SALTOUN

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer (1868)

"SALTOUN, (or Salton), a parish in the county of Haddington, Scotland. It contains the villages of East Salton and West Salton. It extends in length about 3, miles, with an extreme breadth of nearly 3 miles, and is bounded by the parishes of Pencaitland, Gladsmuir, Haddington, Bolton, Humbie, and Ormiston. The surface is moderately even, the highest point being reached by the Skimmer hills, which rise about 600 feet above the level of the sea, and stand nearly central of the parish. The soil is of great variety, including loam, light sand, clayey loam, and clay. The land is chiefly arable, with a portion wood and pasture. The climate is dry and healthy. Limestone and freestone are worked to some extent. The Salton and Tyne waters here unite their streams, and nearly encircle the parish. The parish is traversed by the road from Edinburgh across the Lammermoor hills to Dunse. The village of East Salton, which contains the parish church, is about 16 miles S.E. of Edinburgh, and 5½ S.W. of Haddington. It is situated on the Edinburgh road and the river Tyne, about half a mile distant from West Salton, which stands on the Salton burn, near the western border of the parish. The lordship anciently belonged to the Morvilles, lords of Galloway and the Abernethies, but was purchased in 1643 by Sir Andrew Fletcher, the patriot, who introduced the manufactures of pot-barley, fanning corn, weaving, and bleaching from Holland; and his nephew, Lord Milton, established the first bleach-field of the British Linen Company in 1750. There are now no manufactures except a small bleach-field, starch works, and a paper mill. This parish is in the presbytery of Haddington and Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale. The stipend of the minister is £312. The parish church is an ancient cruciform Structure, with a modern spire. There is a Free church for Salton and Boulton. At West Salton is an endowed school. The principal seats are Salton Hall and Herdmanston House, the latter the property of Lord Sinclair. The living was formerly held by Patrick Scougall, the celebrated Bishop of Aberdeen, whose son Henry, author of "The Life of God in the Soul of Man," was born here in 1660. The poet William Dunbar, often named the Scottish Horace, was born here in 1465, as was also Lord Milton, who held the office of Lord Justice Clerk during the rebellion of 1745. A cattle fair is held on the last Thursday in May.

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

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