Report of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 439 



The holly hedge at the glebe was quite untouched hy the severe 

 winter's frost, but the yews in the churchyard had suffered a good 

 deal. The church of Stenton has a nice appearance, both inside 

 and outside, and its tower is almost a landmark in the district. 

 It cost above £2000 and was opened by Dr. Chalmers, Oct. 4, 

 1829. It was built to supply the place of the old church, which 

 was a quaint structure in the Norman style of architecture. The 

 old tower is still standing, and part of the walls are left, thanks 

 to the care of Mr Marjoribanks, who has done much to beautify 

 the churchyard and preserve what old relics remained. There is 

 a fine Norman doorway. 



The Biel burying vault, which has not been opened for forty- 

 seven years — since the coffin of Mrs Mary Hamilton Nisbet was 

 placed there in 1834 — till the previous day, was thrown open by 

 Lady Mary's orders. In the vault were the following coffins : — 

 (1). Nearest the east wall, of the Union Lord Belhaven. This 

 was John the 2nd Lord, born July 5, 1656 ; died June 21, 1708. 

 [John the 3rd Lord was drowned near the Lizard point, Nov. 17, 

 1721]. (2). John, the 4th Lord, succeeded his father in 1721, 

 and died unmarried at Newcastle, Aug. 28, 1764. Neither of 

 these have inscriptions. (3). James, 5th Lord. The inscription is 

 " Et. Hon. James Hamilton, Lord Belhaven, died 25th Jan. 1777, 

 aged 72 years." He died at Biel. (4). WiUiam Hamilton Nis- 

 bet, Esq., of Biel and Dirleton, who died July 22. (5). Mrs 



Mary Hamilton Nisbet of Belhaven and Biel, who died April, 

 1834. She built the new church. 



The principal monument in the churchyard is that of the late 

 E. 0. Nisbet Hamilton, Esq., who died in 1877, by Sir John 

 Steel, and pronounced by him to be one of the most elaborately 

 carved granite monuments in Britain. It' is in the form of an 

 lona cross, and the whole of the elaborate carvings were designed 

 by Miss Nisbet Hamilton. 



Time not admitting, the proposed visit to Presmennan had to 

 be abandoned. It would require a day to itself. "We are fortu- 

 nate in having a paper from the Club's former member, Mr 

 Archibald Hepburn, formerly of Whittingham Mains, now of 

 Eamsbottom, Manchester, on the birds of that locality. 



At four o'clock the company partook of dinner at the St. George 

 Hotel, Dunbar, the chair being occupied, in the absence through 

 indisposition of the president, by the Eev. J. F. Bigge, M.A., 

 Stamfordham, while Mr Charles Watson, Dunse, discharged the 



2p 



