JAN-MAR 19
January 2019
The theme for January is hotels in Dunbar and below there are photos of and comments on 3 historic Dunbar hotels.
Kerridge’s (now the Bayswell) Hotel (click on all photos to enlarge)
The first photo shows a familiar building in Dunbar – The Bayswell Hotel – which was formerly known as Kerridge’s . A 1903 commercial directory – Slater’s – lists the hotels in Dunbar and includes “Kerridge’s Family hotel (facing the sea) (Mrs.
J. Kerridge, proprietress), Bayswell Park, Dunbar”. On the Scottish Military Research Group site, one of the comments on the Dunbar War Memorial quotes a source stating “Intimation has been received in Dunbar by his relatives that Private Louis Kerridge of the Cameron Highlanders, has been killed in action. He had been out of the trenches on eight days leave, and on the day in which he returned he was killed. A post-card was received by his children from him which bore the words “Be good. And God bless you.” Deceased was the son of Mrs Kerridge of Kerridge’s Hotel, and at one time was a very prominent player in the Dunbar Football Club.” A Bayswell Hotel researcher states that “The hotel was built in the 1890s and was then known as Kerridge’s Hotel. In 1901 Jane Kerridge was the Hotel Keeper. She was a widow aged 61”. Jane and George’s daughter was Emily who married Thomas Craig jnr in 1905. Jane a widow lived at Portlodge at the time. Emily and Thomas became the owners of the George Hotel (1911 census) then they moved into the Craig en Gelt Hotel around 1920.
Notification of Kerridge’s move to Dunbar
This advert from The Haddingtonshire Courier in the History society archives does not have a date on it but will be in the 1890s. The hotel was originally owned by George Kerridge as indicated here, although there is no mention of his wife. An interesting reflection of the times is that the hotel is offering “good stabling”, presumably for those arriving in carriages and “good baths” as if a bath might not be taken for granted when staying in a hotel.
Photo featuring Jackson’s Hotel
If you enlarge the photo above, you will see that the building at the bottom right is Jackson’s Hotel. This later became the Railway Hotel and then the Dolphin Hotel. At present, it is empty and awaiting development. Across the road is the house that would later become the Royal Mackintosh Hotel. The photo is part of the “Dunbar, From Church Tower” series.
Hillside Hotel – formerly YMCA
This photo is of what is now the Hillside Hotel but at one time was a YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) guest house. Jim Herring recently met a 92 year old man from Edinburgh who remembered staying in the Hillside YMCA as a youth in the 1950s.
February 2019
We’re sticking with hotels for February – 2 Temperance hotels and 2 others.
Wilson’s Hotel on the High Street
Wilson’s Temperance Hotel was where the Bank of Scotland is now on the High Street. On the A1 History site (scroll down) – where the photo was first put online, it states “Wilson’s Temperance Hotel at 95 High Street occupied the site where the Bank of Scotland now stands. The next door flats, now demolished, have boards up advertising a business run from each house. The lower one is for A W Anderson, Watchmaker”.
The following – on the origins of temperance hotels in Scotland – is taken from a Glasgow University thesis.
“The most obvious avenue for enterprise was temperance hotels. Some dated from the anti-spirits era but more were from the Forbes MacKenzie Act era – counter-attractions to dubious ‘commercial hotels’ connected like brothels with after-hours drinking, spurred by expansion of the temperance press. They were regarded as “practical protests” against drinking and ‘safe places’ for the eternally vigilant. Their numbers rose sharply in mid Victorian Britain. Like coffee houses, they often provided reading rooms and ‘stock rooms’ for businessmen. They were used by itinerant dental surgeons, and as community facilities, as temperance halls were”.
The Albert Hotel now the Dunmuir Hotel
The Albert Temperance Hotel was on Newhouse Terrace and later became the Goldenstones Hotel. It was built as a hotel in the early 20th century and is now the very successful Dunmuir Hotel, which notes on its website that “Work to create a hotel on this site began in 1898, when construction began on an elegant Victorian building in red sandstone. It had a grand oak staircase, ornate plasterwork and art nouveau fireplaces, and opened for business in 1902 as the Albert Temperance Hotel”.
