goods were measured and checked. The Tron Kirk which was built around 1640 is located where the Tron stood. The Mercat Cross: This was the centre of burgh life. This is where important public announcements were made by the town crier. In Edinburgh, royal and parliamentary announcements such as changes in monarchy and parliament elections were also publicly read. It is also where many criminals were punished publicly. The Tolbooth: It was the meeting place of the Burgh Council - the bell of the Tolbooth would ring out to signal the opening of the market and also summoned councillors to the meetings of the Town Council which took place in its tower. It was also an early meeting place of the Parliament of Scotland. The Tolbooth was also the burgh's main jail. It was located on the High Street at the northwest corner of St Giles' Cathedral. The Nor Loch: In 1460, King James III ordered that the ground between the Old Town and Princes Street be flooded in an effort to strengthen the Castle's northern defences. This created a Loch at the bottom of Castle Rock known as ‘The Nor Loch.’ The Loch was drained in the 18th century and is now known as Princes Street Gardens. Grassmarket: The Grassmarket was one of Edinburgh's main market places and a popular market for trading cattle. It also became the official spot for public executions in 1660. Cowgate: The street that cattle were herded down on market days. In the 1600s, many wealthy councillors lived there but by 1800s, the rich councillors had moved to New Town and the Cowgate became a poor, overcrowded slum area. TASK 1: For each feature of Edinburgh in the 16th century try to write a description of it – what happened there and/or why it was important (2-3 bullet points). Use the information above to help you. FEATURE DESCRIPTION Flodden Walls Netherbow Port The High Street St. Giles Cathedral The Tron The Mercat Cross The Tolbooth The Nor Loch The Grassmarket Cowgate TASK 2: Look at the source below and answer the following questions. a) The map of Edinburgh is a bird’s eyes view by James Gordon of Rothiemay in 1647. What century does this mean it was made in? _______________________________________________________________________________ b) Is the map a primary or secondary source? Explain why. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ c) The map is based on a photograph taken from an aeroplane – True or False – why? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ TASK 3: A. Using the map of Edinburgh today, on the next page. Find and circle the following features: Edinburgh Castle, The Cowgate, The High Street, Princes Street Gardens & St Giles Cathedral B. Compare your map of Edinburgh today with the map of Edinburgh from 1765. 1. List any differences you can see ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. List any similarities you can see ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ MAP OF EDINBURGH TODAY MAP OF EDINBURGH (1765). Edinburgh, An ‘Auld City’ – Living conditions Learning Intention: To understand what is was like to live in Edinburgh in the 16th century Success Criteria: I can describe living conditions in Old Town Edinburgh I can explain why Edinburgh is known as the ‘Auld Reekie’ STARTER: WORD JUMBLE – unscramble the words below to reveal the different features of 16th century Edinburgh deolnfd lawls ron cloh blottooh cratem scsot woetgac gihh tseret weethornb trop kresatmargs Housing As the Old Town became increasingly overcrowded, the defensive Flodden Walls stopped residents from expanding outwards, which meant more and more homes were built on the narrow wynds and closes off the high street. Residents were forced to build new buildings in the only available direction – upwards, sometimes these buildings were 13 storeys high. These tall buildings with many flats were called tenements. The Old Town was not a large area, so the rich and poor lived in the same tenements. CLEANLINESS Sanitation means anything that helps provide clean drinking water or ways to get rid of sewage and human waste. Sanitation was very poor in Old Town Edinburgh. People shared drinking water at fountains in the street and the city was full of open drains. There were also no flushing toilets so families had to share the same bucket, or ‘chamber pot’ as a toilet. In Edinburgh, the cry of “gardyloo” from an upper window was a warning for those below to get out of the way, as the contents of a chamber pot were about to be tipped into the street. “Haud yer haun” (which meant ‘hold your hand’) the passer-by would shout as they dived for safety. Scavengers were employed by the council to clear up the mess and take it out of the city. Waste, including dead bodies and human faeces (poo), that was not cleared away was either washed by the rain down the steep slope of the closes into The Nor Loch (now Princes Street Gardens), or was dumped there. The foul smell that would rise from its stagnant waters was overwhelming, to say the least. As a result, Edinburgh became known as ‘the Auld Reekie.’ The Nor Loch was also the main water supply for many in The Old Town. Diseases caused by poor sanitation spread very easily in the overcrowded conditions.