HADDINGTON is a royal burgh of Scotland, and the county town of East Lothian or Haddingtonshire. It is situated on the small river Tyne, and consists of four streets which cross each other nearly at right angles. One of these has two branches, viz. the Fore and the Back Street, the first of which crosses the place of intersection. The streets are in general spacious and clean. The those in the Fore Street, are neat and well built ; wad in the suburbs are some elegant little villas. At the end of the Fore Street, at its junction with the Back Street, is a neat house, erected from the signs of the late Mr Adam. The old abbey, which tains the pariah church, is one of the principal ornaments of the town. This venerable pile was formerly the church of the Franciscan monastery, and was erected during the reign of Alexander II. In February 1355-6, the town and monastery, along with the church of the Minorites, were burned by Edward M. The parish church, which has lately been much improved and embellished, occupies the west end, and the rest of the building is in ruins. In the aisle, which forms the burying-place of the Maitland ly, is a marble statue of the Duke of Lauderdale lying on a bed of state, and also the monument erected to John Maitland, Baron Thirlstane, Lord High Chancellor of England, which contains an inscription from the pen of James VI. The Episcopalian chapel, built by private subscription, is neat and commodious. About a o mile to the east of the town, near the suburb called Nungate, are the ruins of a nunnery, founded in 1178 by Adda, widow of Prince Henry, and mother of Malcolm IV. The bridge over the Tyne, which connects this suburb with the town, is built of stone, and consists of three arches. Se
veral remains of the ancient fortifications of the town are still visible. Haddington had formerly a house of domini cans or black friars, who were introduced into Scotland in the reign of Alexander II.
Haddington sends a member to parliament along with Jedhurgh, Dunbar, Lauder, and North Berwick. It is go verned by a provost, three bailies, a dean of guild, a trea surer, and 12 councillors, and has seven incorporated trades. The principal manufacture carried on in Had clington was one of coarse woollen cloth ; but it has some time ago been abandoned. The manufacture of starch was attempted by Mr Wilkie, jun. of Gilchriston, a pub lic spirited individual, but it did not succeed. A new flour mill, driven by steam, has been built in the Nungate ; and an extensive distillery is at present erecting on the bleachfield by Mr Dunlop, one of the partners of the dis tillery at East Linton. The town has also suffered consi derable injury, from the removal of the extensive barracks in its immediate vicinity. The country around Hadding ton is extremely rich and beautiful, and is ornamented with many gentlemen's seats, the principal of which are Amis field, one of the seats of the Earl of Wemyss ; Clerking ton, the seat of Mr Hepburn ; Leadington, the seat of Lord Blantyre ; Coniston, the seat of Lord Dalhousie ; Alderston, the seat of Mr Stewart ; and Letham, the seat of Mr Buchan Hepburn.
See Statistical Account of Scotland ; Transactions of the Antiquarian Society of Scotland, vol. i.; and Chalmers' Caledonia, vol. ii. p. 412.