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Morrison's Haven is a
harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...
at
Prestongrange Prestongrange is a place in East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, situated between Musselburgh to the west, and Prestonpans to the east. The place name derives from "Preston", meaning "priest's town", and a Monastic grange, grange (or granary ...
,
East Lothian East Lothian (; ; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, UK, on the B1348, close to Levenhall Links, Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum, Prestonpans, and
Prestongrange House Prestongrange House is a historic house at Prestongrange near Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland, UK. It is situated near to two other historic houses, Hamilton House, East Lothian, Hamilton House and Northfield House, East Lothian, Northfield ...
. The name comes from the Morisons of Prestongrange. A part of Prestongrange were purchased by John Morison from the Kerr family in 1609. He was a burgess of Edinburgh, a bailie (1581) and treasurer of Edinburgh (1588). His son Sir Alexander Morison, a Lord of Session, developed the harbour. The property was purchased in 1746 from William Morrison by William Grant.


History

In 1526, the
Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
monks of
Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...
and
Newbattle Abbey Newbattle Abbey was a Cistercians, Cistercian monastery near the village of Newbattle in Midlothian, Scotland, which subsequently became a stately home and then an educational institution. Monastery It was founded in 1140 by monks from Melrose ...
received permission from King
James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...
for the construction of a port in place called "Gilbertis-draucht". The Abbot leased the port to Alexander Atkinsoun or Achesoun, and the port was known as Acheson's Haven and sometimes "New Haven" until the 17th century. The monks could also collect "port monies, customs and duties". There was at least one
mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * Factory * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Paper mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * Sugarcane mill * Textile mill * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic ...
, and a stone
fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
with underground vaults which was destroyed by
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...
in 1650 on his way to
Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...
. The harbour was used to load building materials for the fort on Inchkeith in 1555. In 1557 John Acheson of "Mylnhaven or Gilbertis Drawcht" and his wife Jonet Heriot lived nearby and collected customs duties. During the
Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...
, in April 1560 English troops commanded by Lord Grey de Wilton marched from Berwick upon Tweed to join the
Siege of Leith The siege of Leith ended a twelve-year encampment of French troops at Leith, the port near Edinburgh, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. French troops arrived in Scotland by invitation in 1548. In 1560 the French soldiers opposed Scottish supporter ...
. Passing through Dunglass and
East Linton East Linton is a village and former police burgh in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the River Tyne, Scotland, River Tyne and A199 road (former A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road) five miles east of Haddington, East Lothian, Haddington, with ...
, the English army camped at
Prestongrange Prestongrange is a place in East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, situated between Musselburgh to the west, and Prestonpans to the east. The place name derives from "Preston", meaning "priest's town", and a Monastic grange, grange (or granary ...
on 4 April where the lighter artillery pieces for the siege were landed from ships at Acheson's Haven. The harbour was managed by Alexander Acheson, whose wife Isobel Gray died in 1565. Her inventory is an important record of the possessions of a wealthy Scottish woman. In September 1569 Regent Moray granted the custom duties of the "Newhaven of Preston" to Helen Acheson and her husband Archibald Stewart, a brother of
James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...
of Doune. The rights were entailed to Alexander Acheson of Gosford's son, also called Alexander Acheson. Mark Acheson of Acheson's Haven undertook in 1587 to pay custom duties for salt exports to John Chisholm, comptroller of the Royal Artillery. In 1591 Euphame MacCalzean was convicted of witchcraft on several charges including attending an assembly of witches at "Atkynson's Haven" where an image of
James VI James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
was given to the devil for the destruction of the king. John Fian,
Agnes Sampson Agnes Sampson (died 28 January 1591) was a Scottish healer and purported witch. Also known as the "Wise Wife of Keith", Sampson was involved in the North Berwick witch trials in the later part of the sixteenth century. Background Sampson live ...
and Barbara Napier were also said to have been at this meeting, and it was said a pact was made with
Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
to send a mist and winds to drive the King's ship to England. A part of the harbour structure known as the "bulwark" and "Millhaven" was demolished accidentally by the ''Margaret of Leith'' captained by Thomas Melville on 1 April 1607. His partners undertook to recompense the owner, Mark Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian. There were glassworks at "Aichesonis Haven ''alias'' callit the Newhaven" by December 1625, when it was suspected that among the workers were Catholic recusants. This early manufactory may have been started by James Ord, who worked for the patent-holder Sir Gorge Hay, and was probably closed by Sir
Robert Mansell Sir Robert Mansell (1573–1656) was an admiral of the English Royal Navy and a Member of Parliament (MP), mostly for Wales, Welsh constituencies. His name was sometimes given as Mansfield and Maunsell. Early life Mansel was a Welshman, the so ...
around the year 1627. By the middle of the 18th century, the Haven was a busy port, exporting oysters, salt, local glassware, ceramics, bricks, fireclay, coal, and chemicals, including sulphuric acid. Imports were
brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...
from France,
port wine Port wine (, ; ), or simply port, is a Portuguese wine, Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro, Douro Valley of Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal. It is typically a sweetness of wine, sweet red wine, often served with dessert wine, ...
from Portugal,
Delft Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...
china China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
from the Low countries,
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...
from the Baltic port Danzig, and
fur A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...
s from Canada. A map of 1773 shows the port having two breakwaters. The importance of the Haven is reflected in the fact that it has customs jurisdiction over the coastline from Figgate Burn, Portobello all the way to the Tyne at Belhaven. In the late 19th century, ships from the
Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
brought
rock salt Halite ( ), commonly known as rock salt, is a type of salt, the mineral (natural) form of sodium chloride ( Na Cl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pi ...
to Morrison's Haven and exchanged it for coal and other commodities. Up to the late 1920s, the Haven exported large amounts of coal and bricks. Then it became disused, and the harbour was filled in and the site was landscaped. At the same time, Prestongrange's traditional industries declined apace.


