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Prestonpans and Vicinity

Cover Contents 1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
28 30 32 33 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64
66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 81 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102
104 106 108 110 112 114 116 118 120 122 124 126 128 130 132 134 136 138 140 142
144 146 148 150 152 154 156 158 160 162 164 166 168 170 172 174 176 177 178 180
182 184 186 188 190 192 194 196 198 200 201 202 204 206 208 209 210 212 214 216
218 220 222 224 226 228 229 230 232 234 236 238 240 242 244 246 248 249 250 252
254 256 257 258 259 260 261                          

OLD TAVERNS.
A curious little old house was recently pulled down in order to make way for that very handsome building erected by Mr Wallace, head master, Prestonpans Public School. It stood directly opposite the Power House at the north-west corner of Mr Wallace's property. This was known as Preston Tavern, and during nearly the whole of last century a flourishing business was conducted here. Through the village of Preston being the main highway eastwards from Edinburgh in those days, many a noble lord, it is said, was wont to tie his steed to the iron ring which hung by the door cheek, till he regaled himself with cake and ale before passing on to his mansion-house.
Old Willie Rodger, grandfather to Mr George Rodger of Prestonpans, was the hindmost proprietor of the little tavern. The iron ring to which the horses were wont to be tied remained by the door cheek till destruction overtook the puny little building.
The Dower House was occupied for a good many years by Mr Thomas Kay as a tavern or licensed house. It ceased to be used as such some thirty-five years ago.

A CURIOUS IMPOST.
In 1753, under authority of a special Act of Parliament, a house with a small garden attached was purchased in the village of Preston and fitted up as a workhouse, to be supported by an impost of twopence Scotch on each Scotch pint of ale brewed or sold in the parish. But after a few years trial the workhouse was abandoned, and the house and garden let as an ordinary dwelling, the annual rental going to augment the parochial funds for the benefit of the poor. The house stood at the east end of the Dower House. It was pulled down recently, but the door in the wall and the remains of the western gable may yet be seen. The grounds extend to an acre, and belong to the heirs of the late Mr John Fowler Hislop of Castle Park,
DR JELLY.
This famous medical practitioner was reared in Schaw's Hospital. On turning up an old roll we find he was admitted to the institution (William Jelley) in 1824. He would leave probably in 1832. The next we hear of him is settling as a " Medical" in San Francisco. He paid a visit to his old home at Preston in 1853. We hear no more of him till the late Dr Struthers, who always kept the old " Schaw " boys in view, on returning from the Pan Presbyterian Council, held in America about 1880, foregathered with an Austrian officer on shipboard who spoke English fluently. The Rev. Dr, who knew that Dr Jelly had gone to Austria, inquired at the officer if ever he had heard of the famous practitioner, and was not a little surprised to hear that he knew him perfectly well, and after describing him personally to a nicety, further astonished the Rev. Dr by assuring him that Dr Jelly at that period was chief medical adviser to the Emperor of Austria.
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