Inverleith

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Inverleith is today a suburb in the northern part of Edinburgh, Scotland. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south. The name is said to come from Scottish Gaelic Inbhir Lìte, meaning "Mouth of Leith".

Within the area are Fettes College (an independent school) and Broughton High School (state-run). Inverleith is generally considered quite an affluent suburb.

1 Early proprietors
2 Parks and gardens
3 Rugby
4 References

[edit] Early proprietors

Inverleith was for over two centuries owned by the Rocheid (sometimes spelt Rochead) family which ended with a co-heiress, Mary (d. 1749) who married Sir Francis Kinloch, 3rd Baronet, of Gilmerton (1676 - 1747). Their son Alexander (d. 1755) inherited the entire Inverleith estates, and changed his surname to become Alexander Rocheid of Inverleith. Alexander and his descendants spent most of their time in Germany, and the Inverleith estate was leased. His son James Rocheid of Inverleith leased Inverleith Mains at the beginning of the 19th century to George Lauder (1776 - 1824), Comptroller of the City of Edinburgh's Tolls, and the great-grandfather of Sir Harry Lauder.

[edit] Parks and gardens

In late 1823 "George Lauder, farmer of Inverleith Mains" agreed with James Rocheid of Inverleith to a reversion of part of his leasehold lands, 11.5 Scots acres, for the establishment of the Royal Botanic Garden (commonly known as "The Botanics"), (opened in May 1824), a large and varied set of gardens or parks with a wide range of plants, from around the world, in the open and in greenhouses. It is maintained as a very popular tourist attraction, local leisure amenity, and scientific research centre.

Inverleith Park, also once part of Inverleith Mains and adjacent to the Botanic Garden, is large and includes allotments and a pond popular for use with model boats. It is also the proposed location for a new Edinburgh Skate Park. Local community group, Friends of Inverlieth Park, objected to this in 2004. Plans for a slightly redesigned park are to be considered.

[edit] Rugby

In 1897 land at Inverleith was purchased by the Scottish Rugby Union (then the Scottish Football Union). Thus the organisation became the first of the "Home Unions" to own its own ground.^{[citation needed]} The first visitors were Ireland, on 18 February 1899 when the score was Scotland 3 — Ireland 9. International rugby was played at Inverleith until 1925 when it was transferred to Murrayfield Stadium. The land at Inverleith is now owned by Stewart's Melville College. It is now used as playing fields for rugby in the winter and cricket/athletics in the summer.

[edit] References

Index to Genealogies, Birthbriefs, and Funeral Escutcheons, recorded in the Lyon Office, by Francis J. Grant, W.S., Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records, Edinburgh, 1908, p.46.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, by Harold R Fletcher and William H Brown, HMSO, Edinburgh, 1970, ISBN 11-490425-1
The Ancestry of Sir Harry Lauder, in The Scottish Genealogist, vol. LIII, No.2, Edinburgh, June 2006, pps: 74 - 87. ISSN 0300-337X