Editing Lerwick (section)

==History==
Lerwick is a name with roots in [[Old Norse language|Old Norse]] and its local descendant, [[Norn language|Norn]], which was spoken in Shetland until the mid-19th century. The name "Lerwick" means ''bay of clay''. The corresponding Norwegian name is {{lang|no|Leirvik}}, {{wikt-lang|no|leir}} meaning [[clay]] and {{wikt-lang|no|vik}} meaning "bay" or "inlet". Towns with similar names exist in southwestern Norway ({{lang|no|[[Leirvik]]|italic=no}}, {{lang|no|[[Lervik]]|italic=no}}) and on the Faroe Islands ({{lang|fo|[[Leirvík]]|italic=no}}).<ref>{{cite book|title=The Leirvik 'Bonhústoftin' and the Early Christianity of the Faroe Islands, and beyond.|first1=J. |last1=Sheehan|first2= S. S. |last2=Hansen|year= 2006|publisher=University College Cork (Department of Archaeology)|s2cid=56364631 }}</ref> 

Evidence of human settlement in the Lerwick area dates back to the [[Neolithic]] (4000–2500 BC) and the [[Bronze Age]] (2500–800 BC) known from paleoenvironmental records for human activity and the recovery of artefacts, including a stone axe head submerged in Bressay Sound. [[Iron Age]] (800 BC – AD 800) settlement is known at the [[Broch of Clickimin]], which was constructed as early as 400 BC.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Edwards|first1=Kevin J.|last2=Whittington|first2=Graeme|last3=Robinson|first3=Marie|last4=Richter|first4=Daniela|date=2005-12-01|title=Palaeoenvironments, the archaeological record and cereal pollen detection at Clickimin, Shetland, Scotland|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440305001299|journal=Journal of Archaeological Science|volume=32|issue=12|pages=1741–1756|doi=10.1016/j.jas.2005.06.004|bibcode=2005JArSc..32.1741E |issn=0305-4403|access-date=11 April 2020|archive-date=11 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411085510/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440305001299|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The first settlement to be known as Lerwick was founded in the 17th century as a [[herring]] and [[white fish (fisheries term)|white fish]] seaport to trade with the Dutch fishing fleet. This settlement was on the mainland (west) side of Bressay Sound, a natural harbour with south and north entrances between the Shetland mainland and the island of [[Bressay]]. Its collection of wooden huts was burned to the ground twice: once in the 17th century by the residents of [[Scalloway]] on the western side of Mainland, then the capital of Shetland, who disapproved of the immoral and drunken activities of the assembled fishermen and sailors; again in 1702 by the French fleet.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nKRnAAAAMAAJ|title=Orkney and Shetland: An Historical, Geographical, Social and Scenic Survey|first= Eric|last= Linklater|publisher=Hale|year=1971|page=181|isbn=9780709117544 }}</ref>

[[Fort Charlotte, Shetland|Fort Charlotte]] was built in the mid 17th century on Lerwick's waterfront, and permanent stone-built buildings began to be erected around the fort and along the shoreline. The principal concentration of buildings was in the "lanes" area: a steep hillside stretching from the shoreline to Hillhead at the top. Lerwick became capital of the Shetland Islands in 1708, taking over the function from Scalloway. The [[civil parishes in Scotland|civil parish]] of Lerwick had been in 1701 created from a small part of the parish of [[Tingwall, Shetland|Tingwall]], to which Scalloway still belongs. When Lerwick became more prosperous through sea trade and the fishing industry during the 19th century, the town expanded in 1891 to the west of Hillhead, thereby including the former civil parishes of [[Gulberwick]] and [[Quarff]], as well as the islands parish of [[Burra, Shetland|Burra]]. [[Lerwick Town Hall]] was built during this period of expansion.<ref name=townhall>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB37256|desc=Lerwick Town hall, Hillhead and Charlotte Street, Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, Lerwick|cat=A|access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref>

Lerwick war memorial dates from 1923 and was designed by Sir [[Robert Lorimer]].<ref>Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer</ref> The next period of significant expansion was during the [[North Sea oil]] boom of the 1970s when large housing developments were built to the north of Staney Hill (located in Lerwick) and to the south (Nederdale and Sandveien).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shetland.gov.uk/downloads/file/1958/north-staneyhill-development-framework-book-1|title=North Stanley Hill Masterplan|publisher=Shetland Council |page=27|access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref>

===Provosts of Lerwick===
The '''Provost of Lerwick''' was the head of the Lerwick Town Council. Provosts were elected by the council and served not only as the chairman of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire town. They were equivalent in many ways to the institution of mayor. The council was established in 1818 and abolished in 1975, when it merged with the Zetland County Council to become the [[Shetland Islands Council]].

