Westruther, Berwickshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish # 756

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

= 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 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 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: There are no entries September 1660–April 1677, January 1683–December 1691, November 1692–May 1696, October 1697–September 1699 and January 1775–January 1787. After 1819 there is a scroll of the record for 1746–1786. Marriages: No entries are recorded October 1660–November 1691, and only two entries August 1692–February 1701, June 1719–May 1745, and November 1803–May 1806. Seven pages for 1745–1753 are in poor condition. 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 1655, 1659–1660, 1678–1682, 1704–1930 Communion Lists 1843–1867 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/369.

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.

In 1834 there were 34 dissenters, members of the Secession or Associate Church, within the parish, but no chapels. They would have attended services in neighboring parishes.

Westruther Free Church
History— The minister of the parish and a large part of his congregation left the Established Church in 1843. After some difficulty, a rough church was erected and used until a more substantial stone church was built in 1854. Earlston and Legertwood were at first included in the Westruther district. The congregation suffered through decline of the population. 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— Minutes 1843–1930 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/462.

= 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

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= Probate Records =

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to the Berwickshire parish list.