West Saltoun about a hundred years ago.
The Grocer and Spirit Merchant's shop.
West Saltoun about a hundred years ago.
An air of dilapidation is evident.
(There is evidence to suggest that this picture is of an earlier date than the one above.)
A Postcard of West Saltoun about 1912-1914.
All the houses on the right side of the street have since been demolished.
Note the presence of a West Saltoun Post Office!
[The people in the picture are, from left to right, Helen Bathgate (who delivered telegrams - possibly using the bicycle shown?);
John Bathgate - the Postmaster; Sophie Bathgate (nee Bird); Miss Sophie Bathgate; and the postman, a Mr.Gilbertson from Pencaitland.]
The West Saltoun Quoiting team on the Quoit Green, probably around 1890 - 1900.
Mr.David Scott, who found this picture in an attic, says that there were six or seven teams
in East Lothian who competed annually from 1899 for the silver Haldane Cup.
(In 1894 the earlier Guild medal was competed for at Saltoun. Mr.John Holmes beat Mr.James Scott 18-9. Mr.Guild was a local farmer. Sadly, we cannot name this quoiting team.)
(Photo by courtesy of Mr.Scott)
West Saltoun about a hundred years ago.
The view is from the west end, looking approximately eastward.
All the houses on the left have been demolished and three new ones built.
West Saltoun around the beginning of the twentieth century.
The picture shows "the square" as it is known today, that is, West Saltoun
viewed from the north east, looking westward.
West Saltoun about a hundred years ago
looking north east towards Middlemains and East Saltoun.
Most of these cottages still survive today.
Saltoun Station around 1910.
This was a station on the Gifford, Garvald and Pencaitland line,
opened around 1900 and finally closed in the 1960s.
Here is an unnamed "R" Class 4-4-0T (No.77; later 1467) entering the Up platform.
Saltoun Station around 1950.
George Fenton (aka "Station Geordie", and a local character) speaks with the driver.
(Sadly, George died early in 2002.)
The earliest known East Saltoun School group photograph, taken in 1882,give or take a year.
(This picture by courtesy of Mr.David Scott, whose grandfather appears in it.)
There are nearly a hundred children shown - many more than today!
(Extreme right is the schoolmaster, Mr.William A.Findlay, known as "Cocky". He was a Kirkcudbright man
who had come to Saltoun a few years earlier from a school in Keir, Dumfriesshire.)
NOTE: This is a big file - to preserve the detail - and will take a few minutes to load for those without broadband.
East Saltoun School group photograph.
Taken in 1890 or thereabouts.
Note that only one child is visibly in bare feet. In many a poorer village
the proportion would have been much higher, especially in summer.
Herdmanston House (not a very good view!)
Herdmanston was used as a military billet during WW2, and was so extensively damaged
by the "Rude and Licentious Soldiery" - mostly Polish officers in this instance,
that it had to be demolished after the War.
Saltoun's Home Guard during WW2.
The Officer - in civilian life the schoolmaster - sits at centre front.
Note that five sergeants and a corporal are visible!
We can identify most of these people, as below ......
Back Row: T.Cornwall; J.Hamilton; J.Millar; unknown; unknown; T.Dickson; Mr.Punton; Mr.Wilson; B.Dickson; Mr. Jim Tait.
Middle Row: unknown; P.Wilson; T.Peacock; unknown; O.Main; A.Maxwell; J.Turner; Mr. Roy Tait.
Front Row: J.Buglass; J.Houliston; J.Baptie; R.Watson; Mr.Prentice; Mr.Durie; S.Addison; N.Hislop.
A view of Saltoun Hall from the River Tyne.
(Not the front, or the best, view of the local "Big Hoose") Photo taken about 1890.
Saltoun Hall has been divided up into an "Executive Tenement" for the past forty years or so.
East Saltoun School Group Photograph.
We think this was 1928. (It was certainly close to that date).
East Saltoun School Group Photograph
We think this was taken around 1932 or 1933.
Some people have been identified; these are:
Back Row: At left, Douglas Durie; 2nd from left, Tommy Shaw.
Third Row: 3rd from left, Margaret Hepburn; 7th from left, Jean Trotter.
Second Row: 2nd from left, Isa Scott; 3rd from left, Janet (Nita) Hepburn; 5th from left, Mary Shaw; 6th from left, Jessie Dingwall;
Second Row(Contd.) 4th from right, Lena Smith; 2nd from right, Betty Trotter(?)
