Whitsome and Hilton, Berwickshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #757

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

= 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: After 1792, entries are frequently out of chronological order, at times by several years. Mothers’ names are rarely recorded until 1808. Marriages: There is only one entry prior to May 1785. The record before 1790 is deficient, usually containing only the names of the bridegrooms and no dates. There are no entries 1793–November 1808. Deaths: Burials are recorded on alternate pages of the register of marriages. Except for the year 1790, the names of the deceased are rarely mentioned in the entries. 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 1834–1844, 1847–1870 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/977.

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.

There were no Nonconformist churches. In 1834 there were forty Dissenter families, or about 214 persons of all ages, out of a population of about 665, but no nonconformist chapels within the parish. They would have attended Presbyterian, Dissenter and Seceder chapels in neighboring parishes.

= Civil Registrtion 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.