About 1340, Robert de Lawder, Justiciary, was a witness, with James Lord Douglas, Robert de Keith, Henry St.Clair, Alexander de Seaton, all knights, plus the "Lord" William, Rector of the parish of Morham, East Lothian, to a charter of Euphemia, the widow of Sir John Giffard, Lord of Yester, relating to the tenement of land of 'Barow'.

This was once a separate community and parish, with its own church and graveyard, which stood in a corner of Linplum farm – to this day called kirk field.

The superiority of the parish was long in the hands of the Hays of Yester family and their cadets, and following the demise of Bara Kirk, Robert Hay, of Bara & Linplum, enclosed the churchyard with a wall and planted it with trees and shrubs.

Some of the older headstones were readable in the 19th century and half a dozen appear in John Martine's book.

The community has today all but disappeared with the demise of agricultural labour, although numerous farms still exist: Carfrae, Duncanlaw, Bara, Linplum, Snawdon, Little Newton, Quarryford, Newlands, Castlemains, Danskin, Brokside, and East & West Hopes.