Castle Hotel and shops in the High Street
The next hotel is The Castle which stands there today and has a long history in the town. It opened as the Castle Inn in 1867 and was later changed to the hotel name. The shops around it are interesting also. If you enlarge the photo, you will see Mr Folkarde’s West End Store on the corner. Mr Folkarde was the father of DDHS Secretary Pauline Smeed. Next to the hotel is Gordon’s Provision Stores, with the lorry being unloaded outside. Next to that is John Cowan and Sons, Summerfield Mains Dairy. Summerfield Mains was the farm which stood on the land where the new council houses were built in the late 1940s/early 1950s. The name of the next shop is unclear but after that, the Danish Creamery shop can be seen.
Edenholme later the Eden Hotel
The final hotel is referred to here as the Edenholme Private Hotel. DDHS member Dr Pat Simpson has been researching this hotel and provides the following information: Built in the 1820s, the Eden Hotel was originally the family house of the Sked family, who ran the Dunbar Foundry next door. They built huge steam driven threshing machines. Part of the foundry walls can still be see today at St Pauli. Bought by retired Lt Col William Purves of the East India Company, in the 1850s, he named it Edenholme. It remained a 2019 private house until the 1930s, when it became a hotel under various names, such as Edenholm Guest House and Edenholm Private Hotel. In the late 1940s, it adopted the name Eden Hotel, finally reverting to a private residence in 2018.
March
This month, we move on to cafes in Dunbar in the 1950s and 1960s. Click on all photos to see an enlarged version.
Doric cafe in Dunbar High Street
The first cafe to be highlighted is the Doric which was situated in the High Street where the present Pound Shop is. John Janetta ran the cafe and in the 1960s, it was a haunt for teenagers to meet up. This cafe was probably best known for its jukebox and John Janetta always had the latest pop chart songs. So it was a very social place but many people from the 1960s will remember it as a place where romances blossomed and faded. To the right of the cafe was the ironmonger Universal Supplies which was run initially by the McLuckie family and later by the Jamiesons.
Togneri family outside the Lido cafe and billiard hall
This photo is taken outside the Lido Cafe which was located in the High Street where the Chinese restaurant – the one down from Umberto’s) now stands. The photo is dated 1938 and shows Guy Togneri on the left, John Togneri on the right. The woman in the middle is as yet unidentified. The billiard hall was attached to the Lido Cafe and was a very popular venue for young men until the 1970s. It was where many boys met after school – and sometimes during school hours. The cafe is remembered for its ice cream and hot orange amongst younger people and its meals and snacks amongst older visitors. It was always packed during the summer with visitors.
Carruthers’ restaurant and cafe
The 3rd cafe is Carruthers’, which was a restaurant, cafe and sweet shop combined. It was situated on the High Street where Fade Lasers now stands (2 doors down from Dunbar News). It belonged to the parents of DDHS member Charlie Carruthers, whose family took over the shop from the Misses Main in 1954 and expanded the range of meals offered. This was another cafe which had visitors queuing down the High Street all summer and was the lunch venue for young women taking part in the swimming pool beauty contests in the 1950s and 1960s.
Side view of Lauderdale Garage
Lauderdale Cafe opposite The Glebe
The final cafe is the Lauderdale Cafe which stood opposite The Glebe and next to the present Lauderdale Garage. The first photo shows the side view of the cafe which was later demolished. The cafe was run by Kitty and “Gentleman George” Armet and was previously owned by the Hallam family. There was a sweet and ice cream counter at the front of the shop and a cafe at the rear. Kitty Armet is seen in the middle of the 3 women. In the enlarged version, you will see that the cafe sold Hood’s ices, Dunbar lettered rock and local postcards. It was very popular with visitors to Lauderdale Park and Dunbar swimming pool.
APRIL-JUNE 19
April 2019
This month features one shop in Dunbar – William Main & Sons – the recently closed Saddlers’ shop and cafe. The shop was situated on the West Port and the shop building, with its large windows is still there. The brochure below was donated to the Society by David Main and is published here with his permission, as are the photos of the shop’s unusual clock.
W Main brochure front page (Click on all photos to enlarge)
The front page of the brochure (best enlarged) which celebrates one hundred years of the shop’s existence, shows the original shop which was in the High Street, just along from the Town House, and the newer shop in the West Port on the site of the former West Port Temperance Hotel.
