Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/170

This page needs to be proofread.
162

HADDINGTON. 162 IIADDINGTON. Cromwell overran and became complete master of the whole county. The final historical event in connection with Haddington, was the battle of Preston, in which Prince Charles, in 1745, obtained his victory over Cope. This co. contains 24 pars, and two quoad sacra pars., composing the presbs. of Haddington and Dunbar. The royal and parliamentary boroughs are Haddington, the county town, Dunbar, and North Berwick. The number of Free Church congregations is 14, and there are 9 Pres- byterian dissenting bodies of different denominations, and one Episcopal chapel. The number of inhabited houses in 1851 was 6,444, and the population in that year 36,386. In 1861 the houses were 6,841, and the popula- tion 37,623. It sends one member to parliament for the county, exclusive of Jedburgh and Lauder, which join with the above boroughs in sending another. The govern- ment of the county is confided to a lord-lieutenant, vice- lieutenant, and 35 deputy-lieutenants, a sheriff, and sheriffs substitute. There are 11 police districts in the county, having stations at Haddington, Athelstaneford, Korth Berwick, Dirloton, Linton, Tynninghain, Stenton, Dunbar, Gifford, Garvald, East Salton, Pencaitland, Tranent, Ormiston, Gladsmuir, Preston Pans, Oldham- stocks, Aberlady, Gulane, and Humbie. Geographically the county is divided into the highland and lowland dis- tricts, the former being the southern division, including the spurs of the Lammerrnuir hills ; the latter the northern, where the surface gradually slopes towards the shores of the Forth. Sparleton Hill, North Berwick Law, and Trapraine Law, are among the chief elevations. The Tyne, though but a small stream, is the principal "water." It issues from Mid-Lothian, and, entering the county in the W., receives the Armot, Salton, and Gifford waters, and falls into the sea near Tynninghain House. The other streams worthy of notice are the Calstone, Biel, White- water, Fastna, and the Peffer. The Danskino and Pres- meunan locks are the only locks of any size ; the latter is an artificial shut of water. There are medicinal springs in the parishes of Spott, Pencaitland, and Humbie. The principal geological formations are the Old Red sandstone and carboniferous limestone, with granular quartz, mostly resting upon transition rocks. Gray wacke enters largely into the composition of the Lammerrnuir hills, and a class of clinkstone is met with at the Garleton Hills ; also, red trap at Dunbar harbour, and basalt and hornblende at Whiberry Head and Ravensheugh Craig. The coal-fields in the western part of the county belong to the great cen- tral coal-fields of Scotland. The surface also affords a supply of fire-clay, shale, ironstone, sandstone, and pot- ter's clay. Like most hilly countries, the climate of Haddiugton is very variable. Snow and piercing winds often retard the crops of the highlands for three weeks, or even a month, behind the vegetation of the low- lands. The soil near the coast is a red loam, which is extremely productive, but in the hilly districts the land becomes moorish, interspersed with rich valleys. The district of the Tyne valley is one of the most prolific spots in the East Lothians. It has been so from a very early period, but was held in a state of villanage till even modern times. Foremost among the cultivators of the land were the monks, who, as early as the 13th century, were very skilful in the management of extensive orchards. Wheat, beans, turnips, and parsnips, constitute the principal crops. In the hilly districts the breeding of cattle occupies the principal attention of the farmer. The favourite breeds are the Leicester and Cheviot sheep, and the short-horned Teeswater cattle. The farmers are intelligent, adopting modern improvements, and paying so much attention to drainage, &c., that the system of farming pursued in the East Lothians has become celebrated throughout Europe. Tho farms average from 200 to 500 acres in extent, and are rented on leases varying from 19 to 21 years. The fisheries of the county have degenerated of late, and occupy but a very trifling proportion of the inhabitants, the great business of the county being agriculture. The coal-fields and quarries give employment to a few, and there are potteries at Preston Pans, where