Story of the Royal Burgh of North Berwick
North Berwick Town
Council Churches Harbour Pilgrim Ferry Education Second World War Lifeboat Fishing James Dall Peter Brodie John R
Whitecross David Meikleham John Macintyre George Sim George Eeles George Gilbert James Wishart Millicent Couper John
Fowler John Macnair
The Story of North Berwick including the Early Settlers, Pilgrim Ferry,
Abbey Nunnery, Witches Coven, Landowners, North Berwick Burgh Coat of Arms, Grant-Suttie, Benjamin Millar Pearson, Sir Hew 
Hamilton-Dalrymple, Major Kenneth Windham Arbuthnot, John C. Stewart, Lady Adelaide Hall, Charles Lawrie, Tom Wheelock, 
Sir J. Wishart Thomson, Carlekemp, Teviotdale, Greyhome, St Aidens, Shipka Lodge, Quarry Court, Bunkershill, Lord Kitchener, 
Herbert Asquith, Westerdunes, Charles Robertson, The Lodge Grounds.
The first lifeboat to be stationed in the town came about after one particular tragedy left the community feeling helpless, when a rescue boat may have saved the lives of the five crewmen who perished. The tragedy happened on Tuesday 25th October 1859, when the schooner Bubona loaded with coal from the Tyne, was making for Aberdeen with Mr Adams as master. Nearing Dunbar Bay, the wind shifted to the north-east, and a tremendous sea got up. By nine o'clock in the evening, the wind had strengthened to near hurricane force, and the vessel was spotted in difficulties inside the Bass, her sails had given-way and the crew had no choice but to make for the shore.

The Bubona, landed among rocks about two hundred yards west off Canty Bay, and the Coastguard proceeded at once to the scene with the life saving apparatus. They fired four-rockets over the vessel and were successful in landing a line across the stern of the boat but the crew who appeared to be lashed in the bows, were too exhausted to take advantage of the situation.

By this time a large crowd had gathered on the shore, watching in silence as the vessel continued to break up on the rocks, her masts were over the side and the sea was breaking over her. The poor crew, five in number, stuck together in the fore-part of the vessel, until she finally broke up about midnight, when they all perished.

That night the hurricane force winds caused havoc along the coast of the UK and resulted in 200 shipwrecks and the loss of 800 lives. Captain Robert Fitzroy from Suffolk, was so appalled by the number of deaths and the inability to warn ships of bad weather that he developed a line-of-sight communications system. This system consisted of 15 stations around the country which would raise a 3ft cone to warn ships of imminent storms. Fitzroy was also the founder of a scientific system to predict weather conditions, he called it 'the weather forecast'.

In late November 1859 two of the bodies from the Bubona were washed up and taken by cart to the graveyard in Kirkports. The loss of the crew was felt deeply by the community and to avoid such a tragedy happening again, a move to have the town's first lifeboat was instigated by Rev. Stewart from Liberton and coastguards Walter Malcolm and Captain Thomas Woodrow. A committee was formed, subscriptions raised and within twelve months the Royal Lifeboat Institution agreed to allocate a lifeboat to the town.

In October 1860, the new lifeboat arrived, gifted by Messrs. Jaffray & Son of London, along with its transport carriage and equipment. A.W.Jaffray and his father of St Mildred's Court, London funded the lifeboat at North Berwick. Their legacy also provided lifeboats at Thurso and St Andrews. The Town Council provided ground for the Life Boat House at the end of Shore Street (Victoria Road) and feud the ground to the Royal Lifeboat Institue for one penny per annum. £20 was raised to play the Coxswain salary and crew.

Despite continuous rain on the day of the launch, the whole community turned out, lining the streets and cheering on the parade. Four horses bedecked with flowers, were yoked to the lifeboat carriage and transported from the station in Shore Street, along Back Street (Forth Street) as far as the West Links, before making a complete circuit of the burgh by High Street and Quadrant to the east beach. A number of the committee climbed on board, including the tall figure of Sir Hew Hamilton-Dalrymple completely enveloped in oilskins, directing the procession from the bow.

The crew consisted of Captain Woodrow, John Murray (coxswain), Richard Thorburn, John Thorburn, David Thomson, James McLean, Robert Marr and Alex Thomson. Protected by a broad life preserver strapped round their bodies, they took their places on board and with oar-in-hand sat ready for the launching apparatus to be brought into action. With the echo of three cheers still ringing in the air, the 'Caroline' as she was named, slid down to meet a coming wave and North Berwick's first lifeboat was successfully launched. The Lifeboat Station was opened on 20th June 1900 and cost £300, it closed in January 1926. The building was leased to George R. Thomson, Cedar Grove Dairy who converted the property into a tearoom and restaurant.

