and the grandfather of the famous Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Thomas Gladstones was a church elder for the 'Hill' district of Leith for over 40 years. At the point of the Disruption of 1843 North Leith parish was "vacant" (having no fixed minister) which seemed an encouragement to many to leave. North Leith Free Church was built on the corner of Coburg Street and North Junction Street, east of the church. 600 members of the congregation left, together with all the elders. The first minister was Rev William MacKenzie. The church could hold 1000 people. In 1857 Rev Robert MacDonald replaced MacKenzie. He organised the building of a magnificent new free church on Ferry Road, south of the original church. This was completed in 1859 and could hold 1100 people. The 1844 site was redeveloped as tenements. The 1859 church was demolished in 1981. A datestone was salvaged and re-used in the current church halls. North Leith Free Church no longer exists in any form. Rev Robert MacDonald served as Moderator of the General Assembly for the Free Church in 1882. North Leith Parish Church united with Bonnington Church in 1968, creating Leith North & Bonnington Church (using the Madeira Street building). In 1982, Leith North & Bonnington Church further united with Leith St Ninian's Ferry Road Church, creating the current congregation with the historic name North Leith Parish Church. Parish The parish largely consists of the north-west part of Leith, including the Fort housing scheme, Leith Docks, including the Ocean Terminal shopping centre, the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Scottish Government offices at Victoria Quay. Ministry No Presbyterian minister was appointed until 1598 (but there may have been some continuation of the original priests after 1560). The manse was built in 1600 to accommodate the minister. James Murehead 1598 to 1612 David Forrester 1613 to 1620 Henry Charteris 1620 to 1627 David Forrester 1627 to 1633 George Wishart 1638 Andrew Fairfoul 1641 to 1652 - became Archbishop of Glasgow John Knox 1653 to 1662 (preached at the nearby Citadel when displaced by Cromwell's soldiers) James Reid 1663 to 1671 Thomas Wilkie 1672 to 1682 translated to Tolbooth, St Giles James Hutcheson 1682 to 1687 translated to second charge of Greyfriars Kirk James Lundie 1687 to 1696 John Know 1687 to 1688 (assistant to Lundie?) Andrew Bowie 1697 to 1707 John Wilson 1708 to 1724 George Lindsay 1725 to