Bara, East Lothian
Encyclopedia
Bara, anciently spelt Baro, is an agricultural parish in East Lothian
, Scotland
, which adjoins the parish of Garvald
to the east, and Lauder
across the Lammermuir Hills
. It is south-west of Haddington
.
About 1340 Robert de Lawder, Justiciary, was a witness, with James Lord Douglas, Robert de Keith, Henry St.Clair, Alexander de Seaton, all knights, plus the "Lord" William, Rector of the parish of Morham
, East Lothian, to a charter of Euphemia, the widow of Sir John Giffard, Lord of Yester, relating to the tenement of land of 'Barow'.
This was once a separate community and parish, with its own church and graveyard which stood in a corner of Linplum farm, to this day called kirk field. In 1743 part of the roof of the ancient church collapsed. The community was in some decline and the Presbytery decided not to repair the church but to conjoin the parish with adjoining Garvald, notwithstanding the fact that Morham
church was slightly closer. The Glebe
was on the north side of the road leading to Garvald and the manse stood where, in 1890, the Bara blacksmith's premises stood. The superiority of the parish was long in the hands of the Hays of Yester family and their cadets, and following the demise of Bara Kirk, Robert Hay of Bara & Linplum enclosed the churchyard with a wall and planted it with trees and shrubs. Some of the church ruins are extant and just a few of the original headstones in the totally overgrown graveyard. Some of the older headstones were readable in the 19th century and half a dozen appear in John Martine's book. Others were transcribed in the 1950s.
The community has today all but disappeared with the demise of agricultural labour, although numerous farms still exist: Carfrae, Duncanlaw, Bara, Linplum, Snawdon, Little Newton, Quarryford, Newlands, Castlemains, Danskin, Brokside, and East & West Hopes.
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, which adjoins the parish of Garvald
Garvald
Garvald can refer to:* Garvald, East Lothian* Garvald, Scottish Borders* Garvald, South Lanarkshire...
to the east, and Lauder
Lauder
The Royal Burgh of Lauder is a town in the Scottish Borders 27 miles south east of Edinburgh. It is also a royal burgh in the county of Berwickshire. It lies on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills, on the Southern Upland Way.-Medieval history:...
across the Lammermuir Hills
Lammermuir Hills
The Lammermuir Hills, usually simply called the Lammermuirs , in southern Scotland, form a natural boundary between Lothian and the Scottish Borders....
. It is south-west of Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
.
About 1340 Robert de Lawder, Justiciary, was a witness, with James Lord Douglas, Robert de Keith, Henry St.Clair, Alexander de Seaton, all knights, plus the "Lord" William, Rector of the parish of Morham
Morham
Morham, East Lothian, sometimes spelt Moram, Morum, Morhame, etc., in old records, is the smallest parish in Scotland, sandwiched between five other parishes: Haddington, Garvald, Yester, Whittingehame, and Prestonkirk, in the undulating lower reaches of the Lammermuir Hills.-Church and hamlet:For...
, East Lothian, to a charter of Euphemia, the widow of Sir John Giffard, Lord of Yester, relating to the tenement of land of 'Barow'.
This was once a separate community and parish, with its own church and graveyard which stood in a corner of Linplum farm, to this day called kirk field. In 1743 part of the roof of the ancient church collapsed. The community was in some decline and the Presbytery decided not to repair the church but to conjoin the parish with adjoining Garvald, notwithstanding the fact that Morham
Morham
Morham, East Lothian, sometimes spelt Moram, Morum, Morhame, etc., in old records, is the smallest parish in Scotland, sandwiched between five other parishes: Haddington, Garvald, Yester, Whittingehame, and Prestonkirk, in the undulating lower reaches of the Lammermuir Hills.-Church and hamlet:For...
church was slightly closer. The Glebe
Glebe
Glebe Glebe Glebe (also known as Church furlong or parson's closes is an area of land within a manor and parish used to support a parish priest.-Medieval origins:...
was on the north side of the road leading to Garvald and the manse stood where, in 1890, the Bara blacksmith's premises stood. The superiority of the parish was long in the hands of the Hays of Yester family and their cadets, and following the demise of Bara Kirk, Robert Hay of Bara & Linplum enclosed the churchyard with a wall and planted it with trees and shrubs. Some of the church ruins are extant and just a few of the original headstones in the totally overgrown graveyard. Some of the older headstones were readable in the 19th century and half a dozen appear in John Martine's book. Others were transcribed in the 1950s.
The community has today all but disappeared with the demise of agricultural labour, although numerous farms still exist: Carfrae, Duncanlaw, Bara, Linplum, Snawdon, Little Newton, Quarryford, Newlands, Castlemains, Danskin, Brokside, and East & West Hopes.