W Main brochure p 2
The second page of the brochure (best enlarged) reads “In 1881, Haddington born WILLIAM MAIN started the saddlery and harness making business in the county town, moving to Dunbar in 1887. The premises then were in the centre of the High Street, adjacent to the Town Clock. At that time, the saddler was an essential member of the community, both rural and urban, and continued in this essential capacity until the horse was ousted by the combustion engine. William married in 1887 and a son, David, was born in 1892”. The photo is of William Main 1857 – 1923.
Below this, the text reads “It was with David at the helm that the business was moved, because of municipal developments, from the High Street to the West Port. Here he purchased what was the West Port Temperance Hotel and converted it into Dunbar’s first iron beam construction, double windowed shop. Saddlery work decreased as mechanisation on the land increased, and by the mid thirties, the trading description was ‘Saddlery and Sports Outfitting’. The development of sports outfitting was appropriate in a small town that was beginning to make itself known as a holiday resort”.
W Main brochure p3
The third page of the brochure (best enlarged) reads “David was joined in the business by his son William in 1948. In these post-war years, there was a marked revival in horse and pony ownership and at this point, the premises were enlarged to make a large modern workshop and tack room to display the full range of saddlery and riding wear. The next stage was hardly diversification but an extension of the horse and pony scene. Pony trekking was still in its infancy when the Dunbar Pony Trekking Centre started with Exmoor ponies. The herd of Exmoor ponies has now been increased and it is recognised to be one of the largest, if the not the largest in the world. It is interesting to note that this breed of pony is now on the ‘species at risk’ list and is in great danger of becoming extinct.
The sixties saw a further branching out when an agency was acquired from a national seeds firm and a large trade was also established in seed potatoes – naturally of East Lothian origin. The following twenty years saw a major modernisation programme and a further expansion to accommodate the latest diversification. Now in 1981, one hundred years on, the Garden Centre proudly opens its doors into the second century”.
Clock in W Main’s shop
Close up of W Main clock
The clock in Main’s shop was on the far wall of the shop but could be seen as you entered the shop. The clock was made in Plattsburgh, New York and advertises Vanner and Prest’s Molliscorum which was used to cure muscular problems in horses, and sold in bottles. The company also made harness oil.
May 2019
This month’s photos are taken from the exhibition, curated by Pauline Smeed, which is available in the History Society’s room in the Town House. The exhibition is entitled “Summers in Dunbar” and covers a number of aspects of Dunbar as a tourist destination.
Returnable keys from the Roxburghe Hotel
The photo above shows 2 keys from the Roxburghe Hotel which was situated at the east end of Dunbar, next to Dunbar Golf Course. Room 42 was, according to Nigel Marcel, son of the former owners of the hotel, on the top floor, facing the sea and he confirmed that when guests did go off with keys from the hotel, they were inevitably returned with a stamp affixed to the key. At its peak, the hotel was one of the most important in Scotland and attracted many famous golfers who stayed in the hotel when taking part in major tournaments in Scotland.
Town Council booklet on Dunbar
This photo shows the cover of a publicity booklet published by Dunbar Town Council in the 1960s, with its claim to be the Sunniest resort in Scotland. Dunbar did have a high number of hours of sunshine during the year compared with other towns, although whether it had more hours than other resorts would have been difficult to prove. The swimming pool, with the main pool, the children’s pool and the boating pond can be clearly seen. The water was filtered, but not heated, so it was generally cold. The bottom of the main pool was painted turquoise, so that the pool looked more inviting – and warmer – in the sun. The anguished yells of those who dived straight in confirmed the coldness of the water.
Advert for the Palace of Pleasure
This early advert for the Palace of Pleasure, which was situated near the east beach, sought to attract visitors to the various attractions available. Interestingly, the advert asks visitors to spend “a pleasant half hour” at the amusements, perhaps suggesting that the owners expected a quick turnaround of customers. The Palace of Pleasure had slot machines, a monkey house and a rifle range. Bingo was added later as was an external area where kids could play on dodgem-like cars. This space is now a children’s playground.
