In 1526, the
Cistercian monks of
Holyrood Abbey and
Newbattle Abbey received permission from King
James V for the construction of a port in place called "Gilbertis-draucht". The Abbot leased the port to Alexander Atkinsoun or Achesoun, and the port was known as '''Acheson's Haven''' and sometimes "New Haven" until the 17th century. The monks could also collect "port monies, customs and duties". There was at least one
mill, and a stone
fort with underground
vaults which was destroyed by
Oliver Cromwell in 1650 on his way to
Leith. Some fortifications were built at the harbour in the time of
James V at the "Mill Port" (
le port du moulin) according to John Acheson, an archer in the guard of
Henri II of France. The harbour was used to load building materials for the fort on
Inchkeith in 1555. In 1557 John Acheson of "Mylnhaven or Gilbertis Drawcht" and his wife Jonet Heriot lived nearby and collected customs duties. During the
Scottish Reformation, in April 1560 English troops commanded by
Lord Grey de Wilton marched from
Berwick upon Tweed to join the
Siege of Leith. Passing through
Dunglass and
East Linton, the English army camped at
Prestongrange on 4 April where the lighter artillery pieces for the siege were landed from ships at Acheson's Haven. The harbour was managed by Alexander Acheson, whose wife Isobel Gray died in 1565. Her inventory is an important record of the possessions of a wealthy Scottish woman. In September 1569
Regent Moray granted the custom duties of the "Newhaven of Preston" to Helen Acheson and her husband
Archibald Stewart, a brother of
James Stewart of
Doune. The rights were entailed to Alexander Acheson of Gosford's son, also called Alexander Acheson. Mark Acheson of Acheson's Haven undertook in 1587 to pay custom duties for salt exports to
John Chisholm, comptroller of the Royal Artillery. In 1591
Euphame MacCalzean was convicted of witchcraft on several charges including attending an assembly of witches at "Atkynson's Haven" where an image of
James VI was given to the devil for the destruction of the king.
John Fian,
Agnes Sampson and
Barbara Napier were also said to have been at this meeting, and it was said a pact was made with
Satan to send a mist and
winds to drive the King's ship to England. A part of the harbour structure known as the "bulwark" and "Millhaven" was demolished accidentally by the
Margaret of Leith captained by Thomas Melville on 1 April 1607. His partners undertook to recompense the owner,
Mark Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian. There were glassworks at "Aichesonis Haven
alias callit the Newhaven" by December 1625, when it was suspected that among the workers were Catholic recusants. This early manufactory may have been started by James Ord, who worked for the patent-holder
Sir Gorge Hay, and was probably closed by Sir
Robert Mansell around the year 1627. By the middle of the 18th century, the Haven was a busy port, exporting oysters, salt, local glassware, ceramics, bricks, fireclay, coal, and chemicals, including
sulphuric acid. Imports were
brandy from France,
port wine from Portugal,
Delft china from the Low countries,
leather from the Baltic port
Danzig, and
furs from Canada. A map of 1773 shows the port having two
breakwaters. The importance of the Haven is reflected in the fact that it has customs jurisdiction over the coastline from Figgate Burn,
Portobello all the way to the
Tyne at
Belhaven. In the late 19th century, ships from the
Baltic brought
rock salt to Morrison's Haven and exchanged it for coal and other commodities. Up to the late 1920s, the Haven exported large amounts of coal and bricks. Then it became disused, and the harbour was filled in and the site was landscaped. At the same time, Prestongrange's traditional industries declined apace. ==Masons and Freemasons==