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Jedburgh
The old market town of Jedburgh is in south central Roxburghshire and is the first town that travelers encounter as they come into Scotland. The Augustinian Abbey - one of the four Border Abbeys - is a prominent presence in the town. The surrounding parishes are: Ancrum to the north, Crailing on the north-east, Oxnam on the east, Edgerston to the south, Southdean & Abbotrule to the south-west and Hobkirk and Bedrule on the west.
The modern parish of Jedburgh also includes Edgerston.
During a vist to Jedburgh in 1566, Mary, Queen of Scots visted James, Earl of Bothwell who was lying seriously wounded in Hermitage Castle. She was nursed in Mary, Queen of Scots House after this adventure. In 1823 a new gaol was built on the site of the medieval castle. Built in 1820, it is the only remaining example left in Scotland of a Howard Reform prison and is now a museum.
CD-ROM Borders Poor Law Records Jedburgh Parish 1852 to 1874.
CD-ROM Borders Poor Law Records Jedburgh Parish 1875 to 1893.
Jedburgh Prison Records Index.
Gravestone inscriptions at Jedburgh Abbey have been transcribed but not yet published.
See our sales list for full details and cost of postage.
Volumes available for consultation within our Archive
The Churches and Graveyards of Roxburghshire by Dr. G.A.C. Binnie 2001.
Private Transcription of the Gravestones of Jedburgh Abbey.
Rutherford's Southern Counties Register and Directory 1867.
County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages.
Jedburgh 1823 Pigot's Directory.
Jethard Worthies by Thomas Smail Edinburgh 2001.
People and Horses of the Jedburgh Hunt in the Twentieth Century by Charles A Douglas.
Ruleswater and its People by George Tancred of Wemyss 1907.
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
William Lorrain-Borders Schoolmaster
During the last war attics were cleared of paper and, from an attic in Jedburgh there appeared a collection of papers concerning the Rector of Jedburgh Grammar School, William Lorrain.
less than 1 page
27
Audrey Mitchell
Records of a Noble Life - Rev Archibald William Murray 1811 to 1892
Born in Jedburgh, he was a missionary to Samoa and New Guinea, afterwards living in Australia till his death.
3 pages or more
58
Ronald Morrison
Jedburgh Place Names
Notes on a book 'Jedburgh Place Names' put together by Society member, Norrie McLeish, from articles written by George Watson.
less than 1 page
81
The Silk Mill Jedburgh: The Story of the North British Rayon Factory 1928 -1956
A review of the book of the same title written by Norrie McLeish.
less than 1 page
92
Castlewood Cemetery Jedburgh
A note on the stones at Castlewood Cemetery Jedburgh and the transcribing of them.
less than 1 page
95
Australian deaths recorded in Hawick Advertiser part 2 1874-1890
Deaths in the Hawick Advertiser, it also covers other parts of the Borders.
4 pages or more
37
Marjorie Gavin
Maps
Brief notes about Borders maps available from the Society, and on the Internet.
1 page or more
43
Peter Munro
Totties in Sweden
Note about Thomas Tottie, from Jedburgh, born in 1664, a tobacco manufacturer, extracted from Th. A. Fischer’s The Scots in Sweden (Edinburgh, 1907).
less than 1 page
60
Death of Mr Alexander Jeffrey, Solicitor
Obituary that originally appeared in the Jedburgh Gazette and Border Courier in 1874. Alexander Jeffrey was a well-known Jedburgh antiquarian and historian.
2 pages or more
62
Jedburgh Border Games, 1919
Cannon-fire at 6am signalled the start of the Games. Has notes of winners of various events.
1 page or more
63
John Murray
Jethart Jock
A follow up to article in magazine no. 86 regarding the identity of Jethart Jock.