Dunbar Kermesse in the 1960s
One of the attractions in Dunbar in the 1960s was the series of cycling events known as the Dunbar Kermesse. The races took place in Church Street, Castle Street, Victoria Street, Lamer Street and Woodbush. These streets were closed off when the races took place – at weekends during the summer – and cyclists raced at great speed round the streets in circular laps. The events always attracted large crowds of visitors, some who came specifically for the races.
June 2019
The following photos are of pages in another 1960s brochure produced by Dunbar Town Council. There is no date on the brochure but it was before 1969 as the cost of a caravan space at Winterfield was given as 7/- a night for July and August and 45/- a week. On the title page, it states “Dunbar: the official guide book. Issued by Dunbar Town Council. Produced and compiled by John L Grainger, Publicity and Entertainments Officer for the Royal Burgh of Dunbar”.
Advert for the Lothian Hotel “Click to enlarge – recommended)
The photo above shows the Lothian Hotel which was run by the Togneri family and was recognised as a slightly more upmarket private hotel, well known for its good food. Note the attractive flower pots all along the front of the hotel. Interestingly, it refers to the “right” atmosphere – and if you did not know what that was, well….. you shouldn’t be asking. The photos also shows Starks Motor Services office next door and people could buy bus tickets or book places on tours here. To the right is Downie’s paper shop and next door to that is Melvin Smith’s Ladies and Gents Outfitter, then Knox’s paper shop and then Grahame the baker’s. All of the businesses shown here did very well with the large number of visitors which Dunbar had in the 1960s.
Belhaven Beach attractions in the 1960s
There was excitement to be had at Belhaven beach in the form of the two sports above. Stock car racing attracted many visitors and locals, who came to see the thrills and (especially) spills of the battered cars which raced around the beach on summer evenings. Some cars came off the “track” which was roughly marked out, and ended up in the water, having to be quickly rescued by drivers and spectators.
4 guest houses for people to visit in Dunbar in the 1960s
Many of the tourists to Dunbar in the 1960s stayed in guest houses and 4 of these are shown above. You can see that two of the residences have “Hot and cold in all rooms” noted in their adverts i.e. this was not guaranteed in all guest house rooms. There were of course, no ensuite rooms available in these guest houses or indeed hotels at this time – there was no expectation of such luxury that we now take for granted 60 years later. Also, three of the four adverts indicate that guests should expect “personal supervision” and this was one of the attractions of guest houses – a friendly welcome. Some people returned to the same guest house every year and became well known to the proprietors.
Two of the caravan sites in Dunbar in the 1960s
At this time in the summer, people turned up in droves to the 2 caravan sites shown above. The top site was at Winterfield and the caravans started at the bottom of the main rugby pitch. In the photo, you can see at the top right, Knockenhair House and further to the left, after the trees, the large house which also dominates the skyline. Further to the left, just above the caravans, you can see the old rugby club house which was replaced by a new club house in the early 1970s. To the left of the man standing in front of the fence, was a building which contained the site administration office as well as showers, changing rooms and toilets. The site below was at Kirk Park and is now a housing development. This site had similar facilities to the one along the road at Winterfield. In the photo, you can see the top of Belhaven church on the left and the caravan site bordered the land behind the church.
JULY-SEPT 19
July 2019
This month features the Playhouse and some surviving photos of the exterior and interior of the picture house/cinema
Exterior of the Playhouse (Click to enlarge all photos – recommended)
The Playhouse stood at the Abbey Church end of the High Street and the space is now occupied by the Cherrytrees Nursery. The photos shows the Art Deco exterior of the Playhouse, with steps going up the middle and a board showing what films could be seen that week. In the 1950s, on the left hand side of the cinema was Frank Shield’s shoe repair shop and when you entered, there was a wonderful smell of leather and glue. On the right hand side at that time, there was Birrell’s sweetie shop. People bought sweets here before going to a film but there was also a counter which sold sweets inside the foyer.
In the foyer of the Playhouse
The photo above shows part of the foyer in the Playhouse and this was taken after it closed in 1984. On the left is the where you paid for your ticket, and next to that is the entrance to the stalls. The stairs led up to the extensive balcony. For town the size of Dunbar in 1937 (when it opened) the Playhouse was a huge cinema and it was said that the people who came to judge the size of the potential cinema came in the summer months, when Dunbar was full of tourists.