{| class="wikitable"
!Years
!Name
!Title
!Occupation
|-
|1818&ndash;1823 || [[Arthur Edmondston]] || Senior Bailie || Doctor
|-
|1823&ndash;1827 || Charles Ogilvy Snr || Senior Bailie || Merchant
|-
|1827&ndash;1829 || William Spence || Junior Bailie<br>''Acting as Senior Bailie'' || Royal Navy staff-surgeon
|-
|1829&ndash;1832 || William Spence || Senior Bailie || Royal Navy staff-surgeon
|-
|1832&ndash;1844 || Charles Ogilvy Jr || Senior Bailie || Merchant
|-
|1844&ndash;1847 || Joseph Leask || Junior Bailie<br>''Acting as Senior Bailie'' || Merchant
|-
|1847&ndash;1856 || William Sievwright Snr || Senior Bailie || Solicitor
|-
|1856&ndash;1862 || Charles Gilbert Duncan || Senior Bailie || Solicitor, Bank Agent
|-
|1862&ndash;1865 || Joseph Leask || Senior Bailie || Merchant
|-
|1865&ndash;1874 || Charles Gilbert Duncan || Senior Bailie || Solicitor, Bank Agent
|-
|1874&ndash;1876 || William Sievwright Jr || Senior Bailie || Solicitor
|-
|1876&ndash;1883 || Major Thomas Cameron || Chief Magistrates || Military officer
|-
|1883&ndash;1890 || John Robertson || Chief Magistrates || Merchant
|-
|1890&ndash;1895 || Charles Robertson || Provost/Chief Magistrate || Merchant
|-
|1895&ndash;1904 || John Leisk || Provost || Merchant
|-
|1904&ndash;1907 || James Mouat Goudie || Provost || Ironworks merchant
|-
|1907&ndash;1910 || Arthur Porteous || Provost || Chemist
|-
|1910&ndash;1913 || Arthur Laing || Provost || Pharmacist
|-
|1913&ndash;1915 || Robert Stout || Provost || Postmaster
|-
|1915&ndash;1920 || Peter Scott Goodlad || Provost || Shoemaker
|-
|1920&ndash;1924 || Robert D. Ganson || Provost || Motor dealer 
|-
|1924&ndash;1927 || James Laing || Provost || Stonemason
|-
|1927&ndash;1930 || John T. J. Sinclair || Provost || Fisheries merchant
|-
|1930&ndash;1933 || William Sinclair || Provost || Baker
|-
|1933&ndash;1936 || Robert Ollason || Provost || Stationer
|-
|1936&ndash;1941 || James A. Smith || Provost || Merchant
|-
|1941&ndash;1946 || Magnus Shearer || Provost || Wholesale merchant
|-
|1946&ndash;1950 || James Aitken || Provost || Insurance agent
|-
|1950&ndash;1953 || Robert A. Anderson || Provost || Oil depot surveyor
|-
|1953&ndash;1956 || George Burgess<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shetlandmuseumandarchives.org.uk/blog/the-coronation|title=The Coronation|date=May 4, 2023|website=Shetland Museum & Archives}}</ref> || Provost || Wholesale grocer
|-
|1956&ndash;1959 || William Conochie || Provost || Stationer
|-
|1959&ndash;1962 || Robert Blance || Provost || Post Office clerk
|-
|1962&ndash;1965 || Harry Gray || Provost ||
|-
|1965&ndash;1967 || Andrew Nicolson || Provost || Post Office clerk
|-
|1967&ndash;1971 || Eric Gray || Provost || Draper
|-
|1971&ndash;1974 || William 'Bill' Smith || Provost || Post Office engineer
|-
|1974&ndash;1975 || James Taylor || Provost || Merchant
|}