IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Rosemount Mews, PRESTONPANS, EH32 9JF

One of several narrow streets that ascend from the main road to the upper part of the town. Now pedestrianised.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prestongrange_Parish_Church .

The statue is of Thomas Alexander C.B. He was born in Prestonpans in 1812, he was Director General of the Medical Department of the British Army.

Memorial statue to a great surgeon who did much to improve hospital sanitation during the Crimean War. He was a friend of nurse Florence Nightingale. Born In Prestonpans, he died in 1860.

This memorial in Ionic style, on the east wall of the kirkyard, commemorates John Heburn who died in 1675, but the rest of the inscription, including the name of the other gentleman, is illegible.

Preston Church, its original name, was built in 1596 and was one of the first kirks built after the Reformation in Scotland. After the amalgamation of Preston and Grange Congregations, the church was renamed Prestongrange Parish Church. The Coronation Gardens were opened in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1st of the United Kingdom.)

In 1745, the Battle of Prestonpans, a notable Jacobite victory, was documented by a priest watching from Preston church tower. Some soldiers from the battle are buried in the kirkyard but, in August 2014, vandals destroyed 10 old headstones and pushed others over. The only remaining recognisable battle stone is a panel in the kirkyard wall in memory of John Stuart. Here lyeth the Remains of John Stuart of Phis -gul a Galloway gentle -man and Cap in Lassel’s Regt a man of true bravery who died honourably in defence of his king and coun -try and of sacred and civil liber -ty, being barbarously mur -der’d by four Highland -ers near the end of the Batt -le in the field of Preston on the 21st Sept 1745.

One of Scotland's first post-Reformation kirks, largely paid for by the first minister, John Davidson, on land bequeathed by the Hamiltons of Prestongrange. There was a church at Preston, or Saltpriestoun (later Prestonpans) since the 12th century, but this was destroyed by the English Army in 1544. Coronation Gardens are situated between the church and the High Street where there is a memorial statue to Thomas Alexander, who was born in Prestonpans in May 1812. He was an Army surgeon and took part in many campaigns and became the Director General of the Medical Department of the British Army. His main goals were to see improvements to the conditions the soldiers had to live in, especially during the Crimean war. The memorial was erected in 1862.

I couldn't read the much-eroded inscription on this memorial on the kirkyard wall, but I understand that it commemorates one John Stewart of Phisgul, who was 'barbarously murdered' by four Highlanders after the nearby battle on 21 September 1745.