Advert for the Playhouse in December 1950
The above advert from December 1950 shows the films – the “big” film and the “wee” film on Monday to Saturday. As there was no television, people often went to the picture house more than once a week. The advert also shows that it was Gaumont British News which was shown in Scotland, and not Pathe News shown elsewhere in the UK. You can see a trailer for Challenge to Lassie here – and you may be surprised by the location. Listen out for some truly awful accents.
Inside the Playhouse cinema
The final photo above shows the inside of the cinema and it is in this photo that you can really see the Art Deco features – on the wall next to the screen, in the ceiling patterns and in the stylish lights. You can see the balcony upstairs and just catch a glimpse of the front row of the stalls. On Saturday mornings, when the matineees were shown, there was a mad rush of kids trying to get a seat in the front row.
August 2019
This month and September 2019 will be devoted to maps of Dunbar at different times. For August, we will look at part of John Wood’s map of Dunbar which was published in 1830. Copies of the Wood map are on sale at the History Society and Tippicanoe in Dunbar HIgh Street and cost £4. There is a very good article on the origins of Wood’s map here. David Anderson has contributed to the notes below.
Dunbar High Street in 1830 (Click on all maps to enlarge – recommended)
This part of the map looks at the eastern end of the High Street. Key features of this map are on the left hand side, the Masonic Lodge which was situated on the High Street next to what is now Douglas Reid’s showroom. You can read more about Dunbar Freemasons here. The tron or town weigh beam was originally outside (Weights marked)On the right hand side the 1st United Secession Meeting House is highlighted and the entrance to the church (aka meeting house) was from Church Street. Wood doesn’t seem to show the manse which was on the west side of the church. One very interesting feature of this map is that it shows that behind the left hand side of the High Street, it was mainly orchards and gardens.
Dunbar High Street in 1930
The second extract from Wood’s map moves us up the High Street. On the right hand side of the map, we can see that James Lorimer owned a large section of land and this was called Sandwell Gardens, which were used as market gardens. The Assembly Rooms are clearly marked. This building was erected in 1822 for meetings of farmers around Dunbar and was used by George Low and Son in the mid 20th century for auctions. The historian James Miller mentions it being for civic receptions, celebrations, balls, etc on the back of the Napoleonic period. Also on the map is Crows Wynd, sometimes called Craws Wynd, which later became Cossars Wynd. We can also see that as we move up the High Street, the trees disappear from the left and are replaced, as on the right hand side, with small fields. There is also an increase in the extent of building on the right hand side. Also of note is the extent of land on the left hand side owned by the Reverend John Jaffray, who was minister of the Parish Church which was built a decade earlier.
Middle of Dunbar High Street in 1830
The final extract shows the middle of the High Street, with the West Port on the left and Silver Street on the right. At the bottom of Silver Street, diagonally opposite is Coffin Street, known today as Colvin Street. To the right of Coffin Street a brewery is marked and this was the Dunbar Brewery. The John Gray Centre has more information on this brewery and on the history of brewing in Dunbar – see here. On the left hand side going down Silver Street is property owned by the Town Council – this was the new town jail and the vacant lot at the bottom right was the site of the original gasworks. There is a well marked on Church Street.
September 2019
The map this month is from 1893 and is an extract from a 6 inch map of Haddingtonshire as East Lothian was known then. The first two quadrants of the map are discussed below.
Upper right quadrant of the 1893 map (Click on all maps to enlarge – recommended)
The first part of the map to be highlighted takes in Broxmouth Estate, including The Wilderness , Dunbar Golf Course and the shoreline around the course. At the top right of the map, you will see the letters L.W.M.O.S.T. This stands for Low Water Mark of Ordinary Spring Tides. Below that is the High Water Mark. To the left of this can be seen Lawrie’s Den a rock stack off the golf course – see photo here but there is no explanation of the name. To the left of the Den, you can see Fluke Dub, described here as “A Small hollow bed of Sand Situated between high and low water mark and near the mouth of Brox Burn. Fish called flounders commonly called flukes are caught here hence the name”. To the right of Lawrie’s Den, Mill Stone Neuk is named and this was, according to the Canmore site, “A site where millstones have been quarried. Circular depressions may be visible, along with unfinished or broken millstones”.
