Summerfield Mains - Haddington

The History and Geography of Auld Scotia

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Pandabean
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Summerfield Mains - Haddington

Post by Pandabean » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:03 am

I am trying to research this farm that one of my ancestors owned. It is located just west of Haddington near places like St Lawrence House and Dobbie's well. James Whitson is the farmer from 1851 to the day he dies in the mid 1860's where his son then takes over.

I have looked at an old 1855 map and I believe I have found the farm and the 22 acres. It is bounded by the road to the south and the railway to the north and Haddington to the East. I then looked at a later map on the NLS dated for 1893 and it shows the place has more houses on it. Two of the houses retain the name Summerfield. I am not sure if I can post a copy of the modified image as it is the free map from the old maps site

Now adays from a moder map the place is bounded by the A1 (Edinburgh Bypass) to the north and the main road in to Haddington from the West. I must have passed the places dozens of times but I never knew it was the place I was looking for. Also on the modern map the place name is retained in a way but has changed spelling to Somnerfield Crescent. Does anyone know of this area?

I have overlayed a polygon for the outline of the land I believe is the farm in 1855.

My main question are does anyone know if the farm was located on the north side of the road with the buildings or over the road in a large empty space. Also does anyone know if any the big houses are still on that street and if one of them could look like an old farm house? Also does anyone have an exact date when the farm would have been lost and converted into housing?

The house they lived in was quite large. The census has two families, one being a lady who is a proprietor of houses and my James Whitson. Both have a large amount of windows per room. Windows per room where 7 and 6 respectively. Would the Whitsons then be considered middle class or would they be living in a servents part of the building?
Andy
[size=75]
[b]McDonald[/b]
[b]Greenlees & Fairnie[/b] (Musselburgh area)
[b]Johnston, Whitson, Whitecross, Runciman [/b] (Haddingtonshire)
[b]Rutherford [/b](Dumbartonshire, Airth & Larbert)
[b]Ross, Stevenson & Robb[/b](Falkirk)[/size]

Pandabean
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Post by Pandabean » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:16 am

Ok I also have valuations rolls that I obtained a while back for the area in 1864-65.

Entries 37 & 38 are for Sommerfield or Somer's Mains
7 - House & Garden - Misses Jane and Margaret Reid - Misses Jane and Margaret Reid - 25/-/-
8 - Land & Garden - William Thickson (Continues on for a bit but he works for the Brittish Linen Co.) - James Whitson Far. & Gardner - 51/10/-

Also Entry 17
7 - Land St Lawrence House - James Whitson Farmer - 23/10/-



I am guessing the money amounts refer to how much they are paying for the property or to rent it. Or is it how much that property is actually worth? Believe it or not a couple of entries above the figures are very high 594/12/- and one at 849/-/-
Andy
[size=75]
[b]McDonald[/b]
[b]Greenlees & Fairnie[/b] (Musselburgh area)
[b]Johnston, Whitson, Whitecross, Runciman [/b] (Haddingtonshire)
[b]Rutherford [/b](Dumbartonshire, Airth & Larbert)
[b]Ross, Stevenson & Robb[/b](Falkirk)[/size]

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Post by AndrewP » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:11 am

Hi Andy,

If I look out the window from my work, I can see the houses in Somnerfield Court, beyond the former Haddington Station buildings. The houses that I can see look like 1960s style.

There are old houses on West Road (the old main road in from Edinburgh - now the B6471). As far as I can visualise, all the streets off West Road, west of the former railway station are all 1960s or newer. If there is anything you want me to have a look at (or photograph) there, let me know.

All the best,

AndrewP
(working hard - honest)

Pandabean
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Post by Pandabean » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:25 am

I do now believe the name of the the place may have changed to Oak Banks and based on a modern map it is on West Road. You may then have heard of St Lawrence House? That is based on the locations on the maps that I have. It used to be a rectangular building but in the same place in 1890 it seems to have an extension and a name change. It appears that the farm may have changed in the 1870s as in 1881, James, the son is living in Hope Park. I had a look at an aerial photo and it looks like modern housing.

The NLS Map -
http://www.nls.uk/maps/townplans/haddington_2.html Click on X.6.7. It only goes as far as Oak Banks. I am not a 100% sure it is the old Sommer Mains farm house.

A photograph or two would be great. :)
AndrewP wrote:Hi Andy,

If I look out the window from my work, I can see the houses in Somnerfield Court, beyond the former Haddington Station buildings. The houses that I can see look like 1960s style.

There are old houses on West Road (the old main road in from Edinburgh - now the B6471). As far as I can visualise, all the streets off West Road, west of the former railway station are all 1960s or newer. If there is anything you want me to have a look at (or photograph) there, let me know.

