Hi Folks,
Monica many thanks for the details on the Crookston name, below is the book I got my information on lately, I did not put all the details in but leave it for you to read.
Hibee I hope you find it interesting it is really very graphic and great reading, the author is Sir Walter Scott who actually was at the Court defending some of people of Tranent.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EdQvAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA308&dq=tranent+massacre&hl=en&ei=K9mpTvTpCIvTsgbyoYGnBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=tranent%20massacre&f=falseI had no idea that they taxed the records as well what a country this is even when your dead it costs.
Throughout the years they had the Hearth Tax depending on how many fires in the house.
A Watch Tax back then it was only pocket watches.
Window Tax depending on how many you had, that's why we see so many buildings with the windows bricked up.
A Cart Tax depending on the size bigger the Cart more Tax.
A Horse Tax again depending on what size of Horse, a Clydesdale would be taxed the highest.
A Roof Tax that is why we see so many old buildings of that period as derelicts, if the owner could not sell and moved to other premises he removed the roof, that in turn led to that building falling in to decay.
Cheers.
Archie.