THE DARKER SIDE OF HADDINGTON

In response to an email from Australia enquiring as to why there was no mention of the Legend of the infamous Sawney Bean (from a collection of legends entitled Historical and Traditional Tales connected with the South of Scotland - 1843) who was reputed to be a cannibal whom the author of the email thought to have been born in Haddington (Sawney Bean was born in the county of East Lothian approximately eight miles east of Edinburgh) I thought that it would be great to have a section on ‘The Darker Side of Haddington’ I am extremely grateful to Nessie Gell who has written two articles on this subject and hope that we can build on this theme in the future. 

The first of these articles appears below

Jan Wilson

MURDER AT NEWMILLS (Amisfield)

In 1681 Colonel Stansfield one of Cromwell’s Officers established a factory for fine woollen cloth in a mill situated near where the cascade is now in Amisfield Park. A Knighthood was later conferred on him.

Stansfield had financial troubles at Newmills mainly due to the extravagances of his son Philip. Their relationship deteriorated and one day Stansfield Senior was found drowned in the River Tyne. Suspicions were aroused however by a hastily arranged funeral and the fact that the funeral clothes had been prepared earlier. Consequently the Privy Council had the body exhumed and re-examined by two surgeons. The inspection took place in Morham Church and the surgeons reported death by strangulation. They also stated that the body bled on being touched by Philip Stansfield which was accepted as proof of his guilt. The young man was tried, convicted and hanged at the Cross in Edinburgh. His tongue was cut out and his right hand cut off and his head exposed on the East Port of Haddington. His body hung in chains at the Gallowlea between Edinburgh and Leith. Local legend says the severed hand hung from the hook on the Nungate Bridge, but I have not been able to confirm this.

In 1713 after Sir James’ death the factory further declined and Colonel Charteris purchased the lands and houses and changed the name to Amisfield. Amisfield House was built by the East of Wemyss in 1760 with stone from Garvald Quarry.

Nessie Gell