east-lothian-1924/05-230

Transcription

WHITTINGHAME.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [WHITTINGHAME.

building described above was possibly erected
in the first half of the 15th century. The lands
of Penshiel were included in the gift of the
Melrose lands in 1621 to Thomas Hamilton,
Earl of Melrose, afterwards Earl of Haddington1

1 Reg. Mag. Sig. s.a.

xvi. S.E. 6 June 1913.

216. Johnscleugh.-This 17th century
dwelling-house on the left bank of the Whit-
adder Water, 4 miles south-east of Garvald, is
oblong on plan and measures externally 60 feet
from east to west and 22 feet 6 inches from
north to south. A semicircular tower pro-
jecting from the middle of the south wall
contains a wheel stair, which gives access to
the upper floor.
There were originally two apartments on
the ground floor with barrel vaulted ceilings,
but the eastern chamber has been subdivided
by a partition, its vault has been removed,
and a modern range replaces the large fire-
place in the east gable recorded in Proc. Ber.
Nat. Club. 1896-8, p. 168.
The building contains two storeys beneath
the wall head and a garret within the roof.
It is in occupation, and the fabric is structurally
sound.
HISTORICAL NOTE.-The lands of " Johnis-
cleuch " in 1598 were granted to George
Lauder of the Bass, but later were seized for
debt ; and in 1634 the creditors' " process "
was assigned to Richard Lauder of Halton,
who had a royal charter of confirmation of
these and other lands formerly belonging to the
Lauders of the Bass.
R.M.S. s.a. No. 16.

xvi. N.E. 15 June 1913.

217. Ruchlaw.-On the left bank of the
Sauchet Water, and less than 1/4 mile west of
Stenton village on the other bank, is the man-
sion of Ruchlaw, a 17th-century house built by
Archibald Sydserff and still occupied by his
descendants. It is built on an L plan ; the
main block, 67 feet long by 21 feet broad,
lying east and west and the wing, which
contains a turnpike stair, projecting south-
ward from the eastern end. The building is
three storeys in height. The walls are built
of a reddish rubble in courses and are covered

135

with harling, but the plain backset dressed
margins of the voids and the moulded Re-
naissance eaves course are left exposed ; the
gables are crowstepped.
On a modern porch, which has been built out
in the re-entering angle, are two carved and
inscribed triangular pediment stones, which
have been removed from some other portion
of the building. The first has, beneath two
stars, a shield charged : within a bordure a
fleur-de-lys between three cinquefoils two and
one. Flanking the shield are the initials A S
for Archibald Sydserff, the founder, and the
date 1663. The second pediment has a quarter-
foiled ornament comprising four fleur-de-lys
conjoined at the stalk, flanked by initials A S
with initials E S below and the date 1663.
Internally the house is modernised ; the
ground floor apartments were originally vaulted
but all the vaults except that of the eastern
chamber have been removed. Several of the
windows have heavily moulded cases and
astragals which appear to be of memel pine
and contemporary with the house.
The building is in good condition.

SUNDIALS.-Within the walled garden south
of the house are two sundials. The first is a
17th-century lectern dial 5 feet 8 inches high
(fig. 83). The shaft is octagonal on plan and
has a moulded necking, capital and base. The
dial-stone is wrought into 35 dials ; the gnoma
have been of wrought iron and are completely
oxidised. The dial is presumably not in situ
having been re-erected in the 19th century.1
The second dial is later and less interesting.
The dial stone is a small, flat slab of white
marble, has a wrought iron gnomon, and is
inset in a red freestone baluster, the total
height being 3 1/2 feet. The marble slab bears
an illegible inscription, usually taken to be
ROUGHLAW.

DOVECOT.-Within a park 200 yards south-
west of the house is a dovecot rectangular on
plan and probably contemporary with the
house.

HISTORICAL NOTE.-William ' Sydserff ' of
Ruchlaw is on record in 16232 ; Mr. James
' Sydserfe ' of ' Rouchla ' was in 1644, ap-
pointed to take control of the Whittinghame
estates,3 and Archibald ' Sydserfe ' of Ruch-
law (1666) was his son.4

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Douglas Montgomery, Skinnb1- Moderator

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