Haddington

 I had a rather lazy morning, which I must admit, isn't difficult on the farm. Passing through the gates, one certainly senses that life is certainly much slower here. 

I headed back into Haddington, starting with a pub lunch at the Victoria Inn. What a treat. The food was amazing. 

From there, I walked through the town to St Mary's Church. Of course once a family historian enters a cemetery, all sense of time is lost. 

Certainly not a sight often seen in a cemetery!

The Tyne River runs through town and provides a lovely backdrop to the old buildings. 

I was interested in learning more about the John Gray Centre and was able to meet with Local History Officer, Dr Hanita Ritchie. The Centre hosts the archival collections (poor law, lair & cemetery, Council & Burgh, photographs), maps and local newspapers. As well, the Centre has documents to help with house history research, family research and local history research. 

The Centre's collections cover the whole of East Lothian, not just Haddington. The full listing is here: https://www.johngraycentre.org/collections/local-history-centre/

During lockdown, Dr Ritchie started a series of podcasts and those can be found here: https://www.johngraycentre.org/collections/local-history-centre/podcast-haddingtonshire-histories/

The Centre is happy to take enquiries for anyone researching their East Lothian roots. You can email them directly. The contact information is also on their website, here: https://www.johngraycentre.org/visit/

There is a museum that has very interactive displays. Experiential learning is just so important and I was thrilled to see that incorporated into the various displays.

Turnip sower sifted dirt from the turnips which were crucial for feeding cattle

This strong box held important documents for the Ancient Fraternity of Free Gardeners of East Lothian

A very old curling rock 

This door is from a cottage at Papple Estate and is inscribed by some of the farm workers

 

Haddington is a town with a deep and rich history. And it has a great deal of charm.