Royal Mile poorhouse to toast of Hollywood

Published on Sunday 22 November 2009 22:12

HE WAS the Scots musical maestro whose career saw him work with stars such as Petula Clark, Adam Faith, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis Jnr.

• Composer, musician and songwriter John Keating was possibly the last child born in Huntly House in Edinburgh

Johnny Keating, the self-taught composer of the theme from Z Cars, quit his home city of Edinburgh for the bright lights of London and Hollywood.

But now new research has revealed that not only was he the last person to be born in one of the capital's oldest buildings, but that his family's links to the house could stretch back to the early 16th century.

His mother, Esther, is thought to be a distant relation of James Aitchison, the famous Edinburgh goldsmith who built the Royal Mile building where Keating was born more than 400 years later.

Organisers of a week-long initiative to encourage people living in historic buildings in Edinburgh to research their history have revealed Keating's family links with Huntly House.

The A-listed building opposite the Canongate Kirk is widely recognised as one of the most historic buildings anywhere in the city.

It was once home to the Incorporation of Hammermen of the Canongate, a group of goldsmiths, blacksmiths, cutlers, locksmiths and saddlers.

Sir Archibald Acheson, secretary of state to King Charles I, lived in a courtyard mansion to the rear of Huntly House, which has been a small museum since the 1930s.

The building had been a notorious poorhouse in the 19th century, but it was bought by the city council in 1924.

Keating, who was born there three years later, did not know his probable ancestor was James Aitchison.

Martin Keating, son of the veteran composer, who is now 82 and suffering from dementia, said his father was "hugely proud" of his roots. "Even when we moved to London, we were always coming back up to Edinburgh and he took great pride in showing us where he was born."

Edinburgh World Heritage, which is running the House History initiative with the city council, said it was "little-known" that Keating had once lived in Huntly House.

Spokesman David Hicks said: "The historical connection is through Johnny Keating's mother – her maiden name was Esther Aitchison.

"The first documented owner of the property at 146 Canongate was James Aitchison in 1517 – not only the same name but the same unusual spelling, too."

Keating, who played trombone, piano and accordion, moved to London in the 1950s and his career took off.

He went on to write, produce and compose for Lena Martell, Crosby, Sammy Davis Jnr and Tony Bennett, and was behind chart hits for 1960s pop stars Faith and Eden Kane.

A VERSATILE MUSIC MAN

JOHNNY Keating made his name on the jazz scene in Edinburgh playing with bandleaders such as Tommy Sampson and Hughie Gibb at the Eldorado Ballroom in Leith and the Fountainbridge Palais.

His career began to flourish in London after joining the Ted Heath Band and he found work as a composer and arranger. He wrote the score for a number of Hollywood films, including Hotel, starring Rod Taylor and later turned into a TV series; A Talent for Loving in 1969 (with Cesar Romero and Catherine Deneuve); and Innocent Bystanders in 1972, a thriller with Donald Pleasance.

He also wrote the theme for Z Cars, the police TV series, and put out the single with his own orchestra in 1962.