WHITEKIRK-AND-TYNNINGHAME, a parish, in
the county of Haddington; containing, with the villages
of Whitekirk and Tynninghame, 11*0 inhabitants,
of whom 84 are in the former village, 85 miles (N.) from
the rising town of Linton. This place, which comprises
the ancient parishes of Tynninghame, Aldhame, and
Hamer, united in the year 176I, derives its name of
AVhitekirk from the appearance of the church of the
last-mentioned parish. Christianity is said to have been
first introduced into East Lothian in the .>iixth century,
by St. Baldred, disciple of Kentiirern, who established a
cell at Tijnniniiliame, where a monastery was subsequently
founded in honour of his memory: after an extensive
and laljorions ministry in propagating the truths
of Christianity, he died here in 606. The monastery was
pimulered by the Danes under Anlaf, who also burnt the
village of Tynninghame, iu 941; but it continued to
flourish till the Dissolution, and was granted with its
revenues to the Archbishop of St. Andrew's, wlio, on the
erection of the college of St. Mary in the archiepiscopal
city, conferred it upon the principal and fellows of that
establishment. The tithes still continue to lie paid to
the college; but since tlie year 1628 the lands of the
monastery have formed part of the possessions of the
Earls of Haddington, to whom the patronage of the
church also passed. Of the ancient church of Tynninghatne,
which had the privilege of sanctuary, and was in
higli repute, the only remains are two stately arches of
Norman character, marking out the hurial-place of the
Haddington family. On the invasion of East Lothian
by Edward III. in 13.56, his forces plundered the church
of Hamer or Uldtekirk, which at that time belonged to
the monks of Holyrood, and was iu such reputation that
frequent pilgrimages were made to the shrine of its
founder. It was under pretence of visiting that shrine
in fulfilment of a vow for the safety of her son, that the
Queen- Mother contrived to deceive Chancellor Crichton,
who had the custody of James II., and to remove
the young prince from Edinburgh to Stirling. The
church and barony of Hamer were in 1633 annexed to
the see of Edinburgh; but on the subsequent suppression
of that bishopric, the patronage of the living reverted
to the Crown.
The PARISH is situated at the mouth of the Firth of
Forth, along the shore of which it extends for four miles.
It is nearly five miles in length, and comprises 6000
acres, of which 4000 are arable, and the remainder woodland
and pasture. The surface is gracefully undulated,
rising in no part to an elevation of more than 300 feet
above the level of the sea; and when viewed from the
eminence of Whitekirk hill, or that of Lawhead, which
are the loftiest points, it displays a richly-diversified
and beautiful landscape, embellished with stately woods.
Lands in the highest state of cultivation finely contrast
with the expanse of the Firth; and the prospects embrace
numerous interesting objects, of which the castles of
Tantallan and Dunbar, and the Bass Rock, are the most
prominent. The river Tyne intersects the old parish of
Tynninghame, and, passing through the lands of Tynninghame
House, forms within the demesne, at the flow
of the tide, a spacious and beautiful lake, which disappears
at the ebb. It falls into the sea at Tynninghame
bay. This river abounds with trout, eels, and other fish,
and is frequented also by the grey salmon, but not in
large quantities: the right of fishery in the river, and on
the sea-coast to within a mile of Dunbar, belongs exclusively
to the Earl of Haddington. There is also a small
rivulet called the PeflFer, which flows through the western
part of the parish. In general the soil is a rich brown
loam, in some parts intermixed with clay: towards the
estuary of the Tyne, a waste and sandy marsh of about
300 acres has been reclaimed by embankment; and
even on the highest hills the soil, though thin, is extremely
fertile. The crops are, wheat, oats, barley, beans,
and turnips. Agriculture is in a highly improved state,
and the rotation plan is practised. Bone-dust has been
introduced with great advantage for manure. The farms
are mostly from 400 to ."iOO acres in extent; the farmbuildings
are substantial and commodious, the lands
inclosed, and the fences kept in good order. Particular
attention has been paid to the improvement of the cattle,
which are generally of the Teeswater breed, introduced by
Mr. John Rennie. The sheep, of which a great number
are fed in the parish, are of the Cheviot and black-faced
breeds, with a few of the Leicester; about 2000 are fed
upon turnips, and a much larger number fattened upon
grass for the Edinburgh market.
The woods, which are very extensive, were first
planted in 1705, by Thomas, sixth Earl of Haddington,
and consist of oak and almost every other variety of
forest-tree; the trees thrive well, and there are numerous
specimens of stately size. About the same time,
the earl planted some hedges of holly to form a screen
from the sea breezes; they have attained a remarkable
growth, and are a complete defence against the bleak
winds prevailing on this coast. There are many single
holly-trees of fine growth in Binning wood, and also
near the mansion of the Earl of Haddington; some of
them are eight feet in girth, and more than fifty feet
high. In this parish the rocks are of whinstone, &c.
The annual value of real property amounts to £10,720.
Tynninghame, the seat of the earl, is a stately mansion
embosomed in wood, and plantations of great beauty:
on the south-west of the house is a grass-walk, nearly
750 yards in length, planted on both sides with hedges
of holly, eleven feet broad at the base, and about fifteen
feet in height. Newbijlh, the residence of Sir David
Baird, is a spacious mansion also inclosed with thriving
plantations; and Sea-Cliffe House, the residence of
George Sligo. Esq., is romantically situated near the
sea, of which it commands an exceedingly fine view.
Facility of communication with the towns in the neighbourhood
is afforded by means of good roads, of which
the high road from Edinburgh to London passes through
the south, and that from Dunbar to North Berwick
through the centre, of the parish. The North-British
railway, also, skirts the southern boundary of the parish,
the line running parallel with the London road.
There is a station on the line, at Linton, in the parish of
Prestonkirk; also a post-office there, from which letters
are forwarded daily.
Ecclesiastically this parish is within the limits of
the presbytery of Dunbar, synod of Lothian and Tweeddale,
and in the alternate patronage of the Crown and
the Earl of Haddington: the minister's stipend is £306.
11. 2., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £30 per annum.
The church is in the decorated English style of
architecture, with a square embattled tower, and, occupying
an elevated site, forms an interesting and conspicuous
feature in the landscape; it has been repaired,
and is well adapted to the accommodation of the parishioners.
There are two parochial schools, affording
together instruction to about 120 scholars; the masters
receive each a salary of £34. 4. per annum, with a house
and garden, and the fees of each average £35. The
poor have the interest of various bequests amounting to
nearly £600. Eleven cottages for the reception of widows
were erected prior to 1745, on ground given for the purpose
by the Earl of Haddington; to each of them is a
good garden, and the widows have also an allowance of
coal.