Bolton

The following lengthy quotation about the parish of Bolton comes from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, edited by Francis Groome, published in London, 1903.

Bolton, a hamlet and parish of central Haddingtonshire. The hamlet lies toward the N of the Parish, on the left bank of Coalstoun Water, 3 miles S by W of Haddington, its post-town and railway station; and at it are the parish church (1809; 300 sittings), the manse, and the public school.
The parish is bounded NW, N, and NE by Haddington, E by Yester, SW by Humbie, and W by Salton. With a very irregular outline, it has an extreme length from N by E to S by W of 5 miles, a width from E to W of from ¼ to 2 5/8 miles, and an area of 3106¼ acres. COALSTOUN Water, a trout-stream of much gentle beauty, traces the north-eastern and the northern boundary; BIRNs Water, the south-western; and between these two rivulets the surface has a general southward rise, from about 200 feet above sea-level to 426 on the Gifford and Salton road, and 700 beyond Ewingston in the extreme SE. The rocks include coarse sandstone, and perhaps limestone too, but nowhere lie exposed, except for a short stretch of the Coalstoun's channel; the soil is in one part poor, consisting of tenacious yellow clay resting on tilly subsoil, but elsewhere is mostly a fertile clay or strong argillaceous loam. Nearly 400 acres are planted, and 55 or so are permanent pasture, the rest being all under the plough. The 'Chesters' is a greatly defaced square camp, 7 furlongs S by E of the hamlet; and at the hamlet itself stood a mansion with a park (The Orchards), which is said to have belonged to John Hepburn of Bolton, executed (3 Jan. 1568) as a leading associate in Darnley's murder. From the St Hilaries and the Viponts the manor of Bolton came to George, fourth Lord Halyburton (c. 1450), to Patrick Hepburn, first Earl of Bothwell (d. 1507), and to William Maitland, the famous Secretary Lethington (d. 1573), whose nephew was in 1624 created Earl of Lauderdale and Baron Thirlestane and Boltoun, a title still borne by the present (thirteenth) Earl. The fourth, however, sold the barony itself to Sir Thomas Livingston (Viscount of Teviot in 1696); and he, in turn, transferred it in 1702 to Walter Stuart, Master of Blantyre, whose collateral descendant, the twelfth Lord Blantyre, is one of the present 8 proprietors-3 holding each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 4 of between £100 and £500, and 1 of from £50 to £100. Eaglescarnie, the only mansion, stands on the Coalstoun, 1¼ mile ESE of the hamlet. Bolton is in the presbytery of Haddington and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale; the minister's income is £158. In the extreme W is a Free church for Bolton and Salton, l¼ mile NNW of the latter village, 2 SW of the former. The school with accommodation for 68 children, had (1891) an average attendance of 41, and a grant of £51, 1s. Valuation (1892) £3088. Pop. (1871) 364, (1881) 337, (1891) 271.