east-lothian-1924/05-145

Transcription

NORTH BERWICK.] INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. [NORTH BERWICK.

refractory prisoners, but the suggestion is not
borne out by the remains. Where the modern
lighthouse stands was the site of the Governor's
House. The parapetted screen wall before it
is contemporary with the remainder of the
castle.

Two views of the structures on the Bass are
given in Slezer's Theatrum Scotiae, plates 56
and 57. A view and plan of the place in c.
1700 is reproduced in fig. 109.

The ruins are in a bad state of preservation.

HISTORICAL NOTE.-On the Lauders of the
Bass see Introd. p. xxii. In 1338 Alexander
de Ramsay in a boat from the Bass ran the
blockade of Dunbar Castle.1 In March 1405
Prince James, on his way to France, went by
boat from North Berwick to " the Castell of
the Bas," where he waited for a ship from
Leith and thence sailed to his capture off the
Yorkshire coast.2 On his return nineteen years
later King James committed Walter Stewart,
eldest son of the Duke of Albany, to ' close
custody ' in the same place.3 In 1548-9 the
Bass came within the range of the English
and Franco-Scottish operations about Hadding-
ton and was summarily described by Jean de
Beaugué, the historian of these events. This
writer notes how there was but one landing,
which was on the castle side and very difficult,
so that it could be approached by small boats
only, one at a time. Moreover there was no
safe footing till one got to the castle wall,
so that messengers to the captain had first a
rope thrown to them to help them in ascending
and then, on reaching the foot of the wall,
were drawn up in a large basket. This was then
the only way of entering the castle. There
had been a postern, but at this time it was
utterly ruined and unserviceable.4 A royal
confirmation of a grant of 1635 specifies " the
north side of the island and rock of the Bas
with the towers." When equipped with guns
the Bass could be a menace to enemy traffic
by sea.5 At the time of Cromwell's invasion
of Scotland it was held against him on behalf
of the laird of Waughton,6 and on 11 January
1651 an English vessel-the John of London,
265 tons burden-bound for Leith, with
supplies including " Cromwell's two trunks "
was taken by 2 the Capitane of the Basse,"
the capture being on the English side attri-

71

buted to the " wilful cowardice of the master,"
who yielded " upon the shot of a piece or two
from the Bass and Tomtallan."7 In 1671 the
Bass was purchased for the Crown, and the
castle became a State prison, most of the
occupants in this capacity at the time being
Covenanters. The great event in the history
of the fortress was when four Jacobite officers
confined there in 1691 managed to surprise the
place, got rid of the keepers and held the
fortress for King James for nearly three years.
In 1701 the place was dismantled and the
ordnance removed.8

1 Cf. Art. No. 36 ; 2 Scotich. Lib. xv., cap.
xviii. ; Wyntoun Bk. ix. chap. 23 ; 3 Scotich.
Lib. xvi., cap. ix. ; 4 Histoire de la Guerre
d'Ecosse, p. 121 ; 5 Cf. Art. No. 106 ; 6 Cf.
Introd. p. xxxi ; 7 Balfour's Annales, iv p. 214 ;
Cromwell's Scotch Campaigns, p. 215 ; 8 New
Stat. Acct.

iii. N.W. 9 July 1920.

109. Seacliff Tower.-A ruinous structure,
that probably dates from the end of the 16th
century, stands on an exposed position on the
cliffs above the Car rocks nearly 700 yards
east of the Seacliff estate buildings. The
building has been oblong, measures 20 feet
wide externally and has a present length of
47 feet ; at the western end there has been a
small rectangular wing, probably a stair tower.
The northern angle of the building stands to a
height of 12 feet, but the upper 8 feet of this
has been rebuilt. The walls are reduced in
places to the present ground level, but the
north-west wall is sufficiently high to show
remains of a fireplace, slop drain and window.
The building is known locally as " Silgo's
Lookout."

DOVECOT.-At old Scoughall, 150 yards
south-west of the tower is a square 17th
century dovecot of Tantallon type (fig. 26),
measuring 16 feet by 16 feet in height at the
eaves ; the roof is of flags. The entrance is
in the south wall and has double doors. In
the west wall a small window has been inserted
at a later time.

iii. S.W. 21 December 1923.

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Douglas Montgomery

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