Front Row: 3rd from left, Roy Tait; 3rd from right, Andrew Hepburn.
Thanks to Elizabeth Burgess-Pinto and others for this information
East Saltoun School Group Photograph.
This one is definitely 1939.
(Many names were supplied - by an unknown source - for the above pupils. The spellings are as given.)
Back Row, L-R: Unknown; Jimmy Houliston; Unknown.
Standing Row, L-R: Maisie Dow; Alec Bathgate; Andrew Dickson; Jimmy Tait; Alec Bisset; Peter Bisset; Unknown;
Porteous McGovern; Unknown; Sadie Martin.
Seated Row L-R: Elizabeth Redpath; Betty Trotter; Agnes Cornwall; Racheal Dow; Sadie Watson;
Frances Calligan; Margaret Proctor; Unknown.
Front Row L-R: Unknown; Fay Cowe; Margaret Tait; Joan McMillans; Betty Watson.
East Saltoun School Group Photograph.
The year is 1945.
The persons shown here (excluding the teacher) are, from left to right:
(Back row): Ernie McIntosh; George Turner; unknown; Tom Martin; Billy Tait
(Middle Row): Betty Hogarth; Margaret Buglass; Nan Smith; Jessie Robertson; unknown; Elma Stenhouse; unknown
(Seated): Janette Allen; Margaret Dow; Jean Reynolds; Mina Stenhouse; Mary McDonald; unknown
East Saltoun School Group Photograph.
The year is 1948.
The persons shown here are, from left to right:
(Back row): Peter Prentice (schoolmaster), Alan Philips, David Scott, Adam Turner, Thomas Bell, Ronald Dow
(Middle Row): Douglas Hamilton, James Murray, Moira Phillips, unk., unk., May Callaghan, Robert Cowe, unk.
(Seated):Helen Reid, unk., Etta Reynolds, Nancy Knox, Janette Davidson, unk.
East Saltoun School Group Photograph.
The year is 1952.
The persons shown here are, from left to right:
(Back row): Peter F.Prentice (Schoolmaster), James Veitch, Robert Cowe, Thomas Plenderleith, Ally Murray, David J.Scott, Adam Turner, unknown man
(Middle Row):unknown, George Dow, Helen Reid, May Callaghan, Christine Murray, Moira Phillips, Irene King, unknown, Robert Banks
(Seated): Ruby Patterson, Mary Cowan, Jannette Davidson, Etta Reynolds, unknown, Nancy Knox
(Kneeling:David Turner, Donald Dow, James Murray, Alan Phillips, Tommy Murray, Douglas Cowe
(Pictures by courtesy of Mr.David Scott.)
East Saltoun School Group Photograph
This was the 1964-65 school session.
The persons shown here, (including teachers Mr.Hector MacPherson and Mrs.Renira Wallace), are (left to right):
(Back Row)
T.Harley; A.Wallace; J.McCormack; D.Robson; W.Harley
(Standing)
W.McCormack; G.Rautenberg; R.Banks; K.Ross; C.McMaster; D.Fairgrieve; J.McDougall; A.Albertsen; A.Bathgate; J.Stevenson.
(Sitting on form)
K.Durie; J.Robson; R.Rautenberg; E.Brown; C.Banks; L.Fairgrieve; M.McMaster; A.Fortune; C.Dodds; S.Maxwell; C.Bathgate.
(Sitting on grass)
D.Ramage; A.Taylor; E.Fairgrieve; A.Fairgrieve; C.McMaster; R.McIntosh; A.Fairgrieve; C.McDonald; J.Mason; A.Durie; M.Wallace; Y.Ross.
Saltoun church, looking north west, around 1900-1910.
Rather more wooded than today.
Picture by courtesy of Mary Goldwag from Virginia USA.
Photograph of the interior of Saltoun church, looking west, in 1897.
Note the paraffin lamps, the cluttered Sanctuary area, the treacle-stain varnish.
East Saltoun round about 1900
Looking south from near the church.
(This is quite a posh picture, but rather a big file at 800KB. It may take a minute or so to download.)
East Saltoun around 1900
Blacksmith and smiddy on right.Looking north.
(This is quite a posh picture, but rather a big file at 600KB. It may take a minute or so to download.)
These Historic pix are mostly from the webmaster's files.
Much source material can be viewed in East Saltoun Tithe Byre "Bygone Byre" room.