Case of Joseph Knight important
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By PHYLLIS STEPHENTHE COUNCIL approved the Scottish
Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) proposals
for Leith Custom House to be furbished in
a £15.1 million project, creating a
mixed-use community, creative and
heritage hub rather than the original plan
to use it only as a museum.
The trust will now restore the building
to good repair, enhancing the energy
efficiency in the building, using renewable
sources where possible. The plan is to
make the entrance to Custom House a
welcoming and inclusive space with
heritage displays throughout and flexible
accommodation for community groups
and creative businesses. This will produce
an income to secure the future of the 19th
century building.
The council’s Museums and Galleries
Service will help with the heritage parts of
the project allowing the trust to obtain
planning permission and run a major
fundraising campaign.FLEXIBLE FUNCTION
Custom House has been used in a variety
of ways since the council purchased it,
mainly as a creative hub, but also as a
home for Leith Market.
The plans to use the building solely as a
museum for Leith were described as
challenging and unsustainable, requiring
third party funding or subsidy. The council
is not in a position to operate another
single use museum, and no other operator
has been identified, but items from the
Leith Collection will be used and displayed
at Custom House following completion of
the multi-million pounds refurbishment.
Chair of Scottish Historic Buildings Trust
Maggie Wright said: “We welcome the
committee’s decision to continue its
relationships with Scottish Historic
Buildings Trust as we move forward to
secure the long term future of Leith
Custom House, which has had a significant
role within Leith since the early 19th
century. It is a huge vote of confidence in
the expertise of our Trust, following on
from our successful restoration of Riddle’s
Court in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old
Town. Our proposals will give the building
a sustainable future as well as creating a
legacy for the community of Leith and
beyond for generations to come.”Sustainability
key in Leith
Movement to help men with health and learn new skills is at risk
Sheds shelved?
By TONY JONESTHE SCOTTISH MEN’S Shed Association was
launched in November 2015 with the aim of
helping new and existing groups to set up and
run a Men’s Shed in their local town or
community. They are there to give a helping
hand to anyone looking for assistance or more
information on what it means to develop and
run a Men’s Shed.
The overall purpose of the organisation
is to ensure that all men in Scotland have
access to opportunities for increased citizenship
and community development through the
Scottish Men’s Sheds Association to impact
positively on their health – both mental and
physical – wellbeing and education of them
and their communities.
The newly established Forth Bridges Men’s
Shed based in South Queensferry has doubled in
membership in only two months to 19, gaining
2 or 3 new members almost every week, with
most members living in the northern part of
Rural West Edinburgh.
The Shed meets in the Community Centre
located behind South Queensferry Primary
School and we were greatly assisted in
establishing the group by the Scottish Men’s
Shed Association (SMSA) https://scottishmsa.
org.uk/
The huge benefit we are finding with our Shed
is in assisting with men’s mental health issues. In
a short time this has helped to reduce social
isolation and loneliness and helped them to
reconnect with the community. The Shed is well
regarded in the local community and members
have helped to replace a rowing boat planter
outside the local library and are currently
refurbishing benches in the local Cemetery as a
long term project, in addition to completing
other tasks in the local area.
As well as helping the community, this also
contributes to the members own feeling of self
worth, makes use of a lifetime of acquired skills,
and helps to avoid mental health issues. We havesupport of the local surgery, including mental
health nurse who was delighted to hear of our
existence and is planning to use social
prescribing for appropriate patients.
Although members are already enjoying the
benefits of the Men’s Shed movement, this
enjoyment is under threat as £75,000 core
funding for the SMSA has been withdrawn by
the Scottish Government. This withdrawal will
not only affect the seven Sheds currently
operating in the Edinburgh area but the more
than 200 Sheds found in all 32 local authority
areas across Scotland.
Now should probably not be the time to
abandon and disinvest in this successful men’s
health movement that is voluntarily engaging
with, and reaching, men and changing and
saving lives. The benefits of Men’s Sheds haveA PLAQUE HAS been installed at the
Court of Session to commemorate an
historic decision which found that
slavery was not recognised in Scots
Law when it was heard there in 1778.
The case of Joseph Knight v
Wedderburn decided that Knight,
who was bought as a slave in Jamaica
and brought to Scotland, should
gain freedom from ‘perpetual
servitude’. The Sheriff Court in Perth
which first heard the case brought by
Wedderburn demanding a warrant to
detain Joseph Knight as a slave in
1773, ruled that “the state of slavery
is not recognised by the laws of
this kingdom, and is inconsistentwith the principles thereof ”.
That decision of the lower court was
upheld by a majority decision of the
full bench of the Court of Session
when it was appealed there some five
years later.
Professor Sir Geoff Palmer (left) who
leads the Edinburgh Slavery and
Colonialism Legacy Review Group
unveiled the plaque at a ceremony
attended by The Lord President, Lord
Carloway and invited guests including
senior members of the judiciary.
“This historical plaque is an
important part of our history,” he said.
“Because it states publicly that Joseph
Knight, the black servant of Sir JohnWedderburn of Ballindean, the 6th
Baronet of Blackness, no longer had to
work for Sir John Wedderburn’s
household in Perth, Scotland, as a
perpetual servant.
Sir Geoff added: “This plaque tells
the world of a decision that is in
keeping with the comment of one of
the judges, ‘we sit here to enforce right
not to enforce wrong’. Indeed, that
‘right’ was the human right to be free.”
The Lord President said:
“Commemorative events such as this
one are important in improving public
awareness and wearing away the
myth that slavery was never practised
or condoned in Scotland.”been researched by Glasgow Caledonian
University’s four-year research ‘Sheds for
Sustainable Development Project’, work which
has been warmly welcomed.
Men’s Sheds should be vibrant community
spaces bringing people together to take part in
practical activities, learn new skills or simply
have a laugh and a cup of tea.
Unfortunately this may not be possible
without the support of the SMSA.
The SMSA is not affiliated to any other UK
Men’s Sheds Associations and works exclusively
in Scotland as a registered Scottish charity,
‘In Scotland – For Scotland’.For more info visit http://www.scottishmsa.org.uk
Thanks to Forth Bridges Men’s Shed’s Bill Gray
and Tony Jones for the photo.Tim Green from SMSA cutting
the cake on opening day