Langton, Berwickshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #747

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Langton.

= History =

Available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Browse the scanned pages via the parish reports.

= Census Records =

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

= 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—
Index: 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: Only a few entries exist before January 1731. Entries are out of chronological order about 1766–1767. Marriages: Only entries of marriage money exist, containing merely the name of the bridegroom, or the bride, until 1773. There are no entries March 1733–July 1748. After 1773 there is only a mixed record containing entries of irregular marriages 1748–1822. There are only three entries, 1776–1777, between June 1767 and December 1807. No entries exist 1822–1827. Deaths: Mortcloth Dues are intermixed with the marriage money. 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 Kirk session was made up of he 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.

Minutes 1727–1733 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/980.

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.

The New Statistical Account of Scotland for Langton 1834, states that there were no dissenting or seceding chapels within the parish at that time. The Dissenters in the parish attended services in Dunse. They numbered about a third of the parish population of 503 in 1833. In the village of Gavinton, there were 33 members of the Relief church and 28 of the Burgher and Anti-burgher churches, out of a population of 243.

Langton Free Church
History— The minister of the parish and his entire congregation left the Established Church in 1843. The same year they built a church near the village of Gavinton. The Marquis and Marchioness of Breadalbane and her sister Lady Hannah Tharpe were members of the congregation. Membership: 1848, 152; 1900, 138. 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— Baptismal Register 1849–1924 Minutes 1850–1927 Communion Roll 1844–1927 Deacons’ Court Minutes 1844 Other post-1855 records Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1521.

= 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 =

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to the Berwickshire parish list.