Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

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twenty years. In 1318 Berwick was once more, and
for the last time, attached to the Scottish monarchy.
During the reign of James III., the crown was covet-
ed by the Duke of Albany, who, to support his pre-
tensions, introduced an English army into North
Britain, under the Duke of Gloucester, afterwards
Richard III. The affair ended in compromise; hut
Gloucester refused to withdraw his forces unless
Berwick was delivered into his hands. After a per-
severing diplomatic struggle, the Scotch were forced
to accede to the dishonourable terms; and on the
24th of August, 14S2, this oft-contested town and
castle were resigned to England. In 1551 it was
made a free town, independent of both England and
Scotland, which it still remains, with many privileges
peculiar to itself and its citizens. It is governed by
English laws, and does not come within the scope of
the present work. After it ceased to be the county-
town, the affairs of the shire were administered at
Dunse or Lauder; but on Greenlaw becoming the
property of Sir George Home of Spot, in 1596, it was
declared the most fit to be the shire-town, and this
arrangement was ratified by parliament in November,
1600. It did not, however, become the head-town
of the countv, in everv particular, till 1096.
BERWICK (NORTH), a parish and a royal
burgh, in the shire of Haddington, so called to dis-
tinguish it from the town and territory of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, which is sometimes described as South
Berwick. The parish is bounded on the north by
the frith of Forth ; on the east by Whitekirk parish;
on the south by Whitekirk, Preston, and Dirleton
parishes ; and on the west by Dirleton. The coast
towards the east is bold and rocky ; towards the
west it presents considerable stretches of level sand
and Hat grassy downs. Several rocky islets stud the
coast. A range of low but in some parts very
picturesque hills stretches across the southern part
of this parish, from Fenton tower, eastwards to
Whitekirk hill ; but the most remarkable hill is
North Berwick law, a very beautiful conical shaped
hill which, rising to the height of about 940 feet
above sea-level from a fiat country, is visible from all
sides at a great distance, and forms a well-known
land-mark to mariners. A few small rivulets in-
tersect the parish. The soil is in a high state of
cultivation, and the annual rental is about £25,000.
Population, in 1801, 1,583; in 1831, 1,821. Houses
284. As-essed property £12,976. — This parish is
in the presbytery of Haddington, and synod of Lo-
thian and Tweeddale. Patron, Sir Hew Dalrvmple,
Bart. Minister's stipend .£306 2s. 5d., with a glebe
of the annual value of £35, and 12 solan geese, with
the feathers on, from the Bass. Unappropriated
teinds £434 15s. 6d. Church built in 1670 ; altered
in 1770; reseated in 1819; sittings 550 A United
Secession congregation was established here in 1769.
Church built in 1832; cost £(130; sittings 390.
Stipend £105, with a manse and garden. There are
a parochial and a sub-parochial school, and three
private schools, in this parish; at which about 250
children are educated.
The most interesting natural object in this parish
is the Bass rock, which has already been described
under that head. The most interesting relic of
former ages is Tantallon castle, which will also be
described in a separate article. About a quarter of
a mile west of the town of North Berwick stand
the ruins of an abbey, or Cistertian nunnery, founded
in 1154 by Duncan, Earl of Fife. At the Reforma-
tion this nunnery contained 11 nuns, and was well-
endowed. It presents few traces of its former mag-
nificence. Views of it are given by Grose Adjoining
the harbour, on a small sandy knoll, are the slight
"einains of what is called the Auld Kirk, and which
has evidently at one period been surrounded bv the
parish burying-ground, now nearly washed away by
the sea.
The royal burgh and sea-port of North Berwick
is 22 miles north-east by east of Edinburgh; 11
north-west of Dunbar; and 9 north-north-east of
Haddington, It mainly consists of two streets
nearly at right angles to each other; but the parlia-
mentary boundary extends from the Yellow Craig
rock on the east, to Point Garry on the west — a
distance of nearly a mile in a direct line, but con-
siderably more by the curvatures of the coast — with
an average breadth betwixt the shore and the south-
ern boundary line of about 360 yards. There are 33
houses of £10 rent and upwards, within these boun-
daries. The municipal constituency, in 1839, was
24. The burgh joins with Haddington, Dunbar,
Jedburgh, and Lauder, in returning a member to
parliament. North Berwick is said to have had the
distinction of being a port from the time of Robert
II., and was created a royal burgh by Robert III.
Its privileges were confirmed bv a charter of James
VI., dated 18th September, 1568. It stands in a
rich and well-cultivated neighbourhood, and has the
character of having once been a place of some trade,
but at what period is nowhere stated. Sir. Tucker,
in his enumeration of the ports of Scotland in 1656,
does not even mention North Berwick, though he
notices Eyemouth and Dunbar, and the minor ports
of the Forth up to Borrovvstouuness. In the report
of the commissioners appointed by the convention of
royal burghs, in 1691, to visit the different burghs,
and report upon their condition, it is stated " that
there were neither yearly fairs nor weekly markets ;"
and the other observations on its trade are summed
up in these words, " ships they have none, nor ferry
boat, except two fish-boats which pay nothing to the
town." At the present day the harbour is formed
by a tolerably good pier, on which considerable sums
have been laid out ; but it is dry at low water, and
neither very easy of access, nor very well sheltered
when gained. There were in 1834 five vessels be-
longing to the port, amounting in burden to 249 tons.
Ten years before that the tonnage was 299 tons.
For forty years the trade may be considered to have
been stationary, the letting of the customs and shore-
dues having varied very immaterially during the
greatest part of that time. " There has latterly,"
say the Parliamentary commissioners, " been a great
falling-off in the grain and lime trade, but new ob-
jects of traffic have sprung up in the export of pota-
toes, turnips, and flour ; and within the last ten years
there has been a considerable increase in the impor-
tation of foreign rape cake, and crushed bones for
manure. There are no manufactures, and no traces
of any such ever having existed in the borough.
There are still no regular markets, arrd only two
annual fail's, one in the month of June, arid the other
in the mouth of November." A weekly stock grain-
market has recently beerr established here, with every
prospect of success from the rich agricultural charac-
ter of the surrounding district. It is held on Monday.
The revenue of the burgh, m 1833, was £141 18s.,
of which £S5 arose from customs and shore-dues.
The expenditure during the same year was £124 5s.
2d. ; and the debt amounted to £794 19s. 8(1. The
revenue, in 1S38-9, was £142. The municipal
government is vested in 12 councillor's, who elect 2
baillies, and a treasurer. The town-clerk is appoint-
ed by the magistrates during pleasure, and has a
salary of £10 10s. There is no regular burgh-court,
but sheriff small-debt courts are held here three or
four times in the year. The burgesses have a right
of commonty on the links on both sides of the town
In 1814, the town sold the island of Craigleith.