I confessed my ignorance to the question posed by Professor Ian Gow of Stirling University, who was explaining his recent research findings.

He discovered that Harry Shanks, born around 1580, was a gunner on a Spanish vessel when he jumped ship at Hirado near Nagasaki in 1620 and lived in the English trading post there. Although Harry later gained a reputation as a ‘womaniser’ and lover of drink, he left his money to Trinity House in Leith to be used for charitable purposes.

It’s a pity that information on Harry is so limited as he lived in Japan at a fascinating time, just after the Shogun had overthrown the Emperor and shortly before the country closed its doors to the rest of the world. What a tale Harry could have told!

I mention Ian Gow’s research on Harry Shanks as precisely the type of information I hope will emerge from Edinburgh Council’s celebration of the 900th anniversary of the royal charter in 1124 establishing Edinburgh as a burgh. Local residents and groups were encouraged to research topics in their own areas and to publicise their findings. The Council provided grants and advice with celebrations starting last month.

Of course much attention will be paid to the role the city centre has played in the growth not only of the city but in the history of Scotland. Edinburgh has expanded from a quarter of a square mile to 102 in that time. In which time it has been the home of Scottish Kings and Queens, successive Scottish Parliaments, the distinctive Scottish legal system and the Enlightenment.

Why be concerned about our local history? One reason is that it is interesting in and of itself. For politicians like me trying to manage a city growing in population an appreciation of local history may help. When we make plans we need to be sensitive to history and traditions and the role they have played in forming the culture of the local area.

Equally, if all residents understand local history, it could help make the changes occur more harmoniously.

In areas such as Leith, which has seen the decline of older industries and the growth of the service sector and where there have been numerous new housing developments to accommodate the city’s increased population, it helps the new residents to understand the distinctiveness of Leith. It should not be seen as ‘just another part of Edinburgh’. Along the coast at Granton, these concerns are right at the heart of the way we are taking forward the huge new developments there.

That’s why we must move away from the idea of the history of Edinburgh as the history of the city centre. It continues today with cruise ship passengers getting on buses and bypassing the port areas for the World Heritage sites. I hope the 900 celebration acts as a trigger to highlight the histories of other parts of the city.

Particularly those in the north, where I have lived for most of my life. It would be great if we could find out more about Harry Shanks but there is much more about the history of Leith to investigate and publicise.

Leith and Edinburgh have an odd relationship. At times Edinburgh has held back Leith’s progress. For example Leith merchants in medieval times had to take their merchandise up to the town centre to be weighed and measured. On the other hand would Leith have become Scotland’s leading port if it wasn’t part of Scotland capital city?

Leith has contributed much to the city. Its trading background gave the city an international focus. Its craft guilds added a democratic spirit to a city which was notoriously slow in accepting a widening of the franchise. It had shipbuilding, glass and engineering at its industrial heart. It’s difficult to imagine an industrial dispute as fractious and heated as the dockers strike of 1913 taking place in any other part of the city.

Of course Leith’s almost 100 years as a separate burgh ended in 1920 despite a plebiscite opposing amalgamation. The fact that the built up areas of the two burghs had progressively converged made amalgamation inevitable at some stage. It is said that a pub straddling both sides of the boundary had different closing times. Depending on whether you lived in Leith or Edinburgh.

Further along the coast I look forward to finding out more about Newhaven’s fishing traditions, its role in the pioneering days of photography and the building of The Great Michael - the largest ship in the world in the early 1500s. In Granton, the story of the world’s first train ferry and the areas role in the development of electric cars are other areas of interest.

Edinburgh’s 900 year story is far more than the story of the Old and New towns. We look forward to digging up and celebrating more neglected tales. ■