Editing Arbroath (section)

===The port===
Arbroath's prospects originally revolved around the harbour. The original harbour was constructed and maintained by the [[abbot]] within the terms of an agreement between the [[burgess (title)|burgess]]es and John Gedy, the abbot in 1394 [[AD]].<ref name="brhisabb"/> This gave way to a more commodious port in 1725,<ref name="brhisabb"/> which in turn was enlarged and improved in 1839, when the sea wall, quay walls and breakwater were added to the old inner harbour, at a cost of £58,000.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Great Britain Parliament. House of Commons |title=Minutes of evidence taken before the commissioners appointed to inquire into the state of tidal harbours |publisher= H.M. Stationery Office |volume=16 |year=1845 |pages=45–49 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f2sSAAAAYAAJ}}</ref> Arbroath became a major coastal shipping port and in 1846 there were 89 Arbroath-registered vessels, totalling 9,100 gross tons. In the same year, 599 vessels docked at Arbroath, 56 from foreign ports (mainly [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] ports) and the remaining 543 employed on the coastal trade. Bark, flax, hemp, hides, oak and fir timber, and guano for manure, groceries from London, and numerous articles of Baltic produce were imported via Arbroath, with manufactured goods (mainly sailcloth) exported.<ref name="brithist"/>
[[File:Arbroath Harbour.jpg|left|thumb|Arbroath Harbour]]