Portseaton

   PORTSEATON, a village, in that part of the parish of Tranent which formed a portion of the late quoad sacra parish of Cockenzie, county of Haddington, 2 miles (N. by W.) from Tranent; containing 270 inhabitants. This place derives its name from the family of Seaton, earls of Winton, who were proprietors of the estate on which it is built. It is situated on the shore of the Frith of Forth, and is inhabited by persons connected with the fisheries, in conjunction with the population of Cockenzie, of which it may be regarded as a continuation, and under which head the fisheries are described. A mill has been erected for the preparation of linseed-oil; it is worked by steam, and after the extraction of the oil, the residue is formed into cakes for feeding cattle. Seaton House, a magnificent palace, and partially occupied in 1715 by the old Brigadier Mackintosh, has been removed, with its fine gardens and terrace-walks, and is succeeded by a modern mansion of no architectural pretensions. The old collegiate church, which was considerably injured by the Earl of Hertford in 1544, and more wantonly in subsequent times, is an interesting specimen of Gothic architecture, now carefully preserved by the Earl of Wemyss, the proprietor; it contains the mausoleum of the Seaton family. The children of the village attend the schools established in the parish.