east-lothian-1924/05-243

Transcription

YESTER.] -- HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. -- [YESTER.

English hands, as on June 20 there was a
request to Somerset for " one of the Frenchmen
taken in Yester castle."6
The place was abandoned as a residence at
some date after the Reformation7 but the
present residence, Yester House, is of the
period 1740-6.8 The Hays of Yester quartered
the arms of their predecessors the Giffords-
gules, three bars ermine.

1 Cf. Introd. p. xxiii ; 2 Cf. Introd. p. xxiii ;
3 Scotich Lib. x., cap. 21 ; 4 Cal. Docts. iii.,
No. 218 ; 5 Cf. Introd. p. xxix ; 6 Cal. Scott.
Papers, i., Nos. 174, 228, 256 ; 7 Stat. Acct.
i., p. 342 ; 8 Trans. Ed. Arch. Assoc. ii., p. 30.

xv. N.E. 14 April 1915.

252.-Newton Hall.-One hundred yards
south of the modern mansion, which is 2 miles
south-south-west of Gifford, is the ruin of the
former house, which

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 184.-Newton Hall
(No. 252).

was built apparently
in the late 16th cen-
tury. On plan (fig.
184) it is oblong,
measuring externally
22 feet 7 inches from
north to south by 51
feet 7 inches from
east to west and is two storeys and an attic in
height; none of the apartments, of which there
were at least two on each floor, has been
vaulted. The outer walls, which are of rubble,
are entire but are densely clothed with ivy and
other vegetation. A chamfer is wrought on the
jambs and lintels of the windows. Over the
doorway in the north wall is an heraldic panel
within a moulded border enriched on the outer
surface with the dog-tooth ornament. The
panel exhibits two shields, one below the other.
The upper is charged with a lion passant (?)
and is flanked by the initials P N ; the lower
bears three cinquefoils two and one (Hamilton)
and is flanked by the initials M H. Within the
ruin is a lintel inscribed . 1668 . IHN . 30.
DOVECOT.-Between the ruin and mansion is
a dovecot somewhat unusual in appearance,
as the gables are skewed and the roof is a
timber couple one. It is built of rubble re-
sembling that of the ruined house, and is
oblong on plan, measuring 25 1/2 feet from north
to south by 18 feet from east to west. Inter-

148

nally there are two chambers, each containing
stone nests, which are still in use.
HISTORICAL NOTE.-The barony of Newton,
which had been owned by Robert de Swynton
in right of his wife was by them surrendered
for a life-rent therein to Robert II. and in 1377
conferred by him upon William de Newton1
The initials recorded above are no doubt those
of Patrick Newton of that ilk, to whom
Archibald Newton served heir in 1604.2 The
arms of Newton of that ilk, as matriculated in
1673, were vert, a lion rampant or, on a chief
of the second three roses gules. The initials on
the lintel may be those of John Newton, who
served heir to his brother Archibald in 1655.3
Richard Newton was created a baronet in 1697
but died without issue and by entail the estate
fell to his kinsman Richard Hay, who assumed
the name and arms of Newton.

1 Reg. Mag. Sig. i., No. 599 ; 2 Inquisit.
Spec. Hadd. No. 23 ; 3 Ibid. No. 238.

xv. S.W. (unnoted). 9 April 1920.

DEFENSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS.

253.-Fort, Bentyhall.-On level ground just
inside the corner of a plantation some 400
yards west of Bentyhall, on the 800 feet
contour line, are the remains of an entrench-
ment, oval in outline, surrounded by earthen
ramparts. The main axis runs north-north-
east and south-south-west, and along this line
the interior measures 138 feet while it is 98 feet
across. The inner rampart, now spread out to
a breadth of 13 feet, rises at most about 2 feet
above the level of the interior and 3 1/2 feet above
the bottom of the ditch outside it, which is
some 13 feet in breadth. At places, especially
round the southern arc, the rampart and ditch
are scarcely discernible. On the western side
is a segment of an outer rampart 13 feet broad,
which rises to a height of about 3 feet.
It is impossible to detect any traces of an
entrance, as the site is overgrown with young
trees, and a shallow ditch of late date with a
pathway on the top of the material thrown out
of it, which crosses the south-western end of
the enclosure, has obliterated much of the
original work at this part.

xv. S.E. (unnoted). 14 May 1913.