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Prestonpans and Vicinity

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28 30 32 33 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64
66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 81 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102
104 106 108 110 112 114 116 118 120 122 124 126 128 130 132 134 136 138 140 142
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blowing with might and main, though never a creature heard him. Ralston asserted, what was more to the point with drouthy neighbours, that he always kept the best gaun dram in Prestonpans at a "penny a glass. "
HARLO HOUSE.
Harlo House is a fine old building, situated on the Hill of Harlo. Whether the hill gave name to the house or the house gave name to the hill is hard to discover; but the hill, no doubt, was there centuries before the foundations of the house were laid. The house was built early in the 16th century, possibly by David Hamilton. At all events, this brother to George Hamilton of Preston occupied Harlo House in 1596, taking a great part with Davidson in forming his church, and, along with Fallsyde and others, an elder in it. The house is presently occupied by the Rev. Dr Calder Macphail, late of Pilrig, Edinburgh.
THE BARROWS OR BURROWS.
This is a brae-face, simply a continuation of Harlo Hill, down to the shore. The origin of the name is hard to get at.
There are many curious old buildings situated there yet, but it was simply crowded at one time with old hovels, and so crushed with population, that it became a common saying that " the people burrowed there like rabbits, " and so it became " The Burrows. "
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPLE.
The Statistical Account of the parish 1845 gives the following: —" There are many excellent people in the parish at the present time, and it is earnestly to be hoped the number of such may yearly increase. Violations of the Lord's Day are not so customary as they were wont to be. "
We think the " excellent" of Prestonpans have not at all events decreased in numbers, neither have the people lost respect for the Lord's Day.
A TANNERY.
It seems evident from names and designations found on tombstones, especially in the West Churchyard, that there must at one time have been a tannery in the village; but the oldest villagers never heard of such an institution here, and there is no tradition about a tannery in the locality.
WEALTHY PEOPLE.
Among the names of those who were considered very wealthy in the village about the middle of the 18th century, we find the Mathies, Hoggs, Youngs, and Shirreffs. There are few of these names to the fore now in Prestonpans.
A BUSY MAN OF THE PRESENT TIME—JAMES HOWDEN.
Among those we feel proud to mention in these pages connected with the district is Mr James Howden, of Glasgow. He writes: " I have always been exceedingly averse to any published notices regarding myself or my work. " But his works are so extensive, and among the multitude of worthies having a connection with the district, and herein brought forward, we humbly think it would have been unfair to have left such a genius out of the roll. Prestonpans will be proud to claim him as one "who has risen from the ranks. " Of his great engineering works we learn that about ten years ago his business was the construction of engines and boilers for steamships, and fitting out these ships complete with their machinery.
From time to time he patented improvements in the designs of such machinery, some of which patents became well known, and came into general use. One patent especially, for producing a high rate of combustion, combining with this at the same time a great economy of fuel, became so valuable to steamship owners, that in order to prosecute its improvements more rapidly he gave up his general marine engineering business and restricted himself to the furthering of his forced combustion processes, for which he held several patents.
His business during these half-score years till now has been confined to working these patents, his clients being steamship owners and marine engineers in all maritime countries.
He does not undertake the fitting of his apparatus on board ship. This is done by the engineers, who contract with the owners to fit their ships with the whole machinery, including his system of combustion for the boilers.
These engineers pay him a royalty on the horse-power of such steamers for the use of his system, There are, however,

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