LADY KITTY’S DOOCOT
Lady Kitty’s Doocot is situated immediately opposite the western end of the Nungate Bridge.
It dates from 1771 when Lady Catherine Charteris Wemyss, the wife of Francis de June 7th Earl of Wemyss, petitioned the town council to have the gateway of St. Mary’s Parish Church moved eastward so that the wall surrounding ‘her’ garden could be built. It was probably about this time that the old buildings were demolished and removed, the site having been used for archery, bowling and executions.
On the sands nearby the battle of the Sands in 1548 took place during the ‘Siege’ when the English occupied Haddington against the French who had arrived from Edinburgh to assist the Scots. English cannon balls are said to have ricocheted of the walls of St Catherine’s Chapel the grounds of which became Lady Kitty’s Garden.
Archery was practised on the Sands during the brief reign of May Queen of Scots (1561-67) and this was said to have been the site of the first bowling green in Scotland in 1657 when the Burgh Treasurer was authorised ‘to purchase bowls and engage a greenkeeper’.
Lady Kitty took over ownership of the common, the Sands, when she claimed payment of debts incurred by Lewis Gordon, Esq., a road surveyor. At the north end of Lady Kitty’s Garden there was a house in what was then known as Friars Croft; it was probably built by Alexander Maitland (of Haddington House). In 1920 Lady Kitty’s Garden was acquired by the Parish Council as an extension of the Church grounds.
Lady Kitty was the 6th daughter of Alexander, the 2nd Duke of Gordon, (1678-1728) an ardent Jacobite who commanded reinforcements for the “Old Pretender” in 1715. Her mother was Henrietta, daughter of the Earl of Peterborough and Monmouth. Catherine was born c1720 at Edinburgh.
On 13th September, 1745, three days before the “Young Pretender” entered Edinburgh, she married Francis Wemyss, second son of the 5th Earl of Wemyss and Janet, the only daughter of the infamous Colonel Francis Charteris. The wedding took place at the enlarged old house of Preston Hall (by William Adam on 1738) and was attended by the groom’s elder brother, Edward, as his army approached Edinburgh.
They were an exceedingly rich young couple. As the favoured grandson, Francis Wemyss had inherited his grandfather’s (th infamous Colonel Charteris)) ill begotten fortune including the estates of Amisfield in 1731/2. With her husband, Lady Kitty spent many happy hours in the planning of their new mansion house, Amisfield, which was designed for them by Isaac Ware in 1755. During the planning stage she gave birth to her only son Francis Charteris Wemyss on 31st January 1748. The new Amisfield House became the magnificent red sandstone mansion of Grecian grandeur, the finest example of Palladian School in the country (sadly it was demolished in 1923).
A happy event for the family was the marriage of their son, also Francis Charteris Wemyss, on 18th July 1771, to Susan, daughter of Anthony Trace-Keck and Susan daughter, daughter of the 4th Duke of Hamilton. As a wedding present Lady Kitty agreed that the young couple should be given Amisfield while she and her husband moved to Gosford.
Lady Kitty did not see much of her beloved garden after her husband became MP for Haddington burgh in the Tory Government of William Pitt the Younger in 1780 as they had to spend most of their time in London.
She died suddenly on January 21st 1786 and the garden became her memorial.
David J Motherwell.
Special Note:
In 2005, work started on Lady Kitty’s Doocot by East Lothian Council after repeated requests by The Royal Burgh of Haddington & District Community Council to use the Doocot as a Visitor Information Centre. In April 2007, the dream became a reality and the Doocot opened its door as a Visitor Information Centre and operates from Easter until the end of September from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm Wednesday-Friday and Saturday 10.00 am-2.00 pm.
Special mention must be made to our colleague Gerry Gremson who from 2004 repeatedly requested a Visitor Information Centre for the Doocot. Sadly Gerry died in 2005 and never saw his wish come true to house the Visitor Information Centre in the Doocot but he did see the Centre open in temporary accommodation in the Trinity Centre in Church Street.
We are still looking for volunteers to help man the Centre. If you can spare two hours per week or occasional stand-in work, please contact Jan Wilson 01620-82-4816 between 9.00 am and 7.00 pm weekdays only, or email me on janwilse3647 at tiscali.co.uk. Please substitute the word at for the symbol @.