On the golf course, you can see West Links and Mid Links as if they are two separate courses. to the left of Mid Links, is Sloebigging described here as “A Farm Steading in the policy of Broxmouth. It consists of a dwelling house two Storeys high outhouses And cottages the dwellings are Occupied by the Servants of the establishment of the Countess Dowager of Roxburgh and the land about 180 Acres is farmed by the Owner”. Under Authorities for Spelling are listed “Mr Denholm Broxmouth Dunbar, James Bishop Broxburn Dunbar, G Rennie Oxwell Mains Dunbar” but it is not clear who the owner might be. There is no information on the origin of the name. On the same site, The Vaults – see below Lawrie’s Den – is described as “A Row of three Cottages on the links at the Sea Shore about 1/2 Mile NE [North East] of Broxmouth House And derives its name from having been used as a Corn Store when the rents were taken by the Fuars; the whole basement rooms were arched or vaulted (hence the name) It has recently be converted into three commodious cottages, Occupied by Fisherman, And the property of the Duke of Roxburgh”. The authorities here are listed as “Mr Denholm Broxmouth Dunbar, G Rennie Oxwell Mains Dunbar”.
At the bottom right of the map, Strand House is named. This Canmore site which relates to the finding of burial cists, refers to “Trial trenching of the area of the demolished 19th-century Strand House and sheepfolds failed to unearth significant archaeological features or finds”.
Lower right quadrant of 1893 map
The second section shows the land to the south east of the town. At the top left, you will see West Lodge and South Lodge below. Historic Environment Scotland comment “The house [Broxmouth House) is now approached from the West Lodge, a single-storey 19th century building, as shown on the 1799 county map (Forrest, 1799). The entrance at the South Lodge is in use, and leads along the Green Avenue (1876, OS 25″) with a curving driveway flanking it to the east which was probably inserted in the 19th century”. The Forrest 1799 map can be viewed here. Below South Lodge, Broxmouth Ward is prominently shown. This Canmore site refers to an archaeological find “An early Bronze Age Beaker, Type F from Broxmouth Waird, Oxwell Mains, Dunbar, is preserved in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS), Edinburgh, No. EG44”, with Waird replacing Ward. For a detailed definition of Ward/Waird in this context, see here.
Further south is Little Pinkerton which is still a farm with cottages and a big house today. There may or may not have been a chapel at Pinkerton – see here. To the right is Fuller’s Hill referred to here as “[Situation] About 1 Mile W by S [West by South] from East Barns A hill of slight elevation on the farm of Meikle Pinkerton. Its surface consists of arable land. On it is a Trigl [Trigonometrical] Station called by Trigl [Trigonometrical] Party after the farm”. The site of the Battle of Dunbar 1650 is highlighted and above that there is a milestone (M.P.) showing Dunbar 2 miles away and Renton 12 miles away. Renton was obviously an important place in 1893 and you can read about its history here.
Oxwell Mains, now the site of the cement works, was a farm at that time and in 1854, this was described as “[Situation] About 3/4 Mile W by N [West by North] from East Barns. A farm house and out houses in good repair having a farm of about 400 acres of land attached. The property of the Duke of Roxburgh. A little to the S.W. [South West] of this farm house is the ruin of an old windmill”. The Old Windmill can be seen on the map to the southwest of the farm.
The nearby lime works were described in 1854 as “Large lime works having kilns attached on the farm of Oxwell Mains, the property of the Duke of Roxburgh”. To the southwest of the lime works, the Old Quarry is noted on the map and in 1854, this was recorded as Burlage Quarry “[Situation] About 1 Mile W by N [West by North] from East Barns. A large limestone quarry on the farm of Meikle Pinkerton. It is now but little wrought, and is nearly filled with water”. The term little wrought would not be used today. The 1854 references come from here. Further south, Fuller’s Hill is noted but no origin of the name could be found. It is still on modern maps, such as this one.
Overall, one of the key facts to be gathered from the analysis of this map is just how dominant the Duke of Roxburgh was as a landowner in this area.
OCT-DEC 19
October 2019
Following on from last month’s analysis of the 1893 map, this month looks at the remaining two quadrants of the map.
