Peeblesshire, Scotland Genealogy Genealogy



Peebleshire, also known as Tweeddale, is an inland county in the southern part of Scotland, bounded on the north by Edinburghshire, on the east by Selkirkshire and Edinburghshire, on the south by the county of Dumfries, and on the west by Lanarkshire. It is 30 miles in length and 22 miles in extreme breadth, comprising an area of about 360 square miles or 234,400 acres.

The county takes its name from the county town of Peebles, and Tweeddale from the river Tweed which divides it into two nearly equal parts, flowing in a winding course along an ample vale of great fertility and beauty. Secured by their extensive forests, the ancient inhabitants managed to withstand the Romans, the Picts, and the Saxons, until they became identified with the emigrant Scots from the coasts of Ireland who, settling in the peninsula of Cantyre, were soon mingled with the native inhabitants. Afterwards a party of Anglo-Saxons from the Lothians established themselves in the valley of Eddlestone, and from these are descended many of the most ancient families in the county.

Over the next few centuries the county was the scene of many conflicts between the English and the Scots which threatened the peace and independence of the inhabitants. Many of the gentry attended James IV to the battle of Flodden Field (1513) and fell in that disactrous conflict.

The county contains fourteen parishes. Peebles, a royal burgh, is the county town and seat of the sheriff's court. There is also the burgh of barony of Linton, five villages, and a few inconsiderable hamlets.

In general, the surface of the county is hilly and mountainous with intervening tracts of level and fertile land. The most mountainous district is on the south side of the Tweed. The hills in the other parts of the county afford good pasturage for cattle and sheep (mostly sheep). More than 35,000 acres are arable, about 8000 are meadow and pasture, and the remainder are moorland, hill pasture, woodland, plantations, and waste. The crops are barley, oats, potatoes, turnips, and a small quantity of wheat. Though anciently abounding with timber, and a favorite hunting resort of the Scottish kings, there are now scarely more than twenty acres of natural wood in the county. However, there are now extensive plantations.

The principal substrata area whinstone, and freestone. There is also some coal, and blue slate which is quarried and sent to Edinburgh. The chief manufactures are carpets, serge, and coarse woollen-cloth, and the weaving of linen and cotton for the manufacturers of Glasgow.

The population of the county in 1851 was 10,499.

(Source: Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, 2nd ed., 1851.  FHL book 941 E5L, 2 vols.)

Parishes
Here is a list of historic parishes for the county of Peebles. Click on a parish name to see information about records.

Maps


Click on the map at the right to see a larger version, and click again on the larger map. Next, click on the ‘Expand’ button when it appears in the lower right-hand corner of the map.

Click here to see an outline map of the parishes of Peebles-shire.

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