Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #814

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

History
CANOBIE, or CANONBIE, a parish, in the county of Dumfries, 6 miles (N.) from Longtown. An ancient priory here is supposed to have given the name to this place, Canobie being probably derived from the Saxon Bie, or By, signifying "a station," and thus interpreting the word "the residence of the canons." The church is an elegant sandstone building with a tower, erected in 1822 and contains sittings for upwards of 1000 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 your parish of interest. Also available at the[https://familysearch.org/catalog-search FamilySearch Library. ]

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.

for a list of the FS Library microfilm numbers for the census records of Canonbie as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

The 1901 and 1911 census of Scotland is indexed on scotlandspeople.($) To use it, you must register and pay a small access fee. All available censuses, 1841-1911, are indexed on this website as well as at www.findmypast.co.uk and www.ancestry.co.uk. It may be easier for you to pay to using these websites 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: There are no entries for September 1712–November 1714, January 1720–January 1726, and May 1728–November 1730. Margins of a few pages are grayed at 1761–1766. There is a duplicate record for April 1815–1833. Marriages: Between February 1775 and July 1782, the dates of both proclamations and marriages are usually recorded. The record ends in 1843, except for one entry for 1854. Deaths: Burial record ends in April 1805, except for one entry for 1850. Death and Burial Index at the Family HIstory Library call number 941.48/C3 K22d and a copy of this booklet can be obtained through The Dumfries and Galloway Family History Scoiety 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:

CH2/1582 Records of Canonbie Kirk Session 1694-1985 CH2/1582/1/1 Canonbie kirk session: Minute book 1694-1716 CH2/1582/1/2 Canonbie kirk session: Minute book (with list of communicants at back 1749-1760) 1734-1760 CH2/1582/1/3 Canonbie kirk session: Minute book 1760-1784 Check details CH2/1582/1/4 Canonbie kirk session: Minute book 1784-1855 CH2/1582/1/5 Canonbie kirk session: Minute book 1856-1891 CH2/1582/1/6 Canonbie kirk session: Minute book 1891-1930 CH2/1582/1/7 Canonbie kirk session: Minute book 1930-1950

CH2/1582/3/1 Canonbie kirk session: Cash book 1695-1721 CH2/1582/3/2 Canonbie kirk session: Collections and distribution book 1768-1826 CH2/1582/3/3 Canonbie kirk session: Poor book 1804-1815 CH2/1582/3/4 Canonbie kirk session: Cash book 1905-1947 CH2/1582/3/5 Canonbie kirk session: Subscription books [?early 20th century] CH2/1582/3/6 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers 1889 CH2/1582/3/7 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers 1890 CH2/1582/3/8 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers 1891 CH2/1582/3/9 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers 1892 CH2/1582/3/10 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers 1893 CH2/1582/3/11 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers 1902 CH2/1582/3/12 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers 1903 CH2/1582/3/13 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers 1904 CH2/1582/3/14 Canonbie kirk session: Miscellaneous vouchers and correspondence 1879-1905 CH2/1582/4/1 Canonbie kirk session: Communicants rollbook c1862-c1868 CH2/1582/4/2 Canonbie kirk session: Communicants rollbook c1868-c1871 CH2/1582/4/3 Canonbie kirk session: Communicants rollbook 1872-1873 CH2/1582/4/4 Canonbie kirk session: Communicants rollbook 1874-1878 CH2/1582/4/5 Canonbie kirk session: Communicants rollbook 1878-1884 CH2/1582/4/6 Canonbie kirk session: Communicants rollbook 1884-1894 CH2/1582/4/7 Canonbie kirk session: Communicants rollbook 1895-1903 CH2/1582/4/8 Canonbie kirk session: Communicants rollbook 1979-1985 CH2/1582/5/1 Canonbie kirk session: Baptismal register 1877-1903 CH2/1582/6/1 Canonbie kirk session: Marriage proclamation register 1867-1931 CH2/1582/6/2 Canonbie kirk session: Marriage proclamation register 1931-1959 CH2/1582/6/3 Canonbie kirk session: Marriage proclamation register 1959-1977

Monumental Inscriptions
Memorials of Canonbie parish a copy of this book is available at the FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City

A book can also be purchased from The Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society

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.

Canonbie Free Church
History— This congregation was formed at the Disruption, but the Duke of Beccleuch, sole proprietor of the parish, at first absolutely refused a site for a place of worship. From 1843 until 1844 the congregation met for worship on the public highway. The charge was sanctioned in December 1843. The Duke finally relented, and the church was completed in 1851. Great influence was exercised to prevent the inhabitants of the parish from associating themselves with the Free Church, but in spite of this the cause enjoyed much popular goodwill. Membership declined with the decrease in population. Membership: 1848, 240; 1900, 171. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details are given in the source.) Records— The extent of records is unknown. No records are deposited at a record office or library. See Langholm parish.

Civil Registration Records
Government or civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths (also called statutory 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. The FamilySearch Library has certificates of births, marriages, and deaths for the years 1855-1875, 1881 and 1891. Certificates 1855-present can be obtained through www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.

See the article on Scotland Civil Registration  for more information and to access the records.

Probate Records
Canonbie 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 catalogfor the 'Place' of Dumfries and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Dumfries. At www.ancestry.co.uk is an index to the Principal Probate Registry 1861-1941 and there are scottish wills in this index. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Dumfries. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Dumfries and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.