Test your knowledge of the town to identify the location of Brook’s tea shop and warehouse from this old bill head. Its not as easy as you’d think!
Here are some of the fantastic comments and additional information that people have added to the Old Haddingtonshire Facebook page. It’s well worth checking this page out!
“The shop on the left is 60 High Street, which was James McNeill & Son, licenced grocers, from about 1914 until my father (Stuart Macdonald) sold it in 1972. The shop on the right, now Leisure Time in Market Street, was the warehouse part of the same premises and the two were connected by a basement passage from the cellars under the grocery to the back. The High Street shop began as a grocery in 1792 (probably the first in Haddington) started by James Grieve who came from Kinross. He and his wife Elizabeth Russell had a daughter Catherine who married Alexander Brook who took over the shop on James’s death. His son John Brook succeeded him in the business and ran the grocery and wine merchant business from about the 1850s until he sold it about 1908. He died in 1910. He had been a very prominent figure in the town, serving as Provost from 1890.” – Hugh Macdonald
“According to the Valuation Record “1877 BROOK, JOHN (Valuation Rolls VR003700004-/332, HADDINGTON BURGH) Page 332 of 370″ the shop was between 59 to 62 High Street and on Page 333 the Warehouse was at 52 Market Street which is where Leisure Time Sports is now.” – Jim Westcott
“Brooks Wine shop was 60 High St as Stated in a old company add. Its now the Haddington Jobs Barbers 60 HighSt.” – James Fairgrieve