John Knox born at Giffordgate, Haddington. A more complete description of John Knox can be found in this link. Amongst the many significant religious figures that have come from East Lothian, John Knox stands head and shoulders above them all. In a life of barely sixty years he rose from a position of obscurity, a…
In 1598, the worst fire in the burgh was not caused by the marauding enemy but by a careless maidservant placing clothes too near the fire-place during the night.
The Siege of Haddington lasted from July 1548 to September 1549, making it the longest siege in Scottish history. This is a link to the story of Scotlands longest siege
The Treaty of Haddington signed at the abbey on 7 July 1548, betrothing Mary, Queen of Scots to the French Dauphin, is one of the most significant treaties in Scottish history. There is a link to a BBC bitesize video giving context to the betrothal when you click here The End to the Rough Wooing:…
The eldest son of the judge and poet Sir Richard Maitland, Sir William was born at Lethington, now Lennoxlove and rose to become Secretary to State to Marie de Guise and Mary Queen of Scots. A man of great wit and learning, he was educated at St Andrews and the French court. Joining the Reformers…