4

ift, Turnip; 2d, Early oats or barley, but cats preferred; 3d, Clover one year, paftured or cut; 4th, Wheat, dunged on the clover. Lime ufed once in 19 or 21 years. Upon ftrong clay foils the ufual rotation is, ift, Fallow, dunged; 2d, Wheat or barley; 3d, Clover or beans, alternately; 4th, Oats or wheat. The number of acres in the parish is cónfiderably above 5000, of which about 3000 are in tillage. There are 16 farms, which vary in fize, from about 100 to 380 acres. The rent of farms is much increafed within thefe few years, fome of them having tripled their former rent. The lands are generally inclofed; and the farmers are perfectly convinced of the very great advantage of inclo fures. The price of labour has also been increafing for these fome years paft. A ploughman's wages are from 71. to 81. 1os. a year, a day-labourer's from 14 d. to 15 d. per day. Shearers wages may be about is. a day, but they are also increafing. Women fervants wages are from 31. to 31. 10s. yearly.

Woods. When Thomas, Sixth Earl of Haddington, came to refide at Tynninghame, anno 1700, there were not above 14 acres of planting upon the estate, it being fuppofed that no trees could grow becaufe of the fea air and northeast winds. This Earl, at first, either believed the common opinion, or had 'no turn for planting; but his Lady, being an active woman, began; and, when her fuccefs was obferved, the Earl entered keenly into her plans. In 1707, the inclosing and planting of the moor of Tynninghame were begun, to which they at that time gave the name of Binning Wood. Prior to that period, it was common to fome of his Lordship's tenants and a neighbouring gentleman, excepting a small part of it, for which one of the tenants paid a trifling rent. After the planting of Binning Wood, his Lordship

inclofed

inclosed and divided his fields with ftripes of planting of 40, 50, and 60 feet broad. The Eaft Links, which are fituated close upon the fea-beach, were at that time a dead and barren fand, with fcarcely any grafs upon them, and of no ufe but as a rabbit-warren. A gentleman from Hamburgh, happening to be at Tynninghame, mentioned to Lady Haddington that he had often feen trees growing on fuch a foil; this hint was taken, and the links planted; at that time, all who saw T them thought the expence of trees and labour thrown away; but, contrary to their expectations, they throve as well as on the best grounds. The trees planted in the links are the Scotch fir in Binning wood there is a great variety, viz. oak, afh, beech, elm, plain, fir, willows, and feveral others; the thinnings of which have, for many years paft, yielded a confiderable income, often above 500 l. a-year; and, befides the advantage that is derived from the fhelter which the plantations afford, the grafs in the woods is much more valuable than it would have been, if allowed to remain in its original ftate. Binning wood confifts of about 300 acres; the plantations upon the eftate have, at different times, been extend-ed, and there are now above 800 acres of ground planted at Tynninghame. In the united parishes, altogether, there will be above a thoufand.

Population. As the schoolmaster's house was unfortunately burnt in the 1760, the feffion regifters of the parish of Whitekirk were deftroyed at the fame time, which renders it impoffible to give any account of the births and marriages in this parish prior to that period. In the parish of Tynninghame, which at that time was not united to Whitekirk, the average of births for 10 years following 1700 was 23, and of marriages 6, the average for 10 years following 1750 was of births 17, of marriages 3. 4 D

VOL. XVII.

Baptifms

Baptifms and Marriages in the united parishes, for 10 years

In the account in 1792, which, from the indifpofition of the minifter, is the latest account that has been taken of the parifh, the number of families was 231, of fouls 994, of males 475, of females 519, all of whom are members of the national church, excepting 13 families which are Seceders.

It appears, by the return made to Dr Webster in 1755, that the population of Whitekirk was

of Tynninghame

Total

Population of both in 1792

Increase

369

599

968

994

26

It is faid, however, that the population at the beginning of this century was greater than at prefent. The parish then

contained

contained 3 villages, of which the least vestige is not now to be feen. In one of them were numbers of fishers, and houfes for the curing of herrings. At prefent the number of fishing boats in the parish is reduced to one.

There are no manufactures or trades people, but fuch as are neceffary for carrying on the bufinefs of agriculture. There are two ale-houses, and three others licensed to retail British fpirits. There are 2 established schools in the parish, the one at Whitekirk, the other at Tynninghame.

Poor. By the Seffion Book of Tynninghame, it appears that a scheme was propofed in 1745 by the Juftices of the Peace, and Minifters of this county, for erecting a general work-house for the maintenance of the poor of the county. The feffion did not accede to the propofal, as this parish is furnished with poor-houses of its own fufficient to lodge, and funds to maintain its own poor. The number of poor in the parish is not great; they are maintained by the weekly collections, and the intereft of 511 l. 10 s. 2 d. mortified to the feffion. There is alfo 70 1. more mortified to them, but the intereft is ftill paid to the fifter of the mortgager.

Mifcellaneous Obfervations.-The extent of the fea cost is about three miles. In the north part of the parish there is a number of rocks, which have been very fatal to mariners at different times. Within these two years several veffels have been wrecked there; and, to the honour of fome of the farmers in the neighbourhood, every exertion was made to fave the unhappy fufferers and their effects, though, it must be confeffed, the humanity of fome of the lower clafs of people was not fo very confpicuous on fuch awful occafions.

The roads

For several

On the top of Whitekirk hill there is a cairn, which is faid to be the burial-place of two young men, who were killed by a detachment from the garrifon of the Bafs at the time of the Reformation. The people, with a very few exceptions, are fober, honeft, and induftrious; their drefs and mode of living are much altered within thefe 20 years. are tolerably good, and much improved of late. years preceding 1794, with a view to leffen the crows, which in this parish and neighbourhood destroy a vaft quantity of grain, the farmers affeffed themselves in fo much a plough, and appointed a person to pay, from the common stock, a penny for each old crow's head, and a halfpenny for a young one: The effects of this scheme are now very perceptible, as the number of crows is now greatly reduced.

number of

NUM