Masons and Freemasons

There was a stonemasons' lodge in existence at Acheson's Haven from at least 1599. The written records of this lodge commence on 9 January 1599. The first item in the minutes is a copy of the "second statute" for working stonemasons devised by
William Schaw William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Masters of Work to the Crown of Scotland, Master of Works to James VI of Scotland and Anne of Denmark for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Free ...
, an administrator of the estates of
Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...
and Master of Work or architect to the King and Queen of Scotland. The Schaw statutes give advice on taking apprentices and safety at work. A minute of 2 January 1599 demonstrates an old practice of the mason lodges. Andrew Patten was "entered" in the record as an apprentice mason to John Crafurd, only after working for his master for seven years. Over time the 'operative' stonemasons admitted men who were not stonemasons and by the early 18th century it was recognizably a
Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
Lodge. The Lodge's Minutes are therefore the oldest records in the world of a Masonic Lodge. Although this lodge was represented at the foundation meeting of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland, on 30 November 1736, it decided not to participate and remained independent until 1814 when it finally become a daughter Lodge of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. The Lodge ceased to function in 1853. The Minute Books of the Lodge were put up for auction by descendants of the last Lodge Secretary and were purchased by the Grand Lodge of Scotland in July 1980.The Grand Lodge of Scotland Year Book. 1981. pp 58-66


Morrison's Haven today

The Prestongrange Community Archaeological Project, started in 2004, confirmed the importance of Morrison's Haven. 18th century glass and pottery manufacture was totally dependent on the harbour. It developed into a mechanised working port and underwent frequent repair and improvement. The PCA Project enabled local residents to learn skills related to
archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
. The Haven is on the route of the
John Muir Way The John Muir Way is a continuous Long-distance trail, long-distance route in southern Scotland, running from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute in the west to Dunbar, East Lothian in the east. It is named in honour of the Scottish conservation ...
, a
long-distance footpath A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway (landscape), greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking (wilderness), backpacking, cycling, equestrianism or cross-co ...
along the East Lothian coast, starting at Fisherrow and terminating at Dunglass.


References

*Shirlaw, Jean H., "The glassworks at Morrison's Haven", Transactions of the East Lothian Antiquarian % Field Naturalists's Society, 24 (2000), 39-40.


External links

None of these links work, October 2020.
Overview of Morrison's Haven, by East Lothian Museum ServicesReport No. 937, Prestongrange Community Archaeological Project"Acheson/Morrison's Haven - What came and went and how" by Julie Aitken
* ttp://www.prestonpans.com/pdfs/PrestonpansWalks1_5.pdf PDF Leaflet "Happy Walks in Prestonpans", featuring Morrison's Haven


See also

*
List of places in East Lothian The List of places in East Lothian is a list for any town, village and hamlet in the East Lothian council area of Scotland. Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum A * Aberlady, Aberlady Bay * Archerfield Estate and Lin ...
{{Coord, 55.951, -3.0056, display=title 1526 establishments in Scotland Buildings and structures completed in 1526 Ports and harbours of Scotland Geography of East Lothian Witchcraft in Scotland James V