The Chequered History of Dunfermline’s Cokete Seal by Dr. Jean Barclay Much interest was aroused among antiquarians, patriots, politicians and others when Dunfermline`s medieval cokete seal – or rather the matrices that created it – came up for sale in 2014, especially when the purchaser turned out to a foreigner who wished to take his purchase home with him. A cokete (or cocket) seal was used on documents by customs officials in medieval times. The seal was created by a beeswax mixture being placed between two carved matrices of different designs, so that its two faces had different patterns. The seal was then affixed to the document by a strip of parchment. The matrices were of legal standing, kept securely and normally destroyed when obsolete or damaged. Dunfermline`s seal is of particular interest as it was commissioned by Robert the Bruce in 1322. Made of a copper alloy, each matrix is 55mm (about 2 ¼ inches) in diameter and weighs 337g. They are in a good condition apart from slight cracking at the edges resulting from pressure from the seal press in forcing the wax fully into the design. It is possible that they were discarded (but somehow not destroyed) when the damage became evident. The obverse (facing) matrix depicts St. Margaret robed and crowned, holding a sceptre in her right hand and a book in her left, She is standing between two shields, one bearing the arms of Dunfermline Abbey (a cross among five martlets – Margaret`s birds), the other the…
The Dunfermline Foundry
by George Beattie The Dunfermline Foundry Company had its origins in the Maygate, Dunfermline, when, in 1815, Robert Campbell commenced ironfounding on a small scale in the smithy premises of Tam Thomson.1 “Viagraphy Dunfermlynensis” speaks of Fishmarket Close (later known as Music Hall Lane) which ran from Abbot Street up to High Street and states:- “At the corner angle of the east side of this close with Abbot Street there is a house once used as a smithy and, according to a letter written about 30 years ago, ‘This smeddie is notibil as being the first place whair in 1816 a foundrie on a sma skale was begun be Mr Cambil and as the first of the kind ever attempit in Dunfermline.’ Abbot Street, of course, is a continuation of Maygate and both above entries appear to be referring to the same enterprise. Henderson further reports2 that in 1816:- ‘Mr Campbell abandoned his founding premises in the Maygate, and commenced “the Dunfermline Foundry”, in Clayacres, on a large scale. Fifteen hands were employed’. Clayacres was the name given to the area surrounding the street now known as Foundry Street (almost certainly named after the Dunfermline Foundry). The exact location of the foundry is shown on the O.S. map of 1854. Mr Campbell appears to have traded successfully until 1842 when the business ran into financial difficulties, resulting in Campbell being declared bankrupt, with creditors meetings being held in the Spire…
Michael Tod, Engineers
Michael Tod and Sons Ltd., Engineers by George Beattie A native of Kirkcaldy, who spent his early years in the West of Scotland, Michael Tod came to Dunfermline around 1870. Shortly thereafter, in April 1872, he formed a partnership with Alexander Bennett, founding the firm of Tod and Bennett, Millwrights & Engineers, with premises in Foundry Street. It is likely that Messrs Tod and Bennett chose the Foundry Street location because of its close proximity to the Dunfermline Foundry where much of the raw engineering material would be cast. In June 1876, the partnership was dissolved and both men set up millwright/engineering businesses on their own. Mr Tod set up Devon Works, Campbell Street, Dunfermline, where he concentrated on mechanical engineering. By that time Michael’s son, John, had joined the business, which was thereafter known as Michael Tod & Son. John had served an engineering apprenticeship with Alex More & Son in Glasgow. A reference given by Messrs More in 1870 indicated that John had served 3 years in the pattern shop and 2 years as a fitter. In the early days the Tod enterprise built all types of engineering equipment for mills, mines and bleach-works in the area, including steam winding engines, haulages, and pumping and screening machinery for the collieries of the Fife Coal Company and for many of the collieries in the Lothians area. On the death of his father in 1894, John Tod took control of the business which was greatly developed…
The Queen Anne St Fountain
Did You Know… …that an elegant granite fountain used to stand in Queen Anne St? It stood from 1860 to 1924, was given to the town by an Aberdeen medical doctor and shared it’s name with a former village to the north of Dunfermline. The Lassodie Fountain by George Robertson Ebenezer Henderson, on page 682 of his “Annals of Dunfermline”, states the following – “LASSODIE FOUNTAIN – This elegant granite fountain built into the northwest corner Queen Anne Street Church boundary wall has the following inscription cut upon it – Lassodie Fountain. Presented to the City of Dunfermline, by Henry A. Dewar, M.D., Aberdeen. 1860”. In fact the fountain was positioned at the southwest corner of the wall, at the junction of Pilmuir Street and Queen Anne Street, but who was Doctor Dewar and why was the fountain named after an estate – later a coal mining village – situated northeast of Dunfermline between Kingseat and Kelty? Dr Henry Andrew Dewar, a surgeon/dentist working and living in Aberdeen, was a member of the family who, for many generations, were the owners of the Lassodie estate. He was one of the six children of Henry Dewar of Lassodie – also a Doctor – and Helen Margaret Spence, an American from Philadelphia. (1) This explains why the fountain was named after the Dewar estate – but why was it positioned in such a prominent place in Dunfermline? Again, the answer lies with the name Dewar. Dunfermline’s Secessionist Minister, the Rev….
What Happened to the Monks of Dunfermline Abbey?
We all know that during the reformation, the Abbeys were abolished. Much of Dunfermline Abbey is now ruined, but the Church is, of course, still in use. But what about the people involved? In this article, Sue Mowat explains the events of the Reformation in Dunfermline and tells us “What Happened to the Monks“.