The drowning of a local fisherman was the worst tragedy the community experienced in living memory. It happened at 9.15am on 10th January 1965 when fisherman Benjamin Pearson was reported missing. He was last seen within the western channel, west of the harbour. As word of the tragedy spread hundreds gathered in silence on the Elcho Green staring hopelessly out to sea. By mid-afternoon the search was called off. It is understood he slipped and struck his head on the boat before falling into the sea, his waders filled with water and the tangled seaweed pulled him down. The Pearson family followed the custom of the fisher-folk in not being able to swim. The sea gave up the body of Benjamin Millar Pearson at 12.30pm on 22 January 1965. D. Brown Macfarlane, Procurator Fiscal declared the cause of death as drowning.

There has been seven lifeboats stationed at North Berwick over the years and four Blue Peter inshore vessels. The latest, Blue Peter 7 is an all weather boat, on call all year round and is housed in the original boat-house in Victoria Road, where the names of the crews and the lives they have saved are listed.

In 1984 the lifeboat crew members Benjamin and Jim Pearson were given the top bravery awards for their part in the dramatic rescue of a drowning teenage girl in the East Bay. The brothers Jim and Benjamin each received a Blue Peter gold badge. They retired in 1993 after 25 years service to the RNLI.

In the 1950s, the Town Council purchased Rhodes Farm and used the outbuildings as workshops and stabling for a pair of Clydesdale horses which were in regular use until the early 1960s. The agricultural land on the Rhodes Farm was rented out, and in 1954 new council houses built by James Millar & Partners formed Lime Grove. A pig farm was established on ground where later the Burgh Caravan site was laid out. (Rhodes Park). The Town Council collected all domestic food waste in separate containers and this was fed to the pigs, a very profitable venture which reduced the town rates.

In 1960 the Town Council installed electric street lighting for the first time. They decided to use warm white fluorescent light rather than the more efficient and economical sodium filament. The fluorescent light gave a very pleasing warm glow and was so popular with residents and visitors that the street lighting was switched on during the summer evenings. The gas works at Ferrygate closed in 1972, when the town's gas supply was produced at Granton.

In 1959, shortly after the death of Sir Hew Hamilton-Dalrymple, Leuchie House was used as a convent and is now leased to the MS Society. The dowager moved out of Leuchie and resided at Blackdykes where she died in 1979. Their son Sir Hew and his wife Lady Anne Louise Hamilton Dalrymple commissioned architects Law & Dunbar-Nasmith to design and converted a cottage on the Leuchie estate as their family home in 1960. Their eldest son Hew, and his wife Janey returned from London in 1992 and now reside at Blackdykes.

In the 1960s Grange Road was a quiet country lane and Green Apron Park was farmland. In those days each field was identified by a name and being shaped like an apron its was originally called the Masonic Apron. Glenorchy Road and Highfield Road ended at timber gates leading to the fields of Williamstone farm (Priory Meadow). To the west of Ware Road was fields of grazing sheep, part of the Hamilton-Dalrymple estate which stretched (Lord President Road) to the market garden at Smiley Knowe. Where the glasshouses produced the first ripe tomatoes to reach the markets in Scotland. (Williamstone Court).

The modernist designed property Minaki, 12 York Road, North Berwick was constructed in 1961 in the grounds of St Ann's House (1882) overlooking the West Links. The landscape architects were James Morris and Robert Steedman and their design was influenced by the 'Glass House' built in Connecticut in 1948. The owner of Minaki was Robert Cheyne, a chartered accountant who previously resided in Kelowna, British Columbia. The property was purchased by Robin Wotherspoon, the North Berwick Town Clerk in the nineteen eighties. His legal practice Wallance & Menzies, was located at 21 Westgate, North Berwick. In 2020 a street in the new development south of the town was named âWotherspoon Greenâ after the former Town Clerk.

With full employment in the 1960s, a new affluence arrived. Teenagers had more money in their pockets and in 1969 everyone in Britain over the age of eighteen was allowed to vote. The 'Saturday Night Dance' at the Harbour Pavilion was the most popular venue in the county and the Playhouse cinema opened on Sunday, reflecting the times. The swimming pool was heated and the midnight gala with live music on the esplanade was a highlight of the summer.

