Old town bell, Haddington
This bell is thought to have been used in Haddington Town House until the building was extended in 1831. After 1879 it is believed to have served as the main bell at the Knox Institute, the town’s new grammar school.
This bell was made by P OSTENS in the Netherlands for Haddington in 1669. There is no doubt that it was a municipal bell as the goat also appears on Haddington’s seal. It is fitted with an iron pivot and pull, with the first part of the chain still intact.
Bells were used to gain the attention of townsfolk for news of special importance and signal the hours, especially those of evening curfew. The bellman was an officer of the town, Haddington’s first being mentioned in 1532; the incumbent traditionally doubled as the town’s gravedigger.
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