NORTHESK, a quoad sacra parish (for a time), comprising
the sea-port of Fisherrow, in the parish of Inveresk,
county of Edinburgh, 5 miles (E. by S.) from
Edinburgh; and containing 3414 inhabitants. The
town of Fisherrow is situated on the western bank of
the Esk, near its influx into the Firth of Forth, and
forms part of the town of Musselburgh, with the rest of
which it is connected by three bridges over the river.
One of these, erected after a design by the late eminent
Sir John Rennie, is of very handsome appearance. The
spacious High-street, on a line with the London road,
contains many substantial and well-constructed houses;
and Bridge-street, leading to Musselburgh proper, is
also elegantly built; but the houses in most of the
other streets, and in the lanes, are of a far inferior description,
and inhabited chiefly by persons employed in
the fishery ofl" the coast. The fish caught here are haddock,
cod, turbot, ling, skate, flounders, whiting, and
occasionally soles and mackerel; in the taking of which
twenty-eight boats, averaging twenty tons' burthen, and
having each a crew of five men, are, with nearly an equal
number of smaller boats, constantly engaged during the
season. The owners of the larger boats proceed to
Caithness, Dunbar, and Sunderland, from the middle of
July till September, during the herring season. They
also, in December, make voyages to the east of the Isle
of May. The produce of the fisheries is usually carried
ill baskets by the fishermen's wives and daughters to
Edinburgh and other places in the vicinity.
The trade of the port is identified with that noticed in
the article on Musselburgh; and the inhabitants of this
place, in addition to their participation in the manufactures
of that town, are engaged in the salt-works of the
parish, and in the making of bone-dust for manure, in
which about 200 persons are employed. In the vicinity
are some handsome seats and villas; the principal are
Belfield, Campie, and Olivebank. There is a post-office;
and facility of communication is afforded by the road
from Edinburgh to Berwick, and by the North-British
railway. The church was built by subscription at a
cost of £2500, of which £375 were a grant from the
Assembly's fund, and £200 from the presbytery of Dalkeith.
It was opened for public worship on the 9th of
September, 1838; the structure is in the later English
style of architecture, and contains 1000 sittings. The
minister derives his stipend from the rents of the seats,
and collections: the patronage is vested in trustees
chosen by the male communicants, heads of families.
There are places of worship for Burghers, Independents,
and Wesleyans. One of the schools of the burgh of
Musselburgh is here; also a school maintained by Sir
Charles Fergusson, Bart.: in connexion with the church
is a Sabbath school, to which is attached a library of
500 volumes; and there is an infant school, supported
by subscription. See Inveresk, and Musselburgh.