PRESTON, a village, in the parish of Prestonpans,
county of Haddington, 1^ mile (N. W. by W.) from
Tranent; containing 57 inhabitants. This place, now
small and decayed, was formerly a considerable village,
and had a noted fair in October, called St. Jerome's fair.
The barony was long the property of the Hamilton family,
and there is the ruin of a tower in which they resided,
and which was accidentally burnt in 1633. Of
this ruin and the park around it. Sir William Hamilton,
who is descended from the ancient possessors of the
barony, has recently become proprietor. Preston now
consists of a few mean houses and some old mansions;
but its situation is pleasantly rural and retired. In the
vicinity is an hospital founded by Dr. James Schaw, in
1784, for the maintenance and education of twenty-four
boys, with preference to those of the names of Schaw,
Macniell, Cunningham, and Stewart: the present very
commodious building was erected in 1831, near the site
of the old mansion of Preston House, which stood behind
it, and had been previously used as the hospitaL
At the end of the village is the ancient cross.