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Bishop's Loch
173 Bishop's Loch lies to the north of Aberdeen, just within the city boundary. A charter from the 12th century refers to the lands of Goul or Goval, where the Bishop of Aberdeen had his palace or residence on an island in Loch Goul, now called Bishop's Loch, where at one time the site was visible. The approach to the palace was by a drawbridge. At this time, the Bishops were engaged in developing the Chanonry in Old Aberdeen. Over time, the lands outside the Chanonry were sold off. This photograph shows a much larger expanse of water than now exists. The water level has been lowered and certain areas are silted up and there is lush growth of various wetland plants. Nearby, there is new housing and a sand gravel quarry. Many discussions took place about the possible creation of a nature reserve to encompass this loch and two other nearby lochs - Lochs Corby and Lily - and they were listed as Sites of Special Scientific Interest in October 1983. The Castlegate
574 The Castlegate, Aberdeen. The Town House is in the centre of the photograph with the spire of the Tolbooth to the right. The Athenaeum Building is on the left and behind the statue of the Duke of Gordon is the headquarters of the North of Scotland Bank. Note the cannon to the left of the Market Cross.
In his Annals of Aberdeen (1818) William Kennedy states "In the year 1394, King Robert III granted to the burgesses and community a charter, dated 20th of October, by which he permitted them to build a tolbooth and court house, eighty feet in length, and thirty feet in breath, in any part of the town except in the middle of the market place. This edifice was accordingly soon afterwards erected on the north side of the Castlegate, on the site of the present town house." (page 403)
In 1615 a new prison replaced the one on this site and it stood for many years. It was largely replaced or subsumed by the new town house development in the 1870s, however the old Tolbooth spire can still be seen - as in this photograph (the right most spire). Stop 8: Mrs Legge, President Aberdeen Female Radical Association at 41 Queen Street, (meetings held 1839-1841)
2307 Mrs Isabella Wilson Legge, was the wife of James Legge, stonemason, who was the first chairman of Aberdeen Charter Union, the organisation of the Aberdeen Chartists. Mrs Legge set up the Aberdeen Female Radical Association as she wanted votes for all adults - not just men but women too. She presided over 18 young women. They held their meetings at the Temperance Hotel at 41 Queen Street and said in a statement issued by the Female Chartists of Aberdeen (12th November 1841) "while we are compelled to share the misery of our fathers, our husbands, our brothers, and our lovers, we are determined to have a share in their struggles to be free, and to cheer them in their onward march for liberty." Treasure 122: Aberdeen Charters and Armorial Seals
345 For one of our final treasures we are travelling further back in time than we have done previously, to look at possibly the oldest items in Aberdeen City Libraries' collections. These are a collection of three charters dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, two of which have their wax seals still attached. They are written in Latin on parchment and describe the conveyance of land or rights from one party to another within the burgh of Aberdeen. The earliest of our charters dates from 13 March 1567 and is a charter respecting the granting by Gilbert Kintoir, senior, burgess of Aberdeen, of 'one half net of the ly fords fishings in the water of the river Dee' in favour of John Arthour, another burgess of Aberdeen. Our next charter is dated 10 May 1597 and is a charter of feuferm granted by Provost, Baillies, etc. of the Burgh of Aberdeen, in favour of William Jaffray, burgess. Our last charter is much later and dates from 1673. It is a charter of James Raite of Findlastoun.
Also on display are two replicas of Aberdeen City's 1430 armorial seal. One, a silver pendant, and the other a replica wax seal, both made by Malcolm Appleby in limited editions for the council in 1979. The permission to use the design of a shield bearing the Royal Tressure of Scotland (parallel lines around the shield with fleur-de-lis), and lion supporters on the 1430 arms, was given to the burgh of Aberdeen by King James I (1406-1437) in acknowledgement of the city's role as one of the four burghs (along with Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee) who had elected to pay the ransom for his liberty from captivity under King Henry VI of England. James had been captured by the English in infancy, and held as a prisoner of Henry V and Henry VI for 18 years.
To learn more about the fascinating evolution of Aberdeen's coat-of-arms, have a browse in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition. |