Port Edgar and Butlaw
In 1892, discussions had been underway for some time, between the Admiralty and the Treasury, regarding funding, in an attempt to acquire a suitable site for sick quarters ashore at Queensferry, primarily for the use of HMS Caledonia. Various locations in the area were considered, including Plewlands House and properties in the High Street. Also land in the Dundas and Rosebery Estates was considered. The requirement for such an establishment was to create the Royal Navy's first official settlement ashore at Queensferry.
Fate was to lend a hand in deciding a site for the sick quarters, when an outbreak of Scarlet Fever among the young Cadets aboard HMS Caledonia forced rapid action on the acquisition of land. There were fatalities and no records found so far, other than Memorial in the Old Kirk, the Vennel. –( H.M.S. Caledonia in Memoriam, …G. Gibson, Boy- 4.4.1892 - (aged 15, Meningitis), A.H. Robinson- 15.5.1892, J.W. Patterson- 16.5.1892 - (aged 17, Drowned), M. Masterson- 20.5.1892, S. Rowe- A.B. 31.5.1892, G.R. Brooman- Boy- 16.6.1892, J. Slobom- 10.7.1892- (aged 16, Drowned), D. Yunnie- 5.1.1893, W. Hutton-15.3.1893, T. Conoboy- 24.3.1893., C. McQueen-
6.5.1893 – (aged 17, Scarlet Fever), J. Leitch- 20.7.1893, Abraham Shaw- Boy-24.7.1894, William D.Nicholson- Boy-25.7.1894. - Erected by their Shipmates.)
The Earl of Hopetoun offered to lease 2 acres of ground at Lower Butlaw, and this was accepted. A temporary hospital, of galvanized iron was quickly constructed to isolate infected Cadets, at a cost of £500.00 sterling. At the same time the adjoining land was also acquired as a recreation field. This sports ground was later to be known by locals as "The Cale Park".
In 1903 the Admiralty obtained a larger part of the area from the Hopetoun Estate at a feu of £371 sterling per annum. This allowed for a more permanent and expanded Naval Hospital to be built. By 1905 the first buildings had been completed, the main hospital being in Lower Butlaw on the North side of the road.
Later further building was extended into the upper site. This consisted of two brick buildings, one to be used as Skin Wards and a larger brick building as Voluntary Aid Detachment Quarters, once completed the site became the Royal Naval Hospital, South Queensferry. All that remains today is a low stone wall which runs along the narrow road at Butlaw. For almost 25 years this hospital was to serve Naval Personnel in the Rosyth and Forth areas, both from ashore and afloat. On many occasions it would treat Naval casualties of World War One.
(There were to be more Military Hospitals than this in Queensferry, but more on them later).
Extracts are with kind permission of Peter A Collinson, condensed from his book 'The Royal Navy at Port Edgar'-2004.
© Queensferry History Group 2015
In 1892, discussions had been underway for some time, between the Admiralty and the Treasury, regarding funding, in an attempt to acquire a suitable site for sick quarters ashore at Queensferry, primarily for the use of HMS Caledonia. Various locations in the area were considered, including Plewlands House and properties in the High Street. Also land in the Dundas and Rosebery Estates was considered. The requirement for such an establishment was to create the Royal Navy's first official settlement ashore at Queensferry.
Fate was to lend a hand in deciding a site for the sick quarters, when an outbreak of Scarlet Fever among the young Cadets aboard HMS Caledonia forced rapid action on the acquisition of land. There were fatalities and no records found so far, other than Memorial in the Old Kirk, the Vennel. –( H.M.S. Caledonia in Memoriam, …G. Gibson, Boy- 4.4.1892 - (aged 15, Meningitis), A.H. Robinson- 15.5.1892, J.W. Patterson- 16.5.1892 - (aged 17, Drowned), M. Masterson- 20.5.1892, S. Rowe- A.B. 31.5.1892, G.R. Brooman- Boy- 16.6.1892, J. Slobom- 10.7.1892- (aged 16, Drowned), D. Yunnie- 5.1.1893, W. Hutton-15.3.1893, T. Conoboy- 24.3.1893., C. McQueen-
6.5.1893 – (aged 17, Scarlet Fever), J. Leitch- 20.7.1893, Abraham Shaw- Boy-24.7.1894, William D.Nicholson- Boy-25.7.1894. - Erected by their Shipmates.)
The Earl of Hopetoun offered to lease 2 acres of ground at Lower Butlaw, and this was accepted. A temporary hospital, of galvanized iron was quickly constructed to isolate infected Cadets, at a cost of £500.00 sterling. At the same time the adjoining land was also acquired as a recreation field. This sports ground was later to be known by locals as "The Cale Park".
In 1903 the Admiralty obtained a larger part of the area from the Hopetoun Estate at a feu of £371 sterling per annum. This allowed for a more permanent and expanded Naval Hospital to be built. By 1905 the first buildings had been completed, the main hospital being in Lower Butlaw on the North side of the road.
Later further building was extended into the upper site. This consisted of two brick buildings, one to be used as Skin Wards and a larger brick building as Voluntary Aid Detachment Quarters, once completed the site became the Royal Naval Hospital, South Queensferry. All that remains today is a low stone wall which runs along the narrow road at Butlaw. For almost 25 years this hospital was to serve Naval Personnel in the Rosyth and Forth areas, both from ashore and afloat. On many occasions it would treat Naval casualties of World War One.
(There were to be more Military Hospitals than this in Queensferry, but more on them later).
Extracts are with kind permission of Peter A Collinson, condensed from his book 'The Royal Navy at Port Edgar'-2004.
© Queensferry History Group 2015