Third quadrant of the 1892 map (Click on all maps to enlarge, recommended)
Starting at the top right of the map, under the Municipal and Police Burgh Boundary, is Kirkhill House, described in 1854 as “About 3/8 Mile East from Dunbar Station A commodious dwelling house with Offices and a few acres of ground attached the residence and property of Dr [Doctor] Kellie”. The owner is later referred to as Dr Kelly, an owner of property in the High Street and West. See here for 20 references to Dr Kellie/Kelly and Kirkhill. Newhouse and Beachmont are listed and have streets named after them in the houses known as the Walker Homes.
Above Beachmont, you can see Seafield Cottage now called Seafield House in East Links Road and in 1854, this was referred to as ” [Situation] About 15 chains East of the Ph [Parish] Church. A neat dwelling house with Offices and garden attached occupied by Alexander Steadman and the property of R.C. Dunbar”. A chain was 22 yards when it was used as a measurement. R.C. Dunbar was Robert Corson. Going towards the Parish Church, a Police Station is noted and as you enter the High Street, the Free Church Manse on Church Street is shown, as is the Freemasons’ Lodge which opened in 1758.
Also at 34 High Street the New Inn Barracks are listed, and they stood on the site where the former St Andrews retirement home. This property is described here as “Commissioned by Earl of Lauderdale alledgedly as competition to the St George Hotel. Called the ‘New Inn’ then: still referred to as such today. Used as barracks in 19th century”. In the same document “Alexander Ponton, 1788-91. 3-storey, L-plan house with basement to rear wing” and a full description of the house’s architecture.
Going west from the barracks, you can see Edenholme which later became the Eden Hotel. The house was the subject of a DDHS talk by Dr Pat Simpson and this will be featured in the November 2019 Resources section. Further west, the gas works are noted and this Canmore site states “Dunbar Gasworks was probably founded about 1826 and substantially expanded in the 1880s; it is an early example of a dedicated municipal gas supply”. The gas works closed in the 1960s and many local people remember going to the gas works to get cinders for their house’s coal fire. The cinders came red hot out of the furnace and were put under a huge spray, resulting in a wonderful hiss and a cloud of steam. Gallows Green – now called Gala Green – is recorded in 1854 as ” About 10 Chains South from KnocKenhair. A narrow piece of land on the south side of the road leading from Dunbar to Edinburgh, in former times it is said Criminals were executed here”. No supporting evidence is given to verify the link between the area and hangings.
In the middle of the map, Lochend Wood is prominently shown and you can read the history of the wood, including an 1854 map, here. “Within the grounds of Lochend House are the fragments of a two-storeyed 17th century mansion” and you can read more about the house and its structure here.
Fourth quadrant of the 1893 map
The final quadrant of the map is shown above. Near the top of the map, to the east of South Lodge is Cleikminin, described in 1854 as “A Toll Bar at a junction of roads situated about half a mile south of the town of Dunbar” with a further note stating that “Cleikimin is a name usually applied to a public house by way sobriquet conveying the idea of ensuring entrapping customers & is applied to low public houses”. The site advises looking up cleik and it means a hook or walking stick, so Cleikminin presumably means “hook them in”. Further south, Easter Broomhouse is described in 1854 as “A farm house with extensive offices – a Thrashing Mill worked by steam – a garden and a large arable farm attached – and in the possession of John Dodgson – farmer”. Also noted – and on the mapto the south – is Broomhouse Mill – again under the name of Dodgson – “A corn mill with a dwelling house and some Cottages attached, erected by the proprietor for the convenience of the farmers residing in the neighbourhood”. Easter Broomhouse is now a group of cottages up from the Spott Roundabout. To the southwest is Wester Broomhouse, in 1854 “A farm house with offices, a thrashing Mill worked by steam, some Cottages, and a large farm attached; belonging to Mrs Ferguson of Beil”, with Mr Nelson, Farmer noted and who may have run the farm. He is mentioned in the description of Old Broomhouse – “Two or three cottages of a mean description, occupied by farm labourers in the employment of Mr Nelson, Broomhouse. It was formerly a farm house”. We can assume that of mean description means that the cottages were in a poor state of repair. It should also be noted that in relation to Mrs Ferguson, Beil was used as well as Biel – used today – as name for that area.
Finally, to the west of Broomhouse Mill is the site of what is often called the First Battle of Dunbar, where the Scots army was routed. For a full analysis of the battle, including maps, see here.