All the best,

AndrewP
(working hard - honest)
Andy
[size=75]
[b]McDonald[/b]
[b]Greenlees & Fairnie[/b] (Musselburgh area)
[b]Johnston, Whitson, Whitecross, Runciman [/b] (Haddingtonshire)
[b]Rutherford [/b](Dumbartonshire, Airth & Larbert)
[b]Ross, Stevenson & Robb[/b](Falkirk)[/size]

AndrewP
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Post by AndrewP » Fri Jun 01, 2007 1:02 pm

Hi Andy,

The row of substantial villas is still there on West Road.

For the 1841 census index of the area see
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com ... 9/EN4.HTML
St Lawrence House has a number of households (farm cottages?). Sommerfield is further down the page.

Haddington Community Council website has some photos of old Haddington.
http://www.haddingtoncc.org.uk

All the best,

AndrewP

trotterbeck
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Location: Lancashire

Post by trotterbeck » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:22 pm

hi
Comparing Old-maps with www.getamap.co.uk and going in to the largest scale, I would put the farm location as virtually opposite or slightly west of the small road joining the B6471 from the south which is East of the cross roads. There is a spot height of 62 also in the vicinity

The grid ref is NT 504 738 GB Grid

Comparing all 5 maps on Old Maps, only the 1855 shows it so I would say that the farm house was demolished between 1855 and 1890 in the development westward of Haddington
I'm a Cousin - are you? http://www/LostCousins.com

Looking for Beck and Trotter in Hawick and
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anice
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Post by anice » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:36 pm

Hi Andy

Hope Park has a number of older type houses (still standing), the newer type housing was built in about 1956 on Robertson's orchard and known as known as Hope Park Crescent later still housing was built on the cattle market land.

There is a booklet by George Angus entitled Haddington Old and New and on pages 10 & 11 Hope Park is shown as I remember it and as now which I also remember as I lived round the corner in Lydgait.

This booklet was printed by the East Lothian District Coucil in 1991 don't know if still in publication.



Anita

Pandabean
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Post by Pandabean » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:07 pm

I have narrowed the possible demolition of the farm to after 1881. I have the 1881 census and after a bit of searching I found the place, it is Somnerfield Mains and occupied by a John Gullan but the size of the farm is now only 13 acres compared to the 22 that James Whitson had. So it seems that in the mid 1870s the farm was cut in size probably to build some of the larger houses and possibly done away with in the 1890s? In the 1881 census it is between Somnerfield Lodge and St Lawrence House.

I still think the farm land was the area between the old railway and the West Road as mentioned above James is also mentioned as having the land at St Lawrence House

The later maps at Old-Maps are of poor detail for the later ones.

Also thanks Andrew for pointing out the census return on FreeCen, that is indeed my family and it is now clear that James farmed there from at least 1841 to his death in 1866 and then his son took over for a period of time until after 1871.
Andy
[size=75]
[b]McDonald[/b]
[b]Greenlees & Fairnie[/b] (Musselburgh area)
[b]Johnston, Whitson, Whitecross, Runciman [/b] (Haddingtonshire)
[b]Rutherford [/b](Dumbartonshire, Airth & Larbert)
[b]Ross, Stevenson & Robb[/b](Falkirk)[/size]

AndrewP
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Post by AndrewP » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:56 pm

Hi Andy,

I am wondering if the house in the centre of the following aerial view could be Sommerfield? Or was it demolished and this one is approximately in its place.

Aerial view of West Road (Sommerfield?)

All the best,

AndrewP

Pandabean
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Post by Pandabean » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:19 pm

Andrew,

It could well be. I notice it has an inner court yard and what looks like out buildings. The other houses do not have this except for ones further along What does the place look like from the front, do you know if it has a farm building feel to it?

Also on the old map there is an out building to the north west of the main house and on the aerial photo there is a square patch in the same area that looks a little lighter than other. Maybe that is suggesting a possible building or am I jumping to conclusions?

Am I ok to post a copy of the map (from old-maps) to the gallery with the overlay on it to show the area of farmland I am thinking of or is that against the rules?

Edit: If you look at Oakbanks on NLS does that outline not look similar to the house in the aerial photo?
Andy
[size=75]
[b]McDonald[/b]
[b]Greenlees & Fairnie[/b] (Musselburgh area)
[b]Johnston, Whitson, Whitecross, Runciman [/b] (Haddingtonshire)
[b]Rutherford [/b](Dumbartonshire, Airth & Larbert)
[b]Ross, Stevenson & Robb[/b](Falkirk)[/size]

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