Mouswald, Dumfriesshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #844

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Mouswald. To learn more about how to use these records to search for your ancestors, go to the Scotland: Research Strategies.

History
MOUSWALD, a parish, in the county of Dumfries containing the hamlets of Old Brocklehirst and Cleughbrae, 7 miles (E. S. E.) from Dumfries. The name of this parish was formerly spelt Muswald and Mosswald; the termination is probably derived from the Saxon word Walda, or Wealt, signifying "the woody district," and which, with the prefix moss, or mous, may be interpreted "the forest near the moss." The church is a handsome edifice, built a few years ago, and seats 386 persons.

The New Statistical Account of Scotland (pub. 1834-45) offers uniquely rich and detailed parish reports for the whole of Scotland, covering a vast range of topics including history, agriculture, education, trades, religion and social customs. The reports, written by the parish ministers, are available online at edina.($)  Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for Mouswald. Also available at the

Census Records
A census is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. Read more about Scotland Census Records.

Click here for a list of the FS Library microfilm numbers for the

Below is information for any known surname indexes:

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on scotlandspeople.($) To use it, you must register and pay a small access fee. All available censuses, 1841-1901, are indexed on this website. It may be easier for you to pay to use the website rather than access indexes through the library.

Church Records
The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about Scotland Church Records

Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish.

Condition of Original Registers
Index: For an index to these records, see Scotland’s People website, a pay-for-view website. The Scottish Church Records Index is also still available at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: After February 1756, there are ten pages of irregular entries dated 1715–1786. The record is then resumed at January 1773. Marriages: Marriages are on three pages with deaths after the births for October 5, 1803. There are no entries 1785–1825. Deaths: Deaths are on three pages after the births for October 5, 1803. There are no entries 1785–1836. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The session was made up of the minister and the land owners and business men of the parish, chosen to serve on the session. The Kirk session dealt with moral issues, minor criminal cases, matters of the poor and education, matters of discipline, and the general concerns of the parish. Kirk session records may also mention births, marriages, and deaths.

Here is a list of the surviving Kirk session records for this parish: 

Minutes 1817–1866, 1945–1954 Poors' Money Accounts 1766–1848 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH2/618.

Nonconformist Church Records
A nonconformist church is any church that is not the Established church. Read more about nonconformity in Scotland in the article on the Scotland Church Records Union Lists.

There are no known nonconformist groups. In 1836 there were ten dissenter families who attended services in Dumfries, and three Catholic families.

Civil Registration Records
began on January 1, 1855 in Scotland. Each parish has a registrar's office and large cities have several. The records are created by the registrars and copies are sent to the General Register Office in Edinburgh. Annual indexes are then created for the records for the whole country. See the article on Scotland Civil Registration  for more information and to access the records.

Probate Records
Mouswald was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dumfries until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Dumfries. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at scotlandspeople.($) You must register on the website but use of the index to probate records, called 'Wills &amp; Testaments,' is free. You may then purchase a copy of the document or, if the document is before 1823, it will be on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Dumfries and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Dumfries. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Dumfries. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Dumfries and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.