He married Lady Harriet Charteris, seventh daughter of
the seventh Earl of Wemyss, with issue four sons and two daughters.
Sir George had long been an elder in the Church of Scotland,
and was for many years returned as a member of the General
Assembly.
On the decease of Sir George in 1878, he was succeeded by
his son Sir James Grant Suttie, the sixth Baronet, who married,
in 1857, Lady Susan Harriet Innes Ker, daughter of his Grace
the Duke of Roxburghe, and had issue one son and three daughters.
On the decease of Sir James in 1878, he was succeeded by his
only son Sir George Grant Suttie, the seventh Baronet, and
present proprietor of Prestongrange.
The noble lady, mother of the present baronet, is still resident
at this ancient manor house; and if it could be said of Lady
Hyndford in her day, " that through the interest she
took in the needy poor her name became quite a household word
for good in the parish, " no less may it be said of the
present occupant of the same proud position so long and ably
held by her noble ancestress the Countess of Hyndford.
AN INTERESTING BlBLE.
In the drawing-room at Prestongrange may be seen what is considered,
and from every point of view justly so, a very handsome prize.
It is a beautifully printed Bible, in grand preservation,
and placed in such a position that no observant eye may miss
it. It was " imprinted, " we observe, " at
London, by Robert Barker, Printer to the King's most Excellent
Maiestie, 1613 Anno Dom. " It has a history of its own.
It was, says the late Dr Struthers, the pulpit Bible of John
Ker of Faddonside, of the house of Roxburghe, who succeeded
John Davidson as minister at Prestonpans, 1605. Considering
the dates, some think it may have belonged to Robert Ker rather,
who succeeded his father at Prestonpans. But this seems of
very small account in the matter, because, although that Bible
was " imprinted" eight years after John Ker was
appointed to Prestonpans, John Ker continued to preach for
thirty-one years after it was " imprinted. " Very
likely both father and son used that Bible in Prestonpans
church. It had gone amissing, however; was found in Leith
by Dr Struthers, and presented by him to Lady Susan H. I.
Ker on the day of her marriage to the late Sir James Grant
Suttie. Bart, of Prestongrange.
CHAPTER XXV.
CUITTLE OR CUTH1LL.
The Cuittle or Cuthill—An Ancient Barony—Dilapidated Buildings—
A New Town—Benefit Society—Lucky Vint's Tavern—Tricking the
Minister—The Whale—Minister and Bagpipes—Playing to the Whale—
Curious Trick by a Musselburgh Builder—Drummore House—Lord
Drummore— The Finlays— The Aitchisons —Morison's Haven — Originally
Acheson's Haven—A Custom House Port—The real Johnnie Moat—
Harbourmaster—Old Fort—Ravensheugh House and Toll—A Curious
Tollkeeper—The Devil never pays Toll—A Pony which did not
pay Toll.
CUTHILL proper is a curious little old-fashioned place. It
was created a burgh of barony through the influ- ence of the
Abbey of Newbattle, probably a couple of centuries earlier
than its much larger neighbours Preston and Prestongrange.
It closely adjoins Prestonpans to the west of the village.
Dilapidated buildings of very uncommon construction catch
the eye of the observer all the way along, especially on the
north side. Some of these look as if they had been built to
overhang the rocks, but the more likely thing is that, during
the many centuries they have stood there, the continual lashing
of the waves has broken up and torn the foundations from under
them.
Nearly all of these wretched-looking buildings were occupied
about the middle of the last century, but whether the occupants
ever paid rents is a very different question. We rather think
the proprietor, in his good nature, just allowed the natives
to take possession, or not, as they pleased, and never thought
of turning them out; and yet they were very often turned out,
for there were holes in the floors through which the water
came up; openings in the walls through which the waters rushed
in; there were windows stuffed with rags, and roofs without
tiles, all on the seaboard side, and as sure as a storm arose
as sure were the breakers to be revelling in all their glory
|
1745 
