Roberton, Selkirkshire, Scotland Genealogy

Roberton (#777)

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

History
ROBERTON, a parish, partly in the county of Selkirk, but chiefly in the district of Hawick, county of Roxburgh, 3 miles (W.) from Hawick; containing the village of Deanburnhaugh. The church, from an inscription bearing date 1659, appears to have been erected when the parish was constituted; it is in good repair, and adapted to a congregation of 250 persons.

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 Roberton. 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 Scotland Census Records.

Click here for a list of the FS Library microfilm numbers for the

Below is information for any known surname indexes:

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 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 Scotland’s People website, a pay-for-view website. The Scottish Church Records Index is also still available at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: There are copies of five entries 1676 at beginning of Vol. 1; also a page of entries for Hassendean Parish, 1687–1688. There are no entries August 1689–August 1701, except one. There are frequent irregular entries after 1807. Mothers’ names are not recorded until 1788. Marriages: There are no entries July 1689–December 1711 and four entries for Hassendean Parish, 1687–1688, after the July 1689 entries. There are only two entries November 1745–November 1749 and none December 1749–June 1752, September 1754–December 1757 and only two entries 1760 and 1769 which are after the June 1758 entries. There is, however, a record of proclamation fees 1701–1821 in Vol. 2. Deaths: Mortcloth Dues are intermixed with the proclamation fees. 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: 

Wiston
Minutes and Cash 1689–1710, 1730–1738, 1787–1796, 1742–1830 Testimonials 1741–1791 Accounts 1796–1829 - with some Heritors' Minutes

Roberton
Minutes and Cash 1734–1772 Minutes 1831–1963 Accounts and Heritors' Minutes 1829–1872 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/376.

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 Lists.

Roberton United Presbyterian Church
History— The origin of this congregation must be traced to a point more remote than its actual formation. Prior to the year 1772, the village in which the place of worship was built gave name to a distinct parish, and was the seat of the parish church. In 1772, the parish of Roberton was united with that of Wiston, which adjoins it on the north and east. The church in Wiston then became common to both parishes and the one in Roberton was left unoccupied. This union was strongly opposed by the parishioners of Roberton, partly on account of the distance it caused them to travel, partly because of their dislike of the minister of Wiston, and partly, and perhaps chiefly, because of their cherished attachment to the place where they had been accustomed to worship. The church was built in 1801. A new church was later built in 1872. 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.

Records— Baptismal Register 1845–1935 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/636.

Roberton Free Church
In 1843 supply was granted to those who adhered to the Free Church in this parish. The church, on Chisholm estate, beside the Borthwick water, was built and opened in December of that year. Decline of the population brought a great decrease in the membership, and for many years it had a struggling existence. In 1852 it was reduced to the status of a preaching station. At first it belonged to the Presbytery of Selkirk, but in 1880 it was transferred to that of Jedburgh. Membership: 1848, 60; 1900, 32. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1943–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914 Film # More details may be given in the source. Records— Extent of records is unknown.

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
Roberton was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Peebles until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Selkirk. 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 FamilySearch Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Selkirk and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Peebles. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Selkirk. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Selkirk and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.