Drumelzier, Peeblesshire, Scotland Genealogy

Drumelzier (#759)

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

History
DRUMMELZIER, a parish, in the county of Peebles 2 miles (E.) from Rachan-Mill. This parish, in ancient documents Drumellar and Drumeler, anciently formed part of the parish of Tweedsmuir, from which it was separated in 1643; and in 1742 it was augmented by the annexation of part of the parish of Dawick. The parish is about fourteen miles in length, and from three to four in average breadth, and is bounded on the north for about eight miles by the river Tweed. The church, situated nearly in the centre of the parish, and at an elevation of 800 feet above the sea, is an ancient structure in good repair.

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 Drumelzier. 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 Family History 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
Indexed: 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 Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may be indexed in the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true International Genealogical Index. ] Births: Births are intermixed with marriages and other matters prior to 1694. There is a separate record of the names of children baptized 1649–1682 at the end of vol. 1, followed by the names of persons married 1649–1682. No entries March 1694–March 1700 and July 1703–August 1705. The record of marriages June 1700–December 1725 appears after December 1725. From December 1725, the two records are again intermixed until 1783. No birth entries are recorded July 1813–1824. Mothers' names are not recorded until December 1746. Marriages: Marriages are intermixed with births and other matters prior to 1694. There is a record of proclamation money 1702–1787. No marriage entries exist July 1813–1824. Deaths: Neither death nor burial entries exist January 1694–September 1700, August 1701–October 1705 and January 1714–January 1744. There is a duplicate of the portion 1783–1788. No death entries exist October 1811–1826. There is also a record of Mortcloth Dues, 1710–1788. 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 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:

Minutes 1700–1839 - with gaps, 1836–1849 Accounts 1714–1951 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/95.

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.

There are no known nonconformist groups.

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
Drumelzier was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Peebles until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Peebles. 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 Family History Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Peebles 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 Peebles. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Peebles and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to the Peeblesshire parish list.