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Drumelzier
Drumelzier stretches across the south of the county of Peebles. It is bordered on the north by the parish of Stobo, to the east by the parish of Manor and by the parish of Yarrow in Selkirkshire, to the south by the parish of Yarrow and the parish of Tweedsmuir and by Lanarkshire to the west and the parish of Broughton, Glenholm and Kilbucho to the north-west. Drumelzier is now one of the linked parishes of Upper Tweeddale.
Tinnis Castle would have dominated the village in the middle ages although it is not as well preserved as the nearby Drumelzier Castle.
Old Parish Records cover the periods:
Births: 1649-1694, 1700-1754 (Mothers' names are not recorded until Dec 1746)
The Society is currently transcribing the Drumelzier Monumental (gravestone) Inscriptions
See our sales list for full details and cost of postage.
Volumes available for consultation within our Archive
Andrew Lorimer's Life and Times in the Upper Tweed Valley
County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages
Extracts from the Records of the Burgh of Peebles 1652 to 1716 (CD)
Millennium Memories - Parishes of Upper Tweeddale
Pre 1855 Monumental Inscriptions of Peeblesshire published by Scottish Genealogical Society
Rutherford's Southern Counties Register and Directory 1867
Magazine Articles
Please note that the heading Author includes persons who have compiled or transcribed records; and that the topics indexed, and the synopses are subjective opinions. See the Sales List to buy copies of the magazines containing articles in which you're interested.
Title
Synopsis
Size Description
Issue No
Author
Drumelzier Smiths
A reaction to the article 'Grandpa Johnston's Reminiscences' Issue 107, and the connection to blacksmiths, Drumelzier and Crookhaugh. The author x6 great grandfather John Findlayson was a blacksmith in Drumelzier, and the history of this family is summarised.
less than 1 page
108
Susan Brownjohn
Grandpa Johnston's Reminiscences
A consolidated reflection of the account of his heritage and the recollections by James Johnston(e) (1825-1902) a blacksmith born in Tweedsmuir, and who died in Edinburgh. He traced is family back to the 17th century, with many forefathers buried in Drumelzier, with most men working as smiths in Tweedsmuir. James was sent to school 2 miles away in Tweedsmuir, with peat the primary fuel. The Crook Inn was the main posting and coaching stop between Edinburgh and Dumfries. There are tales of problems with the post in bad weather, and of the families running the Crook Inn. The Johnston family moved to Eddleston in 1838 with stories about the journey and the celebrations of the coronation of Queen Victoria. James moved to the school in Eddleston, with a very strict approach compared to Tweedsmuir. The family had to relocate to Macbiehill as the leaseholder re-took possession of the smiddy. Linton was the next location, and then training in Edinburgh as a veterinarian. In the late 1800s many of the family, including James's wife, son and daughter died from different afflictions. Based on transcripts sent to the Editor by Kath Baines.
6 pages or more
107
Editor
Peeblesshire Families and Clans
The history of a few Peeblesshire families, Tweedies, Naesmiths, Gledstanes, Veitches, and others. Some very interesting stories come from this chapter.
3 pages or more
33
Malcolm Archibald
Finlaysons of Goseland Farm, Kilbuncho
A journey tracing the author's links to the Finlaysons of Goseland Farm Kilbuncho, Peeblesshire.
2 pages or more
97
Susan Brownjohn
Fourth Cousins Meet
A brief update on the story "Finlaysons of Goseland Farm Kilbucho" Issue 96 June 2018 p. 14. The Sandilands family are seen to have roots with the Finlaysons near Drumelzier. The meeting with the Canadian 4th cousin.
less than 1 page
111
Sue Brownjohn
Gravestone Photos
A note on a facility provided by the Society to photograph individual gravestones, a report on one such request for a photograph of a stone to the Rev. Gilmour Neil in Drumelzier and a note on his experiences in World War 1 and how he sought to find " a little Parish, a thousand miles from anywhere".
1 page or more
81
Ronald Morrison
Broughton Free Church Records
Information on the book 'Broughton Free Kirk and Thereabouts 1842-1943' compiled by the Rev David Marshall Forrester in 1943.
less than 1 page
97
Map of Drumelzier from UK Great Britain, Ordnance Survey one-inch to the mile (1:63,360), 'Hills' edition, 1885-1903 by kind permission of the National Library of Scotland. Use the control at the top left of the map to zoom in or out and drag the map left, right, up, or down as you wish.
Map of Drumelzier from UK Ordnance Survey Historical Maps from 1919-1947 by kind permission of the National Library of Scotland. Use the control at the top left of the map to zoom in or out and drag the map left, right, up, or down as you wish.
Other Sources
The Buildings of Scotland - Borders, Cruft, Dunbar & Fawcett, Yale University Press, London 2006
The Statistical Accounts of Scotland compiled initially between 1791 and 1799, with a subsequent edition between 1834 and 1845 are a valuable record of the geography, history, economy, people and customs recorded by local ministers. You'll need to search for the parish name
