Penston, a collier village in Gladsmuir parish, Haddingtonshire, 3 miles S of Longniddry station, and 2¾ E by S of Tranent. The barony of Penston, lying around the village, belonged towards the close of the 13th century to William de Balliol, nephew of John Balliol of Barnard Castle, the father of King John Balliol; and passed to his descendants, the Baillies of Lamington. It had, near the village, a strong old mansion, now represented by only the garden; has been famous, since the 14th century, for excellent coal; yielded coal, in the time of Oliver Cromwell, under a yearly rental of £400; and, in 1834, when its old mines seemed to be near exhaustion, had a new pit sunk in another quarter.Ord. Sur., sh. 33, 1863.
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