Halch, Hauch, Haugh, Preston, Prestonhaugh
Prestonkirk is a parish a little north-east of the centre of Haddingtonshire. It is bounded by North Berwick, Whitekirk, Dunbar, Stenton, Whittingham, Morham, Haddington, and Athelstaneford. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
East Linton, New Linton, Old Preston, Prestonkirk
Phantassie
The parish of Athelstaneford had one detached part, which has been transferred to the parish of Prestonkirk. See affected properties and landholders. (1892: Boundary of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government Act, 1889, by Hay Shennan)
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church was dedicated to St Baldred. It was a prebend of the collegiate church of Dunbar.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
(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 |
| 1658-1854 | Prestonkirk | 717 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Prestonkirk | 717 | RD |
| 2009 | East Lothian, Dunbar | 724 | RD |
| 2026 | East Lothian Council; Dunpender 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, Burns, Hepburn, Hogg, Logan, Reid, Sanderson, Thomson, Walker, Watt
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 Mr Daniel M'Queen, Minister.
"The present number of the population (in 1793) of males is 297, of females 354, of children under 10 years of age 425; in all 1176.
The uniform, unremitting, but healthy labours of agriculture, which occupy the great majority of the inhabitants of this parish, are probably favourable both to the morals and happiness. They are, in general, industrious and contented with their lot."
(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 11, p. 83
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 2, Section II, p. 118
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
