Hi Folks,
boy has this caused some interest great stuff, I have the Sandy Mullay book I think £4.50 from the Haddington Library or you can buy on ebay I think.
The book is very interesting but does not say any more about John Adam except that he was shot and stabbed, the Minister of the Parish at the time held documents ob the Massacre but where it is nobody knows, some say 8 were killed then it is 12 then 15 so who knows.
Sorry Hibee I don't have the letter I only put down what was in the book, one man from another village came to Tranent to get his wages, there he met his friend I assume he was paid but when he saw what was happening he left, just at that time the Massacre had started he was Peter Ness.
The Newton Village they were born in is no longer there, the one we see today is the newest and built around possibly the 1930's.
The original Village directions : If you travel from the Sheriff Hall r/abot gopast the Cockatoo Restaurant and through Millarhill, when you pass Jewsons Builders yard keep an eye out on the right, travel a bit slowly and you will see the start of a Farm, there is a Barn at the roadside best the worst for wear.
Just before you reach the Barn you will see a nice green field and that was the site of the original Village, Newton House is tucked in behind the trees.
The original Church : Again travel from the Sheriff Hall R/About and go on the bypass heading for the A1 travel along till you come near the bend carefully keep a lookout on your right, you should see a square tower in between trees you will only see about half the Tower, the Church is no longer there but this is where the Parish of Newton was.
I was told when doing my research that the Farmer can't Plough the field for fear of digging up bodies, remember in those days there were no coffins and they buried their dead around 10 deep the last one in was about 2 feet from the top, they stopped the latter practice due to the smell of rotten flesh.
The original name for the Village was Neatone, the newer Church that is till standing near Danderhall was built in 1742, the Miners wanted to attend the services but were banned, it took around seven years of writing letters the Presbytery before they were listened to.
Eventually it was decided a balcony would be made for them, however, there were certain demands made, they would enter the church by an outside stair and around 15 minutes before the congregation, the same applied after the service, this was so that the congregation would never see the Miners as they were the lowest form of life.
There were Cottages named Adam's Row in the Village.
List of Miners when the Petition was put in to attend services below:
1732 - John Pentland, Abraham Steel, Abraham Moffat, Richard Boyd, Thomas Bennet, John Boyd, James Bennet, William Bell, Thomas Pentland.
1747 - Robert Archibald, Hugh Adam elder, Thomas Archibald, Hugh Adam younger, Henry Archibald, Henry Adam James Kinghorn, John Adam.
Thanks Monica for your input it is appreciated and regarding notifications I got this one no problem but will check after this.
Once I get time after this I will list all those that were affected at the Massacre.
Cheers.
Archie.
