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Opening Ceremony for the Devlin Fountain in Starbank Park 1910 |
© Reproduced by courtesy of Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh
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Opening Ceremony for the Devlin Fountain 1910 |
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Starbank Park lies on high ground, sloping down towards the Firth of Forth, a short distance to the west of Newhaven Harbour. The ceremony for the opening of the Devlin Fountain in Starbank Park was held on 23 May 1910. Here is another photograph of the opening ceremony in 1910: |
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1910 The Scotsman newspaper reported the following morning:
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2006 Today, in 2006, the base of the Devlin fountain can still be seen at the northern end of Starbank Park. Its 1910 plaque to TL Devlin is still in place. There are low railings around the fountain. I don't think that any trace is left today of the of the fountain at Annfield. John Stevenson (who used to live nearby) tells me that the drinking fountain used to be at the foot of the steps that led down to the Firth of Forth from Hawthorn Vale at Annfield. The creation of Leith Western Harbour in the mid-20th century took away the shoreline at this point. Chancelot Flour Mill was built within the new Western Harbour, a short distance to the north of where the drinking fountain used to stand. |
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T L Devlin Thomas Leishman Devlin has played a prominent part in the life of Newhaven and Granton. In the 1880s, he sold fish. From the early 1890s, until his death in 1919, he built up his wealth through establishing a fleet of trawlers that sailed out of Granton. |
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Devlin Fountain Who is in the photograph? |
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Thank you to John Devlin, USA, grandson of Thomas Leishman Devlin (1)'s brother, John Devlin who speculated about the people in is photo. John wrote: "My guess is that the lady in the very handsome light colored dress, holding the flowers, is probably Grace Devlin and that the distinguished gent to her right is probably Thomas Leishman Devlin (1). Among the other gentlemen, I would also guess that one of them is my grandfather John. Among the group of children to the far right in this picture is probably my father, he would have been 9 years old. This is only speculation." John Devlin, Sun City, Florida, USA: January 13, 2007 |
