Haddington Twinning Association Bulletin Board

At the very heart of Haddington is to be found one of the semi jewels of Scotland, where the East Haugh runs towards the Nungate Bridge. Many times I have stood with visitors , whether from the South or further abroad, gazing Westwards from the old bridge over the Tyne, to the great church of St. Mary, Lamp of Lothian. I shall never tire of this, one of the most beautiful townscapes in Britain, and it never fails to astonish my guests with its grandeur and unspoiled beauty.

St. Mary’s Parish Church – with an Auld Alliance iris, to celebrate our twinning with twin town Aubigny.

Haddington has been a Royal Burgh since the 12th Century and in Medieval times it was one of Scotland’s more important towns, Kings and Queens from William the Lion, Alexander 11 [ who was born in Haddington ] , Henry 1V of England, Mary of Guise and Mary Queen of Scots have had associations with the town. Wars and seiges took a heavy toll of Haddingtons’ medieval buildings, leaving only the great church which was itself partly ruined until its restoration in 1973.

The Lamp of Lothian Trust has played a key part in raising funds and public support for the restoration of St. Mary’s – Haddington House – the home of Jane Welsh Carlyle and the unique community centre of Poldrate Mill. These are among the key attractions of Haddington.

The Seige of Haddington had lasted one and half years, the longest seige in our History, and it reached Haddington in about 15th September 1549, their first act on taking Haddington had been to destroy the Kirk of St. Mary, their last was to set fire to the town, and so they went, taking with them the kirk bells, strangely unhindered in their retreat, which may in part have been due to the weather, the continuous rain which demoralised the English was equally a hindrance to their opponents. The River Tyne in flood has been a fearsome event even into recent times.

The Abbey which not many years before had hosted Parliament, lost its Abbess when she married, the buildings were abandoned and were soon ruinous, and no trace of it survives apart from some masonry which was probably used for improvements to the Nungate Bridge.

By 1561 Presbyterianism was well established and in that year work was started on the ruined St. Mary’s to re-roof the Nave and wall it off from the Choir and transepts. The Nave thus became a satisfactory venue venue for the new forms of worship, and the rest of the Church, open to the skies and the elements, soon bore the air of a romantic ruin, and so it remained for over 400 years, perhaps awaiting a miracle.

The Lauderdale Aisle occupies the former sacristy of St. Mary’s Church , built in the mid 1400s , it was reappropriated as a burial aisle for the Maitlands of Lethington after the east End of the Church fell into disuse at the Reformation of 1560.

John, 2nd Lord Maitland became James V1’s Lord Chancellor in 1586. He was credited with revolutionising Scotland’s goverance by removing power from Scotland’s aristocracy and creating an administation of professional people.

At his death in 1595, Maitland was laid to rest in the family burial vault at St. Mary’s Church. His wife, Lady Jean, was buried next to him on her death in 1609.

Some years later, John’s son, created Earl of Lauderdale by James V1 in 1624, erected an elaborate monument to his father’s memory on the north wall of the burial aisle. James wrote an epigraph to the former chancellor to be placed on top of the monument, but this is now lost.

The Maitland Monument is a spectacular piece of commemorative sculpture. Richly ornamented, its one of Scotland’s most impressive memorials. It holds near full- size effigies of John Maitland and Lady Jean, and herald display.

To friends near & far.

Hope you have enjoyed a little bit of Aubigny ! 6th November 2021

Ask in Haddington today where, in the town, one of the Kings of Scotland was born and you may get a lot of blanck faces. But once Court Street was King Street and it was here.

County Buildings.

In 1833 when the foundations of the present County Building were dug, the remains of the Palace of Haddington were discovered. It was here that, King William II [ William the Lion ] would spend some time and it was here that, on 24th August 1198, his son Alexander was born. Alexander was the only son of William & Ermengarde of Beaumont. He spent some time in England and was knighted by John of England at Clerkenwell Priory in 1213. Alexander succeeded to the kingdom on the death of his father on 4th December 1214.

Designed by William Burn, one of Scotland’s most eminent architects, Haddington County Buildings was built as County Buildings with a Burgh Court house that dates to the year of the 1833 Police Burgh Act of Scotland. The 1833 building has fine stone detailing and is an early use of the Tudor Gothic Style in public buildings The 1932 additions by WJ. Walker Todd, an equally well recognised architect, are well detailed in a complimentary historicist style.

Haddington County Buildings has two significant phases of construction : 1833 to the East and a later extension in 1932 to the West and South linking the building to an earlier 19th Century villa to the West corner. The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map of 1853 shows the footprint and internal plan of the 1833 court house, marked as the County Buildings. The three height sections returning from the South West corner of the building are evident in this plan. The map also shows the County Buildings within a large walled enclosure which also contains the town jail to the rear.

There wasca later internal refurbishment to the Southwest wing in 1956, at some point in the later 20th and earlier 19th Century former villa has been linked internally to the 1932 section.

The Gothis style of this building was a departure in design and unusual for Court Houses of this period, as they were predominantly built in an austere classical design.

The Birthplace of Alexander II of Scotland, which is noted on a plaque to the front of building.

A view of the Memorial to George Hay, VIII Marquis of Tweeddale [ 1787- 1876 ] which stands on Court Street, Haddington. It was erected in 1880 to commemorate the man who had been a distinguished soldier and Lord-Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire.

On the North side of Court Street is a collection of very fine buliding housing banks, and here too, is Haddington’s Post Office, which can be traced back to 1603 and one of the very first Post Offices in Scotland, servicing mail between the newly unified capitals of Edinburgh & London.

To end, a photograph of visitors from Aubigny being ably lead on a Tour by , then, President Mr. Frank Elliott.

Irene Higgenbotham 11th October 2021.

Some weil kent faces here in 1995, for 30 years of Twinning with Aubigny. Technology not so far advanced then – No Zoom only landline to Aubigny.

The Author of this play was born in Haddington. From the age of seven he has been “entertaining” . From early days singing to boy scouts and to singing on top of a bofors gun on a troop ship to India he has covered a lot of ground. During the war in the East he joined E.N.S.A. playing in troop concerts in India, Egypt, South Africa, Assam and in England.

After the war he became a professional actor with Repertory companies in England and in Scotland. He joined now reowned company of Glasgow Unity Theatre with Roddy McMillan, Russell Hunter and Marjorie Thomson. Douglas played an Indian pedlar in the Gorbals Story for over 600 performances. This play took him to London’s West End Garrick Theatre, London.

Tonight’s play is his third foray into the realm of playwriting. ” Light of my Life” his first play was based on the life of Jane Welsh and Thomas Carlyle. ” The Wit to Woo”, a comedy, won a drama award in Scotland. Douglas is now retired and lives in Haddington with his wife, two dogs and a cat. He is still entertaining and writing and playing for the Lothian players.

Excerpt from France to Fotheringay programme June 1987.

Both Douglas and his wife are now deceased.

Irene Higgenbotham 18th September 2021