Eastwood, Renfrewshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland Renfrewshire  Eastwood

Eastwood (#562)

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

= History =

EASTWOOD, or POLLOCK, a parish, in the Upper ward of the county of Renfrew, 2½ miles (S. W.) from Glasgow; containing the incorporated town of Pollockshaws, the village of Thornliebank, and part of the late quoad sacra district of Levern. This place derives the former of its names from the relative situation of an extensive wood which was a part of it, but which has long been converted into arable land; and the latter name from the circumstance of the chief lands being designated Pollock. The old church was taken down, and a new edifice erected in 1781 near the western extremity of Pollockshaws; it is a neat building, and in good repair, but affords accommodation only to 760 persons. A second church connected with the Establishment has been recently erected in Pollockshaws; and there are places of worship for members of the Free Church, the United Associate Synod, and the Synod of Original Seceders.

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 http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for Eastwood. 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 census records.

Here is a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. 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 church records.

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

Condition of Original Registers—
Indexed: For an index to these records, see the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centers. Some records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: Excluding one imperfect leaf of transcribed entries, 1674–1676, there is no record until December 1687. Records are defective for 1757. Irregular entries occasionally occur, chiefly of children of Dissenters. Marriages: Records are blank December 1756–May 1759. Entries June 1790–December 1791 are recorded twice. After 1750, the fact of marriage is often not stated, the record being chiefly one of proclamations. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book.

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:

Eastwood Kirk Session
Minutes 1689–1808, 1817–1861 Poor Accounts 1824–1825 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/119.

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 List.

Pollokshaws Burgher, later United Presbyterian, Church
History— A praying society in the parish of Eastwood acceded to the Associate Presbytery in 1739 and helped to form the first Secession congregation in Glasgow. Their survivors, representatives, and other Seceders who had settled in the place were disjoined from the Shuttle Street congregation, Glasgow, and formed into a separate congregation in 1763. Church built in 1764. In 1799, the minister and the majority of his congregation separated from the Associate Burgher Synod and adhered to the Original Burghers. The majority retained the property and the minority were compensated and built their own place of worship in 1800. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William --MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Minutes 1804–1835 Managers’ Minutes 1814–1857 Baptismal Register 1833–1929 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1171.

Pollokshaws East Free Church
History— In December 1848 the first congregation of the Associate Synod in Pollokshaws applied for admission to the Free Church. The assembly of 1849 sanctioned the arrangement, and the union took place in September of that year. The original church was built in 1764, and it had a graveyard attached. A new church was erected in 1870. Membership: 1848, 240; 1900, 251. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Extent of the records is unknown.

Pollokshaws West Free Church
History— George Logan, minister of Eastwood, adhered to the Free Church, but died immediately after the Disruption. A congregation was formed in Pollokshaws, and sanctioned by the Assembly’s committee in March 1844. The church was erected in 1846. Membership: 1848, 260; 1900, 305. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Extent of the records is unknown.

Pollokshaws and Thornliebank Branches, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
History— Pollokshaws Branch was a local unit of the Glasgow Conference of the British Mission. The records include those for Busby and Thornliebank Branches also.

Records—                                                                                                        Family History Library Film Number  Record of Members                   1848–1873 - includes Busby                 item 8                                               1848–1855 - includes Thornlieban        item 9

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

= Probate Records =

Eastwood was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Glasgow until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Paisley. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. 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 Family History Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Renfrew and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Glasgow. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Renfrew. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Renfrew and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

= References =

Return to the Renfrewshire parish list.