Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland Genealogy

(Parish #625)

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

History
BOTHWELL, a parish, in the Middle ward of the county of Lanark; including the villages of Bellshill, Chapelhall, Holytown, Newarthill, and Uddingston; 8 miles (S. E.) from Glasgow. The name is supposed, by some, to be derived from Both, an eminence, and wall, a castle, terms applied to the parish from the elevated situation of Bothwell Castle above the river Clyde. The church, which is a superior building, in the pointed style of architecture, opened in 1833, extends 72 feet by 45, and contains 1200 sittings. A church has been erected at Holytown, late a quoad sacra parish; and there is a Relief meetinghouse at Bellshill; also a meeting-house at Newarthill, belonging to the United Secession. The members of the Free Church have likewise a place of worship.

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 Bothwell. 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

The 1841 through 1911 censuses of Scotland, indexes and images, are available online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for a small use fee. The censuses, index only, are also available on www.ancestry.com for a subscription price.

Church Records
The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about Scotland Church Records.

Established Church—Old Parochial Records
Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish with their call numbers:

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 Historical Records on FamilySearch.org. Births: There are no entries September 1671–January 1689 and January 1703–December 1709. A page preceding the latter date is lost. There are Irregular entries frequent 1792–1819. Mothers’ names are not recorded until 1709. Marriages: Marriage records prior to 1702 are on occasional pages of the register of births for same period. There are no entries December 1702–February 1761, after which date a record of proclamations only. No entries November 1790–1827. Deaths: Mortcloth Records FS Library Book: 941.43/B5 K22L 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: 

Minutes 1707–1713, 1754–1789, 1813–1827, 1837–1947 Accounts 1705–1885 Heritors Minutes 1756–1761 Testificates 1713–1811 Bothwell Friendly Society List of Members 1791–1798, 1825–1831 Statute Conversion Money 1810–1818 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/556.

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.

Only those founded pre–1855 are listed.

Bothwell Free Church
History— The congregation was formed here at the Disruption by local adherents of the Free Church. A church and manse were built in 1844. A new church was erected and additions made to the manse in 1860. Bothwell Free Church at first supplied the wants of a wide district, including Bothwell, Uddington and Blantyre. The provision of the churches at these places restricted the membership at Bothwell. Membership: 1848, 220; 1900, 259. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914.Family History Library Film #. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records—                                       FS Library Film Number  Baptisms             1843–1854, 1881     item 3 Minutes               1844–1968 Communion Roll   1844–1856 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/476.

Holytown Free Church
History— A congregation was formed here in 1843. The church was built in 1844 and the manse in 1848. A cemetery was secured in 1849. A school, opened in 1861, was handed to the School Board in 1874. A new church was built in 1880 and a hall in 1893. Membership: 1848, 125; 1900, 326. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Family History Library Film #. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records—                                               FS Library Film Number  Baptismal Register               1843–1909       item 4 Minutes                               1845–1948 Deacons’ Court Minutes        1845–1943 Communion Rolls                 1845–1961 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/478.

Bellshill Relief, later United Presbyterian Church
History— This was the fifth church which arose in connection with the Relief Presbytery. The immediate occasion of its origin was the settlement of a new and unpopular minister in the parish church of Bothwell. The seceding members of Bothwell joined with seceders from several other parishes and erected a church at Bellshill in 1763. They also established a burying ground on the same property. The church was soon enlarged to accommodate the growing congregation. In 1840 membership stood at 1607. A new church was built in 1846. The congregation joined the United Presbyterian Church in 1847. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Family History Library Film #. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Baptismal Register 1764–1856 Burial Register 1797–1809, 1816–1889 Various Minutes 1832–1940 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1037.

Newarthill Presbyterian Church United
History— A praying society in Bothwell acceded to the Associate Presbytery in 1739 and met with other seceders in Avondale. When the Avondale group was divided, the seceders in Bothwell met in Hamilton. In 1802 the Bothwell seceders were disjoined into a seperate congregation. The church was built that year in Newarthill. In 1836, the minister and part of the congregation removed to Airdrie and formed a congregation there, and a new minister was obtained for Newarthill. In 1840 the membership stood at 595. The congregation joined the United Presbytery in 1847. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Family History Library Film #. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— The extent of records is unknown.

Bellshill Congregational Church
History— This church was formed in October 1841 by members of the church in Hamilton. A church was erected in October 1842. The church was admitted to the Congregational Union but severed its connection in 1844. It joined the Evangelical Union in 1854. Source: A History of Scottish Congregationalism by Harry Escott, pub. 1960. FS Library Book. This book includes a list of ministers.

Records— For information about records write to: The United Reformed Church, Scottish Synod Office PO Box 189 240 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 2BX Scotland

Holytown Branch, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–Day Saints'
History— A branch was organized in Holytown about 1843. It existed in some form until about 1880.

Records—                                 FS Library Film Number  Record of Members 1843–1879      item 3

Other Nonconformists
There was no Catholic Church in Bothwell, but in 1836–1840 there were 118 persons of the Catholic faith living within Bothwell parish as well as 22 Old Light Burghers, who would have broken from the Newarthill congregation in 1805, 17 Episcopalians, 17 Unitarians, 16 Cameronians, and 5 Baptists. They would have attended services in neighboring parishes. New Statistical Account

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
Bothwell was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Glasgow until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Glasgow. Probate records for 1513- 1925 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 Lanark and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Glasgow. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Lanark. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Lanark and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Also see National Probate Registry for England and Wales which contains Scottish Probate Indexes 1858-1966 at www.ancestry.com

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.