There’s always tax to be paid

What to do on a wet Sunday afternoon when Martin is working? Well, I took myself of for a wander to Haddington, the county town. Unlike, many towns, Haddington is very old fashioned, in that nothing is open (it’s like days of old) and you can be one of the few people aimlessly wandering round in a very relaxed manner looking for a blip, and here it is.

Yes, it looks very unprepossessing, but it’s ancient and has a history, so it will to.

The ancient custom stone of Haddington was for centuries the seat of the Tacksman (I like the spelling) when petty customs were levied in the burgh. 

A tacksman generally paid a yearly rent for the land let to him (his "tack"), his tenure might last for several generations. He would often be related to his landlord and might, for example, represent a cadet branch of the family of the clan chief. 

The tacksman in turn would let out his land to sub-tenants, but he might keep some in hand himself. It would appear that this Tack system, started to break down in the early eighteenth century, especially in the highlands of Scotland, where the system had been strongest. This was due to the highland clearances taking place, which resulted in many tacksmen emigrating to the new world. 

Anyway, here’s hoping you have had a good and relaxing Sunday.