120 Antiquities, &c.^ of Craniond District, [Sess. 



of the English troops, under the command of the Earl of Here- 

 ford, from a fleet of 200 sail on 5th May 1544. 



Among the manors and estates in the parish may be men- 

 tioned — Roystoun House, Granton House, Muirhouse, Piltoun, 

 Drylaw, Craigcrook, Clermiston, Lauriston Castle (connected 

 with the famous financier John Law), Nether Cramond (Cra- 

 mond House, surrounded by some of the finest timber in the 

 county), Barnton, King's Cramond, Whitehouse, &c. 



Nor far from the village of Upper Cramond is Braehead 

 (the residence of Mrs Howison), the lands belonging to which 

 extend to Cramond Bridge, and from thence along the river to 

 Cammo. Part of this property, it is said, was bestowed by 

 one of the kings of Scotland upon a husbandman of the name 

 of Howison on account of efficient service rendered to his 

 Majesty. Tradition relates that the king, hunting in the 

 neighbourhood, was attacked by a gang of gypsies or robbers 

 who were proceeding to use him very roughly when the above- 

 mentioned person (Jock Howison), threshing grain in a barn 

 hard by, alarmed by his Majesty's cries, ran to his assistance 

 with his flail, and exerted that weapon so manfully as to put 

 the rogues to flight. Whether the above tradition is founded 

 on truth, or at what time the affair happened, cannot now be 

 ascertained. 



Cramond Church. — Near the confluence of the Forth and 

 the Amon stands Cramond Church, which belongs to the 

 Presbytery of Edinburgh and the Synod of Lothian and 

 Tweeddale. In times of Popery and Episcopacy it was in- 

 cluded in the diocese of Dunkeld. This church was dedicated 

 to St Columba. The present church was built in 1656. In 

 1701 another aisle was added to the north side of the church 

 by the Earl of Cromarty, and in the same year the south aisle 

 was lengthened and heightened by the Earl of Euglen. At 

 the east end of the church are two burial-places, one belonging 

 to Young of Leny and the other to Inglis of Cramond, the 

 latter having a Gothic roof of flagstones. This part was 

 formerly the choir, and is said to have pertained to the Abbot 

 of Inchcolm. The church is covered with blue slate, and in 

 its steeple hangs a bell thus inscribed : " Michael Burgerhuys 

 fecit me, 1619, Soli Deo Gloria." This bell was carried away 

 by the Parliamentary forces, but restored to the parish by 



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