Borders Family History Society
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Morebattle
The Parish of Morebattle is south east Roxburghshire on the border with England. The Parish of Hounam lies to the west, the Parishes of Eckford and Linton are on the north and Parish of Yetholm is to the north east. The boundary with the English County of Northumberland runs along the east and south of the parish.
Morebattlealong with Hounam, Linton & Yetholm comprise the combined Cheviot Churches
Old Parish Records cover the periods:
- Births: 1726 to 1855.
- Marriages: 1726 to 1843.
- Deaths: 1727 to 1736.
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Morebattle Parish Church
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- 1841 census Morebattle.
- 1851 census Morebattle.
- 1861 census Morebattle.
- Morebattle Mortcloth Records 1727 to 1736 by Nigel Hardie.
- CD-ROM Roxburgh Memorial Inscriptions Morebattle 3rd edition - includes
- Map
- Hearth Tax
- List of Ministers
- Militia Lists
- Mowhaugh Public School Admission Records 1873 to 1918 (272 names plus teachers)
- Boer War and Two World War Memorials
- Page from J Thomson's 1832 atlas.
See our sales list for full details and cost of postage.
Volumes available for consultation within our Archive
- Round the Village where I was born - Morebattle by Jean Fleming.
- Kalewater a miscellany 2000.
- The Churches and Graveyards of Roxburghshire by Dr. G.A.C. Binnie 2001.
- Rutherford's Southern Counties Register and Directory 1867.
- County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages.
- CD-ROM Pigot's 1837 Directory of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.
- CD-ROM Land Ownership Commission Report 1872 -1873.
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 |
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| Morebattle St Lawrence Church Death Register | Transcription of the death register (1848-1862) from Morebattle St Lawrence Church. | 2 pages or more | 49 | Transcribed by Jean Sanderson |
| Know your Parish--Hounam | The history of Hounam. | 1 page or more | 16 | |
| George Hope 1814-1884 | The story of George Hope 1814-1884 born in Morebattle who with his family emigrated to Australia, their struggles and achievements in Australia including their experiences of the 'Goldrush' and an account of their return visit to Morebattle 38 years later. | 4 pages or more | 85 | Alistair Hope |
| Know your Parish--Morebattle | A history of Morebattle Parish and the surrounding area. | 1 page or more | 18 | Elspeth Ewan |
| More Gladstones | More history of the Gladstones covers a family from Kirk Yetholm and their emigration to Australia and New Zealand. It lists many descendants from this family. | 1 page or more | 37 | Warren A. Spence |
| Sister Elizabeth Tully | Some notes on the book, 'A Nurse at the Front' being effectively the transcript of a Diary kept by a WW1 nurse, Sister Edith Appleton. | less than 1 page | 97 | |
Map of Morebattle 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 Morebattle 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.
20 Most Common Surnames
The 20 most common surnames on gravestones recorded by us in the Morebattle monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): SCOTT (40), YOUNG (19), FOX (16), WILSON (15), DOUGLAS (12), LAIDLAW (11), THOMSON (11), CRAIG (11), BURNS (10), PRINGLE (10), TURNBULL (9), OLIVER (8), PATERSON (8), BELL (7), OVENS (7), RICHARDSON (7), CULBERTSON (7), DAVIDSON (7), ELLIOT (7), DARLING (6).
Other Sources
School Records
- School Admission Registers 1873 to 1943 (Ref - R/ED/3/30).
- School Board Minute Book 1897 to 1936 (Ref - R/ED/1/78-79).
- School Log Book 1923 to 1945 (Ref - R/ED/2/65).
Poor Law
- Morebattle Parish - Pay Roll Registered Poor 1855-1930 (Ref - R/PR/1/27/4).
- Morebattle Parochial Board Record of Applications for Poor Relief 1855-1920 (Ref - R/PR/1/18/4).
- Morebattle Parochial Board Record of Applications for Poor Relief 1921-1930 (Ref - R/PR/1/18/5).
The Scottish Archives
Morebattle (Gateshaw) United Presbyterian Church (Ref - CH3/520).
- Births 1775 to 1866 and 1900 to 1907.
- Marriages 1775 to 1783 and 1804 to 1876.
- Minutes 1775 to 1808 and 1811 to 1907.
- Accounts 1820 to 1844.
- Receipts for Stipends 1815 to 1832.
- Account Book 1753 to 1933.
- Congregational and manager's Minutes 1822 to 1913
Morebattle Free Church (Ref - CH3/526).
- Births 1847 to 1854.
- Marriages 1847 to 1853.
- Deaths 1848 to 1853.
- Minutes 1847 to 1951.
- Deacon's Court Minutes 1848 to 1853.
Berwickshire Naturalists' Club
- Vol. 22 Morebattle Churchyard evacuations by Mrs. Cowan.
- Vol. 20 Burnes, Davisons, Pringles, Middlemists and Youngs of Morebattle.
The Southern Annual
- 1952 Morebattle Memories by Robert Fox.
Websites
A history of Morebattle .
Village Website .
A nineteenth century account of Morebattle Parish .
A detailed description of the Morebattle Parish Church of St. Lawrence .
Stobie's Map of Roxburghshire of 1770 .
The RCAHMS website Scotland's Places contains details of;
- Farm Horse Tax 1797-1798.
- Medical Officer's of Health Reports 1891.
Place and Farm names in Census Records
1841 census: Morebattle Tofts, Cowbog, Otterburn, Whitton, Gateshaw, Heavyside, Wideopen, Crooked shaws, Woodside, Seefew, Deans Mill, Primside, Lochside, Broomie Know, Dykeside, Attonburn, Blakeden, Sourhope, Shilgreen, Clifton, Curburn, Cocklawfoot, Kelsocleugh, Calroust, Mowhaugh, Belford, Clliftoncote, Swindon.
1851 census: Morebattle, Whitton, Otterburn, Cowbog Tollhouse, Cowbog, Seefew, Heavyside, Gateshaw, Corbit, Grubit, Wideopen, Crookedshaws, Folly, Woodside, Deans Mill, Broomyknow, Lochside, Foumerdean, Primside, Dyke's Side, Primside Mill, Clifton, Curburn, Auchope, Shilgreen, Blaydon, Autonburn, Attonburn, Clifton Cote, Belford, Ha'burn, Belford Mill, Mowhaugh, Calroust, Calrousthopehead, Kelsocleugh, Cocklawfoot, Sourhope, Swindean, Mowhaugh.
1861 census: Morebattle, Morebattletofts, Morebattlemains, Shielstock Braes, Whitton, Otterburn, Cowbog, Grubbit, Gateshaw, Heavyside, Broomyknowe, Lochside, Woodside, Fumerdean, Primside, Dykeside, Cliftoncote, Attonburn, Blakedean, Sourhope, Auchope Shillgreen, Belford, Hawburn, Mowhaugh, Calroust, Kelsocleugh, Cocklawfoot, Swindon.
Population
The population has been recorded as follows:
- 1755 - 789
- 1801 - 753
- 1811 - 953
- 1821 - 1070
- 1831 - 1055
- 1841 - 1027
- 1851 - 997
- 1861 - 1031
- 1881 - 1003
- 1901 - 779
- 1921 - 774
- 1931 - 719
- 1951 - 680
- 1961 - 596
Roxburghshire map