On 25th January 1965 Benjamin Millar Pearson drowned in the western channel, west of the harbour while fishing for lobsters. As news of the missing fisherman spread throughout the town over a thousand gathered in silence on Elcho Green. Benjie Pearson lived at 25 East Road and was the brother of Jim Pearson a local fisherman. It was reported that Benjie fell over board and as his boots filled with water he was trapped in the seaweed. It is understood that Benjie Pearson could not swim, which was a fisherman's tradition.

The town was expanding and the population numbered 4,750. Throughout the decade the Town Council were under pressure to attract more visitors by offering amusement arcades and other entertainment facilities available at more popular resorts. Fortunately common sense prevailed and the town has continued to attract the discerning visitor, all be it in reduced numbers. The community were raising funds towards the building of a sports centre and the town was about to enter a new chapter - a good place to end part one of the story of North Berwick.

The North Berwick Sports Centre

In the 1920s the North Berwick Traders Association organised a Garden Fete with all proceeds going to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. This was in the days before the NHS and the Royal Infirmary was reliant on charity. When the National Health Service (NHS) was established, fund raising was not required and during the 1950s the Traders Association continued to organise a Garden Fete and raise money for the town. The Garden Fete was held on the East Links beyond the east putting green followed by a fancy dress parade throughout the town. The children, dressed in colourful costumes were transported from the East Links on the Town Council vehicles and the lucky ones travelled on the Fire Engine.

In 1960 the Garden Fete moved to the Lodge grounds and by 1966 the Traders Association decided to form a sub-committee named the North Berwick and District Community Association to take the project forward and recommend where the funds should be spent for the benefit of the town. On 19th September 1969, various North Berwick organisations led by North Berwick Community Association announced that plans were in hand for the construction of a community sports centre. The original aim of the community association was to use their £12,000 assets to build a community conference hall but unfortunately due to rising costs this became prohibitive. There was a lack of indoor sporting facilities in the district and the Community Association decided to use this money and all their efforts to provide a large indoor sports centre which will cost in the region of £40,000.

A fund raising thermometer was placed in Quality Street and each week the community watched the red line raising higher and higher as the funds increased. James Y. Russell, a farmer at Muirton, Drem was particularly inspired by the efforts of the local community to raise money for a Sports Centre. Fowler's Garage was a regular meeting place on a Friday afternoon for many local farmers servicing their vehicles and catching up on the farming gossip. The fund raising thermometer in Quality Street caught Mr Russell's attention as each week the funds increased dramatically. He would later bequeath a substantial trust fund known as the Russell Bequest which continues to offer financial assistance to the present day.

There were many ways to raise funds including offering an Honorary Membership for a donation of fifty-pounds. The board listing the Honorary Members included Sir Hew Hamilton-Dalrymple, and many more can be seen today in the hallway of the Sports Centre. The North Berwick Town Council purchased the Mains Farm and developed Gilbert Avenue, Couper Avenue and Wishart Avenue, and they offered the remaining land for the new Sports Centre. In 1969 the fund raising reached £10,000 and the builder John Neil & Co. started the work.

During this period there was a youth club in the former British Legion hall in Dunbar Road where they played badminton. The roof space was not high enough and the shuttle-cocks stuck on the beams. The players moved to the Masonic Lodge in Forth Street which was higher but still prohibitive. The badminton players suggested the new Sports Centre roof should be high enough and the committee decided the main hall should be a single-beam agricultural farm barn which has served the community for over forty-five years.

On 8th June 1971 the North Berwick Sports Centre was officially opened by Princess Margaret and the Community Association chairman Johnny Fowler and vice-chairman William Seaton were introduced to the Queen's sister. She was also invited to plant a tree at the entrance to the Sports Centre on the corner of Haddington Road. The centre was organised by volunteers and by 1973 the Sports Centre was so popular with the East Lothian public that the volunteers could not cope and the Centre was sold to the East Lothian Council for £50,000 which was paid back to the Community Association. For over thirty years the funds were invested and the interest awarded annually to sport related projects in the town.

In March 1993 a group of Bosnian refugees found safety in East Lothian. After escaping the civil war in the former Yugoslavia, they resided in Cheylesmore Lodge in North Berwick. In September 1994 plans to transform the derelict Harbour Pavilion into a Sea Bird Centre were approved. The proposal was first raised by Bill Gardner, a member of the North Berwick Community Council in 1992. Bill was part of a sub-committee looking at how the harbour area could be transformed. Since then Bill Gardner and his associates have drawn up plans to alter and extend the pavilion with a new facade. Later more ambitious plans were submitted fo the award winning Scottish Sea Bird Centre. All that remains of the Harbour Pavilion is the 'Glitter Ball' which is now on display in the North Berwick Museum.