BURIED TREASURE!
While Mr David Costello. a well-known local demolition contractor,
was demolishing the butcher shop once owned by Mr William Baxter
at the foot of Ayres Wynd and next to the War Memorial, he came
across a bottle which had been placed within the wall structure
when the building had been built. Inside this bottle was a letter
and three George III coins. The letter dated 15th February'. 1821.
reads thus:
"Into whose hands this may come it will be understood that
Mr Charles Burnett. farmer in Seton. is proprietor of this house
and Mr John Guthrie. grocer and spirit dealer is tenant at present.
At the time this was deposited a new floor was laid by David Marr
in time for a Charity Ball that was being held here on the 27th
of this month. Mr Watson and Robert Aitcheson are to be the managers
of said Ball. The room's 33 1/2 ft. long and 18 1/2 ft. broad
and is often occupied for a Ballroom and for different societies'
Annual Meetings. In June last the Carters Society Annual Meeting
was held and 120 members dined here and in July the first procession
of the Prestonpans Gardeners Lodge was held here when 150 dined,
for which John Guthrie, tenant, was at a great expense in making
repairs to the room.
There is at present in town two breweries, two potteries, three
salt works, one soap works, one brick works, a great number of
shops and ale houses. The writer being a curious type of lad at
the time of depositing this wished whoever found it good luck.
At the bottom of the bottle three different coins of His Majesty
George III is deposited. John Guthrie. David Marr. James Marr,
John Bissett - witnesses of the depositing of this bottle."
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