east-lothian-1924/05-190

Transcription

PRESTONPANS.] HISTORICAL MONUMENTS SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. [PRESTONPANS.

to the other but at a later time altered to its
present shouldered head. At the south-
east angle of the tower the presence of raggles,
corbels and mortise holes denotes that a
hoarding of two storeys covered with a lean-to
roof once projected from the walls. This
construction has certainly been an addition,
for its roof would prevent the use of the
defensive feature above the entrance, and
moreover the raggles and mortise holes have
been formed after the walls of the tower were
built.
The basement is barrel-vaulted and contained
two storeys dimly lit by narrow window slits.
The upper floor joists rested on the corbels still
in situ 6 feet above the present floor level.
The only internal communication between the
basement and the Hall on the first floor is a
hatch formed in the vault. At a late period an
access was formed through the west wall at
the southern end, leading into the lowest
portion of the short wing-a prison or pit with
vaulted roof-originally reached from a hatch
in its vault. The only light and ventilation
this prison received was from a flue some 7
inches square formed in a window breast
in the apartment above, which leads down-
wards through the vault. At the north-west
angle of the prison is a slop sink.

The chamber above the pit, probably an
upper prison, is also vaulted and in this vault
there is a hatch. It is only lighted by one
narrow window. The stair at the north-eastern
angle, which ascends to the Hall, is probably
secondary. Above this chamber is a second,
which is at the same level as the Hall ; it
has a vaulted roof ; the north-west angle con-
tains a fireplace, the south-west angle a
garderobe.

The Hall is ceiled with a semicircular barrel
vault and has windows in the south gable and
lateral walls. In the north gable there remains
in situ one moulded jamb of an elaborate 15th
century fireplace ; beyond it to the west is a
rectangular and dog-legged mural recess. A
staircase ascending from the Hall to the upper
floors projects within the apartment at the
south-west angle ; though now entered from the
ingoing of a window in the south wall, it was
originally reached from the angle doorway now
built up. Beneath the south window lay a

102

mural chamber, demolished when the present
entrance to the staircase was formed. The
Hall has been coated with plaster, and traces
of this still remain. An interesting feature is
a moulded plaster cornice of c. 16th century,
which returns across the north wall at the
level of the vault springing, but below this the
wall was probably panelled.
The remaining storeys call for no special
mention.
The building has been conserved within
recent years and is in a fairly good state of
preservation.
DOVECOT.-One hundred yards north of the
tower is a 17th century dovecot oblong on
plan measuring 19 1/4 by 17 1/4 feet and containing
over 1000 stone built nests.
BOUNDARY WALLS, ETC.-The walls of the
enclosure within which the tower stands date
at least from the 17th century. The entrances
are treated in the Renaissance style. West of
the tower there is a square on the boundary
wall, loopholed for guns, resembling those on
the garden wall at Seton Castle.
HISTORICAL NOTE.-Preston belonged to a
branch of the Hamiltons from the latter half
of the 14th century. In 1544 the " town and
castle " were burnt by the English army under
the Earl of Hertford. The " house " was
again burnt by Cromwell's soldiers in October
1650 after the battle of Dunbar, when also the
" charter kist " was " totallie spoiled and
destroyed,"2 and a new charter to all the lands
of the family had to be issued in 1663.3 Sir
Thomas Hamilton was then the laird, succeed-
ing under a special provision of entail made by
his childless predecessor John, grandson of the
Sir John Hamilton (1565-1644) who built the
upper part of the tower. The family possessed
also estates in Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire,
and members of it are therefore occasionally
referred to as of Fingalton in Renfrew. The
tower was accidentally set on fire in 1663 and not
thereafter occupied.4 The Preston family was
of the Covenanting party, and the last male of
the direct line was Robert Hamilton, who
commanded the Covenanters at Drumclog and
Bothwell Bridge and died in 1701.

1 Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot. vol. xxvi., p. 243 ;
2 Act. Parl. Scot. vol. vii., p. 98 ; 3 R.M.S.
s.a. No. 416 ; 4 Prestonpans and Vicinity.

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Douglas Montgomery

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