Haddington is a parish in the centre of Haddingtonshire. It is bounded by Aberlady, Athelstaneford, Prestonkirk, Morham, Yester, Bolton, Salton, and Gladsmuir. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Abbey, Alderston, Amisfield Mains, Bareford, Begbie, Byers, Captainhead, Clerkington, Colston, Garleton, Haddington, Harperdean, Langcauseway, Lennoxlove, Lethem, Mungoswells, Nungate, Poldrait, Rosehall, St Laurence or St Lawrence, Ugston
Alderston, Clerkington, Huntington House, Monkrigg
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and previous to the Reformation belonged to the Priory of St Andrews.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
St John's, Haddington. Declared a parish quoad sacra, 29 May and opened 9 September 1838.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Haddington (QO)
St John's (QS)
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.
| OPR and RD Numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Name | Number | Type |
| 1619-1854 | Haddington | 709 | OPR |
| 1855-1856 | Haddington Burgh | 709-1 | RD |
| 1855-1856 | Haddington Landward | 709-2 | RD |
| 1857-1971 | Haddington | 709 | RD |
| 1972-2003 | Haddington | 722 | RD |
| 2004-2006 | Haddington, East Lothian | 722 | RD |
| 2007-2009 | East Lothian, Haddington | 722 | RD |
| 2026 | East Lothian Council; Haddington and District Community Council Haddington and Lammermuir Community Council | ||
(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)
Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)
Statistics from informal and official censuses
Anderson, Black, Brown, Dickson, Paterson, Robertson, Smith, Thomson, Wilson, Young
Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.
By the Reverend Dr George Barclay, of Middleton.
"The parish contains 3915 inhabitants; of these 2055 reside in the burgh of Haddington, 512 in the suburbs called Nungate and Giffordgate, and 1348 in the country. There are 30 farms in the parish.
For several centuries past, a species of coarse woolens have been manufactured here, and many weavers, particularly in the Nungate, still make them; but the number of persons employed in this branch is greatly diminished of late. On lands formerly belonging to the monastery of Haddington, fulling mills, dying houses, &c. have been erected; the name of the place called Newmills."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)
Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 6, p. 535
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 2, Section II, p. 1
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
