HADDINGTON, a borough-town of Scotland and
the capital of East Lothian, or Haddingtonshire, is
situated about 16 miles east from Edinburgh, being the
first stage on the London road, and in W. Long. 2.
25. N. Lat. 55. 50. It stands on the river Tyne, has
four streets which are neatly built, cutting each other
at right angles, with a townhouse erected in 1748,
from a design by the celebrated Mr Adams. The
school is commodious, with lodgings for the masters,
and accommodation for boarders. The parish church is
large, which formerly belonged to the Franciscan mo-
nastery, and was probably built about the beginning of
the 13th century. The west end is now the place of
worship, for the rest of it is completely in ruins. The
aisle is the burying place of the family of Maitland,
and contains several marble statues of the dukes of
Lauderdale. On the monument of Maitland of Thirl-
stane is an epitaph composed by James VI. Haddington
is a place of great antiquity, for it is filed by the mo-
ther of Malcolm IV. in a charter granted in 1178,
meum Burgum de Haddington. Its political constitution
is composed of a provost, three bailies, a dean of guild,
treasurer, and 12 counsellors. Its incorporated trades
are seven in number. It was once strongly fortified,
of which different traces are still to be seen.
A considerable manufacture of coarse woollen cloth
is carried on in the town and suburbs. It has two an-
nual fairs, and a weekly market on Friday, computed
to be the greatest in Scotland for all sorts of grain.
Haddington has suffered much from the ravages of
fire and the inundations of the Tyne, which rose 17
feet above its usual level in the year 1775, by which
one half of the town was laid under water. Here the
celebrated John Knox, father of the reformation, is
said to have been born, and strangers are still shewn the
house where he first drew his breath. It has a vote in
electing a member of parliament along with North
Berwick, Dunbar, Jedburgh, and Lauder. Its revenue
is estimated at about 400l. sterling per annum.