Tag: Edinburgh
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Memorials and Memoirs: Piecing Together the Lives of Formerly Enslaved Women
Malvina Wells, born in Carriacou around 1804, was one of a number of enslaved persons brought to Scotland during the period of colonial expansionism. Verity Limond examines the stories of women freed from slavery in Britain, where sources are sparse, to help shed light on their lives and experiences.
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Dead and Buried? Finding Edinburgh’s last hanged woman in oral history
Charged with a most heinous crime, Jessie King would come to sit in the annals of Scottish history as the last woman hanged in Edinburgh. Chloe Bramwell explores the story of a woman who may have been as much a victim of circumstance as a villain for commercial tours to exploit.
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The National Covenant and the Covenanter’s Prison: Religion and Edinburgh
Written by Amy Hendrie. Edinburgh’s historical significance has often been tied with its religious significance. Amy Hendrie investigates one of the darker periods of this history in one of Edinburgh’s most famous sites: Greyfriars Kirkyard.
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Auld Reekie Riots: The Story of Captain Porteous
Written by Amy Hendrie. Captain John Porteous represented to Edinburgh’s underclasses a distinct inequality of treatment by the ruling elite. But how did the public reaction align with the crime?, And why were his actions so controversial?
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An Ode to Edinburgh
Written by Mhairi Ferrier. Retrospect’s columnist discusses her time at the University of Edinburgh and offers some tips to incoming students.
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“Hell on wheels”: The Miserable History of the Edinburgh Trams project, 2001 to the Present
Written by Inge Erdal. Anyone who’s been living in Edinburgh for a while is familar with the central tram system. To the ire of many inhabitants, the project was plagued with problems for the start. What can it tell us about local governance, national projects, and the task of creating urban environments in the twenty-first…
Retrospect Journal 