1 page or more
91
Great grandfather's Clock
Report on the history of a clock from Jedburgh from about the beginning of the 19th. century and its subsequent history
less than 1 page
92
Joan Gooding
Swan Family of Jedburgh and Kelso
Recollections by the author's grandmother of life in Jedburgh and Kelso in the early twentieth century.
less than 1 page
94
John Falconer Swan
The Blaikup Stone - A Mystery Finally Solved? - Possibly
A plaque referring to the nearby Blaikup Stone is located a few yards south of Allerley Well Part gates on the A68 (old turnpike road), and is marked on the John Ainslie map of 1770. Reference to a Blakehope stone in 1731 being on the boundary of the Inchbonny Braes. The purpose of the original stone is suggested - religious site marker, boundary marker, used for punishment (stoning, flogging, beheading), penitent stool, gate post, marker for water. The original stone no longer exists it seems.
2 pages or more
106
Chris Veitch
Vice-Admiral Sir Alastair Ewing
Following the appeal for more information on Vice-Admiral Sir Alastair Ewing in Issue 106 (June 2021), the author has updated the story based on additional documents received. Born in West Nisbet 1909 of Ian Alastair Ewing (farmer) and Muriel-Adele Carlyle-Child. Alastair's early years show he was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, rising steadily through the ranks with his first command in 1940 with further mentions in dispatches in 1941, and service in the Arctic convoys. He married Diane Smeed Archer (1940) and had a son David Alastair (1941). Alastair rose through the ranks in the Admiralty and was knighted in 1959. He retired in 1962 and died May 1997 in Winchester, but was buried at Jedburgh Abbey. The summary includes what happened to his sister Elizabeth Helen, and his parents story, and Muriel his wife. and his family history as far back as the late 1700s.
3 pages or more
107
Ronald Morrison
Annals of the Jed Valley
Book review. Author: Norrie McLeish. Tracing the history of the Jedburgh area from Roman times.
less than 1 page
111
Ronald Morrison
Old Emigrant’s Diaries
Extract from diary of Margaret Charteris, wife of Thomas Hinshelwood, emigrant from Jedburgh, ship ‘Nebo’, to Queensland, in 1883.
4 pages or more
40
Jane Gibson
Border Murders
This is a stroll around the Borders looking into, with some depth, the murders in the 1800s.
2 pages or more
32
Norrie McLeish
The Parish of Langlands
The parish of Langlands and the history of old leper hospital at Rutherford. Also the history of Langton that was absorbed into Wilton.
3 pages or more
35
Michael Langlands
Rev. Robert Douglas, 1747-1820
The father of Galashiels
The Rev. Robert Douglas, minister of Galashiels, 1747-1820, was a man of great ability and served his parishioners so well he was called "The Father of Galashiels".
2 pages or more
37
Donald Whyte
Thomas Davidson (1838-1870), Scottish poet
Some notes on the life of Thomas Davidson, poet born in Jedburgh.
2 pages or more
85
Nick Hide
James Stevenson, Procurator Fiscal Jedburgh
Report on notes and papers received relating to the life of James Stevenson for approximately 60 years from 1827 Procurator Fiscal in Jedburgh
less than 1 page
92
A Forgotten Jedburgh Family
An account of the name Hilson in Jedburgh and the history of the firm of James Hilson and Sons, woollen manufacturers.
3 pages or more
97
Norrie McLeish
Letter to the Editor - Rob the Yirl, Jedburgh
A request for identification of an old postcard photo of an old bearded drummer in a top hat, captioned "Rob the Yirl" Jedburgh. Postmarked Jedburgh, MY 31 04
less than 1 page
101
Tom Maxwell
Rob the Yirl of Jedburgh
An account of an interview with Rob the Yirl of Jedburgh (born Robert Turnbull), a miller then chimney sweep, who occasionally was a town crier, drummer and bell ringer. His mother Mary Gray (maiden name Smeaton born Eccles); his father Adam Turnbull living in Jedburgh. Rob married Elizabeth Hunter. Photographs of Rob the Yirl included.
