Fenton, Haddingtonshire

Historical Description

FENTON, a village, in the parish of Dirleton, county of Haddington, 4 miles (S. W. by W.) from North Berwick; containing 201 inhabitants. This place consists of East and West Fenton, and lies in the southern part of the parish, a short distance from the Peffer burn, the parish boundary in that direction. A part of the lands in this neighbourhood formerly belonged to the powerful family of De Vallibus, or De Vaux. In 1603, James VI., having given the castle of Dirleton to Sir Thomas Erskine, captain of the English guard, for his valour in preserving him from the traitorous attempt of Gowrie, created him Baron Dirleton, and afterwards, in 1606, Viscount Fenton, this being the first dignity of viscount created in Scotland: in 1619, he was raised to the title of Earl of Kellie. Some years since, upwards of thirty pentagonal basaltic pillars were laid bare on the farm of West Fenton.