salt was for- merly worked. There are numerous handsome resi- dences throughout the county. Among them may be men- tioned Yester House, of the Marquis of Tweeddale ; Coals- ton, of the "Marquis of Dalhousie ; Tynningham, of the Earl of Haddington ; Durbar, of the Earl of Lauderdule; Gosford, of the Earl of Wemyss ; Hermanston, of Lord Sinclair; Smeaton, of Hepburn, Bart. ; Newbyth,of Baird, Bart. ; North Berwick House, of Hew Dalrymple, Bart. ; Kilmorton, of Kinloch, Bart. ; Fountain Hall, of Lauder, Bart. ; Stevenson, of Sinclair, Bart. ; Lochend, of War- render, Bart. ; Dunglass, of Hall, Bart. ; besides Clcrk- ington, Biel, Whittinghame, Preston Hall, Salton, Bel- ton, Spott, Lethington, Winton Hall, Dummore, North- field, Thurston House, and several others. Basil Hall was born at Dunglass, Alexander II. at Haddington, Fletcher at Salton. Lethington was the birthplace oif Secretary Maitland, and Preston Kirk of Ronnie, the en- gineer. Till very recently few countries were so badly off for roads as Haddington; and in 1848 it had but one savings-bank. There are now roads from Tranent to Gladsmuir, Haddington, Linton, Dunbar, Cockburn- side, and Berwick ; from Tranent to Preston Pans, Aberlady, Dirleton, North Berwick, and also from the same point to Pencaitland, Gifford, Dunse by Sayr's Law, and thence to Berwick. The North British railway enters the county near Fallside, and, passing by Tranent and Preston Pans, takes a N.E. direction. It sends off branches to Haddington and North Berwick. Tho re- mains of antiquity are numerous and interesting, com- prising British, Roman, Danish, Saxon, and Norman works ; as encampments and tumuli at Garrald, Bolton, Carfrae, Inuerwick, Inveresk, Ormiston, Whittingham, and Humbie ; feudal castles, as Innerwick of the Hamil- tons, Tantallon of the Douglases, Yester of the Giffards, Dunglass of the Homes, Dirleton of the Halyburtons, Dunbar of the earls of March, Wintoun of the Setons ; also Dolphiugton, Elphington, and the Bass ; a priory at North Berwick, and a nunnery at Garrald. HADDINGTON, a par., market, and county town, and royal burgh, in the co. of Haddington, or East Lothian, Scotland. The par. contains the hmlts. of St. Laurence and Abbey, besides the town of Hadding- ton. It has for its boundaries, Aberlady, Athelstaneford, Bolton, Morham, Prestonkirk, Gladsmuir, Salton, and Yester. Its greatest length is 7 miles, and its greatest breadth 6J. The area of the par. is about 22^ miles. The surface is undulating. The river Tyne flows through a very delightful district, and the whole of the parish is in a high state of cultivation. The Garleton Hills, clothed with beautiful plantations, rise in tho N. This parish gives name to a presbytery in the synod of Lothian and Tweeddale. It is a collegiate charge. The stipends of the ministers average from 380 to 400, exclusive of their manses and glebes. The parish church is thought to have been built in the 13th century. There are besides another Established church not at present used, two Free churches, two United Presbyterian churches, Indepen- dent, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic chapels. There are borough and parish schools, also a ragged school, and several private establishments. The principal seats in tho parish are Lennoxlove, that of Lord Blanty Coalstoun, of Lady S. B. Burke ; Armisfield, of 1 Wemyss ; Clcrkington, of Col. Houston ; Stevenson, i Sir R. Sinclair ; Lcthem, Alderston, and Huntington. The town is pleasantly situated on the right bank of the Tyne, and has a station on the Edinburgh and Berwick railway. The High-street is a long, straight thorough- fare, lined with handsome shops and fine buildings. The County buildings, which stand at the W. end of the town, are very imposing. Haddington also con- tains a townhall (a fine building), gas-works, churches, chapels, a prison, corn exchange, three banks, savings bank, several insurance agencies, several libraries, dispensary, benefit societies, and agricultural societies A bridge of four arches connects the town with its suburb called Nungate. The chief trade of the town depend: on its extensive market for farm produce. It is one of the principal corn markets in Scotland, and a consider- able number of cattle are sold at an auction sale held once a fortnight. Its principal manufacturing establish- ments are, two breweries, a tannery, distillery, iron-