1 page or more
103
Editor
The Archives and Collections of Robert Smail's Printing Works
A summary of the Smail family and the development of the printing works in Innerleithen. John Smail arrived first and operated a woollen mill for several years before emigrating to Otago, to produce the first tweed in New Zealand. Robert arrived around 1857 setting up a small shop in Bond Street as a shoemaker, but also selling books and stationery. The arrival of the railway in 1866 an ambitious Robert branched out into printing like his brother Thomas in Jedburgh. He purchased a shop and workshop on High Street, run by the power from water wheels on the lade. The successful business was inherited by his 3 sons James, Robert Cowan and Adam James in 1890. Adam and James also worked as travelling salesmen in the Borders area. Robert Cowan's son inherited Cowan was the last generation to inherit the business, and was lucky to sell the works through the National Trust for Scotland through Maurice Richards who happened to visit Innerleithen. The archives contain historical local newspapers, shipping records, photographs, order (guard) books; a detailed inventory is close to completion at the tine of writing. Guided tours are available.
4 pages or more
106
Rachel May
Newspapers published in the Borders
Border newspapers published in the Borders, 65 in total.
2 pages or more
5
Peter Elliot
James Veitch - Border Astronomer
Short extract of a talk given by Mr. Bill Veitch to the Society on the 15th of May 1994.
less than 1 page
26
Bill Veitch
From the Scottish Borders to South Australia
An account of the lives of William Oliver his wife Elizabeth Turnbull who were married at Jedburgh in1833 who emigrated to South Australia, their family and subsequent life, Contains much genealogy and notes on the Oliver DNA project.
5 pages or more
78
Ruth Oliver
The Olivers of Jed Valley
A History of the Olivers of the Jed Valley tracing their history from the earliest of times with reference to some of the more famous and infamous.
6 pages or more
85
Norrie McLeish
Family History Records
An archivist from the Heritage Hub in Hawick discusses a range of records that can be used to provide a fuller picture of our ancestors
5 pages or more
70
Juline Baird
The Chisholms: Highland Names in the Borders?
This is not just about the Chisholms, it delves into place names in the Borders, why they changed their names and the Highland connections.
4 pages or more
28
Michael Robson
James Watson (Author and Historian of Jedburgh Abbey)
Account of the life of James Watson, weaver, grocer, poet and writer of Jedburgh, the author's great grandfather, his descendants, and emigration to USA and Canada.
10 pages or more
68
Rachel (Thomson) Falldien
Snowstorm in the Cheviots
A young shepherd gets lost in the snow and is frozen to death. There's also a specification for shepherds boots.
2 pages or more
69
Jean Fleming
New Collections at the Heritage Hub
County council records, diaries and estate papers were identified amongst the backlog of uncatalogued material at the Scottish Borders Archive.
4 pages or more
69
Juline Baird
Convicts Transported to Western Australia in 1858 aboard the 'Edwin Fox'
A list of Scottish convicts transported to Australia on the "Edwin Fox". Reprinted from Bedfordshire Family History Society Journal
2 pages or more
70
Lynn Manning
Map of Jedburgh 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 Jedburgh 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 Jedburgh Castlewood & Galahill cemetery monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): Scott (121), Turnbull (80), Thomson (63), Oliver (58), Douglas (52), Young (49), Brown (46), Henderson (42), Elliot (40), Bell (38), Smith (38), Laidlaw (37), Hogg (35), Anderson (34), Robson (32), Rutherford (32), Hall (31), Wood (31), Wilson (30), Davidson (29).
Other Sources
Jedburgh Abbey and the Abbeys of Teviotdale by James Watson Edinburgh 1894.
A collection of articles by George Watson Jedburgh 1908.
Yesterdays in a Royal Burgh by James Lindsay Hilson Jedburgh 1906.
Further Yesterdays in a Royal Burgh by James Lindsay Hilton.
More Yesterdays in a Royal Burgh by James Lindsay Hilton.
So far as we are aware, the copyright on these pictures has expired.
However, if you wish us to remove the images and you can demonstrate that you hold the copyright, please contact us.
