When asked about the Great Fire, the majority of us would immediately think of the Great Fire of London in 1666. However, there was a Great Fire of Dunfermline that occurred 42 years earlier, and the event had massive ramifications for residents of the town.

The Great Fire of Dunfermline began on 25 May, 1624. While this year marks the incident’s 400th anniversary, there is still a wealth of information about the event available that gives us in the modern day an insight into the damage it caused, and how it shaped Dunfermline as the city it is today.

Mark Macleod, manager of Dunfermline’s Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, explained: “In those days they used to have a Wappinschaw Day, so this is an opportunity for menfolk to get together, I think annually, and test out their weapons.

“In the 1600s there’s no police force, no kind of local law enforcement or anything like that.

“So they would have that during the day and what they say is that a younger member of the community let off a musket and a spark went on to one of the thatched roofs on the street, and the wind caught it, and because the wind was blowing from the west, it went right across the town.”

An image in the Annals of Dunfermline shows that roughly 70% of the town was within line of the flames, meaning that numerous people would have had their homes or businesses damaged in the fire.

READ MORE: 17th century Dunfermline to be rebuilt in LEGO form

Mark explained that because of the way the wind was blowing that day, and because the majority of buildings were thatched that: “They wouldn’t have long for it to go on fire.

“Most of the town disappeared, Abbot House tells the story of being the only house standing since 1624 because it’s built of stone. It stood a far better chance against the rest of the high street.”

As a result of the fire, petitions were sent to parishes and towns across Scotland for financial support. Mark added: “The books tell us that Edinburgh gave 4500 marks, Perth 70, Aberdeen 1600. Charles the first, who was still living at this point, sent £500.

“Local boroughs nearby sent money so that Dunfermline would be able to rebuild itself.”

Charles I was actually born in Dunfermline Palace, the second son of King James VI of Scotland, and I of England, and his wife, Queen Anne of Denmark. However, there is a story surrounding the then Prince Charles’ infancy.

The story goes that the baby Charles was covered in a dark cloak by a fairy which his nursemaid is supposed to have seen. This started rumours that Charles had been switched for a changeling (a fairy child left behind in place of a kidnapped human one).

Dunfermline had always been a location linked closely to the monarchy, and so perhaps this prompted the ill-fated king to make such a generous donation to the town where he had been born.

As the fire took place in May, those who were affected would either camp or live where they used to as best as they could until the buildings were rebuilt.

While the fire of Dunfermline was devastating for those who lost their homes and businesses, the event is significantly less well-known than the Great Fire of London, but Mark has some ideas as to why that is.

“I can’t tell you if anyone died, I’ve got a feeling nobody died. That maybe doesn’t make it as exciting, and London had the plague the year before and it [Great Fire of London] killed a lot of the rats who were carrying the plague. The rest got burned. It acted as a cleansing agent.

“That city came out bigger and better. Dunfermline didn’t have those kinds of issues with the fire.”

As previously reported in the Press, to mark the 400th anniversary of the fire, Heritage Quarter organisations in the city will be rebuilding Dunfermline entirely out of Lego. 

Organisations taking part in the Great Fire of Dunfermline Lego Build include the Andrew Carnegie Museum, Abbot House, and the Abbey Church. Historic Environment Scotland has been coordinating the event between different venues.