Pencaitland and Ormiston @ Urbansea

It was left to the sons of the saintly Queen Margaret to reconstruct the organisation of the Church, and David I (1124-1153) was particularly active in this work. However, it was his brother and predecessor, Alexander I (reigned 1107-1124) who put English or Norman bishops into the Celtic Cathedral of St. Andrews. Before the Scottish […]

Coal mining had provided a new wealth to many people although not necessarily to those that had to extract the black gold.  Coal mining in and around Pencaitland had been carried out for a long time, even before the industrial revolution of the 1800’s. A man named “Samuel Johnstoun, of Elphingston between the years 1622-25, […]

In 1617, Adam Johnestoun and Andro Huntair being “justices of the peace” in the parrochine of Pencaitland were made responsible for carts and horses being in readiness at the times and places to be appointed for the conveyance of His Majesty’s luggage.  They must accept their offices under pain of rebellion. On one occasion the […]

There are at least two ancient dovecotes in Pencaitland parish, one on the Penkaet (Fountainhall) estate, and the other situated in a grass park near the Trevelyan Hall.  The structure of the former belongs to the usual type crow-stepped lateral walls and a steep pitched roof, though the roof is now gone.  There are 180 […]

Heading eastward from the junction of the main A68 Dalkeith to Jedburgh road turning leftwards along the A6093 at the war memorial, before too long the countryside opens up, past the farmlands of the West Byres, to reveal the lands of Ormiston. By car, instead of turning down into Ormiston, constrained by convenience, one is […]

Robert Moffat, missionary was born on 21 December 1795. His father was a custom house officer; the family of his mother, Ann Gardiner, had lived for several generations at Ormiston. In 1797, the Moffat’s moved to Portsay, near Banff, and in 1806 to Carronshore, nearFalkirk. Robert went at an early age to the parish school, […]

Mary Hamilton Campbell, Lady Ruthven, was a prominent aristocrat who resided at Winton House. The village of New Winton, between Pencaitland and Tranent, was built by her to replace houses that were falling down within the grounds of Winton House. She also built a new school in the village next. Next to the school she […]

George Wishart was born in Scotland and he died as a martyr at 33 years old. He was a teacher of New Testament Greek at Montrose. He was exceptional in his eloquence and manner of communication. Being the time of the reformation, he adopted the Reformed view of Scripture, denied the errors of the Catholic […]

John Knox was born in 1514 in Haddington, Scotland, and died in 1572. He was a Scottish Reformer and disciple of George Wishart. In 1546, he was taken to France and made a galley slave. In 1549, he was freed and went to Englandwhere he became a preacher at Berwick. He preached against the Catholic […]

In 1635, certain lands in Easter Pencaitland were confirmed by King James to James Livingston (Jacobo Levingstoun). In 1636, certain lands were granted to Sir James McGill, and in the same year lands of “Eister et Wester Tempilhall” are granted to John Pringle, W.S. (M. Joanni Pringill). In 1638, a large grant of lands is […]