Our Archive and Search Room is open for research by appointment only. Please use the Contacts page, selecting the option Archive Appointment Request to arrange your visit. Keep up to date via our Facebook page and Twitter.
Greenlaw is centrally situated in the County of Berwick being bounded on the north by
the Parishes of Longformacus, Polwarth and Fogo, on the east by the Parish of
Eccles, on the south by the Parishes of Hume and on the west by the Parish of Gordon.
Old Parish Birth Records exist from 1691 to 1854.
Marriage Records from 1648 to 1854.
Death records exist from 1719 to 1776 and from 1780 to 1854.
1841 census Greenlaw.
1851 census Greenlaw.
1861 census Greenlaw.
Greenlaw Burials 1780-1854 by Nigel Hardie.
Greenlaw Memorial Inscriptions transcribed by Carol Trotter (including poll
tax, militia list, transcription of War Memorial and list of ministers) was
published by the Society in 1996. Unfortunately this is currently out of print.
See our sales list for full details and cost of postage.
Greenlaw Parish Church
Volumes available for consultation within our Archive
Greenlaw Memorial Transcriptions as above.
Pre 1855 Memorial inscriptions of Berwickshire by David Cargill.
List of Elders, Deacons and Church Officers of Greenlaw Free Church 1885.
The Churches and Churchyards of Berwickshire by G.A.C. Binnie.
C.D. The Churches and Churchyards of Berwickshire by James Robson 1896.
Index to Particular Register of Sasines for Berwickshire.
Pigot's 1837 Directory of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.
Rutherford's Southern Counties Register and Directory 1867.
C.D. Slater's Directory of Berwickshire 1903.
County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages.
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
Death in the Borders: 19th Century Border Murder Cases
This is the review of a book by Norrie McLeish, Border Murder Cases with a great deal of research that has gone into this volume. Gypsies, Landlords, and farm workers.
2 pages or more
30
Norrie McLeish .(Review by Hugh K. Mackay)
The poor, crime and punishment,and the power of the Kirk in the Borders, 17th & 18th Centuries
When paupers died, the contents of their houses were sold by public roup. This is an account of one sale and the strength of the Kirk.
2 pages or more
31
M. C. Lawson
Greenlaw Jail
List of prisoners in Greenlaw Jail in the 1851 census.
1 page or more
35
Carol Trotter
Greenlaw - an Ancient County Town
Some notes on the book 'Greenlaw - an Ancient County Town' by James Denham.
less than 1 page
89
Poor Relief in the 1840s
A review of the operation of the poor relief in the early 19th century. It includes the size of the allowances paid and an estimate of the cost of living at the time.
4 pages or more
71
Peter Munro
Map of Greenlaw from Quarter-inch to the mile, Scotland, 1921-1923 or One-inch to the mile, Popular edition, Scotland, 1920-1930 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.
20 Most Common Surnames
The 20 most common surnames on gravestones recorded by us in the Greenlaw monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): WILSON (20), BROWN (18), HUNTER (16), WATSON (15), HENDERSON (14), HUME (14), SCOTT (14), SMITH (13), PURVES (13), TURNBULL (12), THOMSON (12), ROBERTSON (12), YOUNG (11), MILLER (11), REDPATH (11), PRINGLE (10), NISBET (10), FAIRBAIRN (10), ARMSTRONG (10), FRATER (10).
Other Records;
An Old Berwickshire Town - history of Greenlaw from the earliest times to the present by Robert Gibson -
Edinburgh 1905.
Frequent Flitting - Geographical Mobility and Social Structure in mid
nineteenth century Greenlaw by R Houston - Vol 27 Scottish Studies (Journal of
the School of Scottish Studies Edinburgh University).
Scottish Borders Archives, The Hub Hawick hold the following records;
Greenlaw School minutes etc. 1873 to 1919 ref; B/ED/1/55-59.
The Scottish National Archives Edinburgh hold the following records;
Greenlaw Parish Church;
Births 1855 to 1952.
Minutes 1836 to 1861.
Accounts 1779 to 1907.
List of Persons new to Greenlaw.
List of persons removed from Greenlaw ref; CH2/183/7.
Greenlaw Free Church;
Births records 1873 to 1902.
Minutes 1842 to 1874.
Communion Roll 1842 to 1847 - ref; CH3/635.
Greenlaw United Associate Congregation;
Communion Roll 1825 to 1853 ref; CH3/503.
also the following Maps:
1731: Plan of Greenlaw and Polwarth Commons. ref; RHP.224/1.
1842: Plan showing the division of the common land, the village church, mill, Blackadder
Water, roads etc. ref; RHP.224/2.
1866: Estate plan showing boundary between Easter Howlaws and Gordonbank. NAS ref; RHP.339.
Berwickshire Naturalists' Club has published the following articles;
Vol. 5 Greenlaw by the Rev. John Walker.
Vol. 25 An Old Berwickshire Town by R Gibson.
Vol. 28 Brumfields, Ridpaths and Haitlies of Greenlaw.