November 2019
This month sees an innovation in the Resources section in that it features extracts from one of the monthly talks given to the Society. After each talk – with the speaker’s permission – there will be four slides from the presentation, plus some notes. This will give those who missed the talk a chance to get a flavour of the talk, as well as giving those who did attend a reminder of the talk. The first talk featured here is by DDHS member and volunteer Dr Pat Simpson and her title was “Who lived at the Eden Hotel. 15 Belhaven Road, Dunbar was until recently called the Eden Hotel. Was it always a hotel, and who owned it and lived there?”. The talk looked at the hotel building’s history up until 1947. Below are some of the photos included in the talk, with added links by Jim Herring.
The modern Eden Hotel – now a private home (Click on all photos to enlarge – recommended)
Site of the original Dunbar Foundry
In 1805, George Sked built the Dunbar Foundry, on this site, remains of which can be seen in adjacent buildings. In 1854, the Iron foundry is described as “About 7 Chains West of the Wash Houses An Iron Foundry with a neat dwelling house and garden the property and residence of Messrs SKed”. Their main output was steam driven threshing machines, invented by Andrew Meikle of East Linton, with the help of John Rennie of Phantassie, who had knowledge of steam engines through his friendship with James Watt.
Soldier from the 9th Bombay Infantry
In 1851, recently retired Lt. Col. William Purves bought the property and named it Edenholm. He joined the Honorable East India Company Army aged 18 and was promoted to Captain of the 9th Bombay Native Infantry. Pat commented that, despite being a private company, the EIC had its own army and was more powerful than the state government in many areas of India. He married Elizabeth Ronaldson, a Haddington farmer’s daughter and later acted as army postmaster, quartermaster and adjutant, along with other senior roles. His daughter grew up there, married and moved away. On inheriting the property, she arranged for the addition of the red coloured extension, to house bathrooms and kitchens, prior to renting out the property. Indoor plumbing had finally arrived!
Indigo factory in India
One of the tenants was Herbert Collingridge. He went on to buy the house. His wealth came from growing indigo in northern lndia. The white on the horizon in this scene is the snow covered Himalayas. Indigo is best known as the dye for blue jeans. After his death, the house became a hotel, only acquiring the name Eden Hotel in 1947. After all, Edenholm Hotel would not fit so neatly above the door. So the Eden Hotel has a fascinating history and this was brought to life by Dr Pat Simpson’s excellent research in her presentation.
December 2019
This month’s entry focuses on Belhaven Bridge aka The Bridge to Nowhere. In response to a query to the Society from Canada, Robert Blair did some initial digging and Jim Herring followed this up with a more detailed examination of the index to The Haddingtonshire Courier from the 1870s. There were two small references to “a bridge” at Belhaven Sands in the 1870s, one indicating that funding was needed to build a proper bridge as the present “structure” – more a crossing than a bridge apparently – had been destroyed by high tides. So we get to the 1880s.
Haddingtonshire Courier 26 May 1882 (Click all extracts to enlarge – recommended)
The extract above from May 1882 appears to be promising and an indication that the bridge might be built in the near future. Alas not so and there are no more index entries until 1885. It should be noted here that a researcher only has the index entries to guide her/him and this means relying on the accuracy of the indexing i.e. there could have been more discussion of the bridge at this time and it could have been reported in The Courier but the indexer may have missed it.
Haddingtonshire Courier 23 October 1885
Although the extract above does not mention Belhaven Bridge, it is interesting today, in that it refers to the sand disappearing from the East beach and that the sand may have gone from the beach before the new Victoria Harbour was built in 1842. Plus ça change……….
Haddingtonshire Courier 05 February 1886
So we get to February 1886 and there is mention of “a new bridge at Belhaven” being included in the costs. The council proposed to hold “a bazaar” – what we would now call a sale of work maybe – to raise money for the project as a whole.
Haddingtonshire Courier 1st July 1887
So we now reach our desired destination – a date for the bridge being built. As the above extract shows, £100, 9s 3d was spent on “erecting the bridge over Belhaven Burn”. That was as far as Jim Herring got in his searches of The Courier indexes, but the John Gray Centre in Haddington stepped in to help.
Dunbar Beach Improvement Committee 27 November 1887
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