Borders Family History Society

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St Boswells (Lessudden)

St. Boswells is a small Parish in north Roxburghshire which was once known as Lessudden. The administrative centre of Scottish Borders Council is situated in Newtown St Boswells. The Parish is bounded on the north by the Parishes of Melrose and Mertoun in Berwickshire, on the east by the Parish of Maxton, on the south by the Parish on Ancrum and on the west by the Parish of Bowden. St Boswells (and the more recent parish of Newtown St Boswells) is now linked with the combined parish of Maxton & Mertoun Old Parish Records cover the periods: Marriages: 1697 to 1825, 1830 to 1854. Deaths: 1784 to 1854.

St. Boswells Parish Church

Local Pictures

Sales List

• 1841 census St. Boswells.
• 1851 census St. Boswells.
• 1861 census St. Boswells.
• St. Boswells Mortcloth Records by Nigel Hardie
• St. Boswells (Lessudden) Memorial Inscriptions No 17 Roxburghshire, 1999     transcribed by Elspeth Ewan - contains:
  • Hearth Tax
  • list of ministers
  • militia list
  • War Memorials transcriptions

See our sales list for full details and cost of postage.

Volumes available for consultation within our Archive

• Change at St. Boswells by Lieut. Col. Frederick G Peake. - Galashiels 1961.
• Old Melrose, St. Boswells and Bowden by July Olsen - Stenlake Publishing.
• 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;

No articles currently.

Map of St Boswells 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 St Boswells 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

• Old St. Boswells by Jean Lawrie 1974.
• The History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and adjacent Districts by Alexander Jeffrey, 1864.
• Two Centuries of Borders Church Life by J Tait Kelso 1891.
• 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.

Scottish Borders Archives, The Hub Hawick

School Records

• St. Boswell School Log Book 1873 to 1920. ref; R/ED/2/86.
• St. Boswells General Register of Poor 1831 to 1921 ref; R/PR/1/21/5.
• St. Boswells Parish Record of applications for Poor Relief 1901 to 1905 ref; R/PR/4/1.
• St. Boswells Parochial Board Record of Applications for Poor Relief 1858 to 1867 ref; R/PR/1/21/10.

The National Archives of Scotland

St Boswells Parish Church (Ref - CH2/318)

• Minutes 1691 to 1694,1719 to 1753, 1837,1849, 1857, and 1870 to 1900.
• Accounts 1719 to 1760.
• Scroll Minutes 1717 to 1736, 1738 to 1778 and 1744 to 1787.
• List of Communicants 1836 to 1851.
• Accounts and receipts 19th. and 20th. century.
• Miscellaneous papers 1786 to 1747.
• Papers relating to claims for rent enrollment in Freeholders' Rolls 1832 to 1839.

St Boswells Free Church (Ref - CH3/823)

• Minutes 1843 to 1940.

Newtown St. Boswells Associate Session Church (Ref - CH3/835)

• Minutes 1844 to 1949.

Hawick Archaeological Society

• 1926 St. Boswells Fair.
• 1942 Tumult at St. Boswells 1675.

Berwickshire Naturalists' Society

• Vol 36 James Thompson Temple and White Friar's cemetery visited.
• Vol . 40 - visited by Dr. Hardy.

The Southern Annual

• 1951 Our Village - Old Boy's memoirs of St. Boswells by W. J. M. (available in Society Archives).
• 1952 Shoemaker singer - John Younger of St. Boswells (available in Society Archives).
• 1952 St. Boswells Fair by W.J.M. (available in Society Archives).

Websites

• Farm Horse tax 1797-1798.
• Medical Officer's of Health Reports 1891.

Place and Farm names in Census Records

1841 census: Lessudden, Bankhead, Mertoun Bridge Toll, Fens, Benrig, Crossflatt, Laretburn, Hilton, Arthurshiel, Charlesfield, Mainhill, Merwick, St. Boswells Green, The Holmes, Maxpoffle, Camiston, Northfield, Whinfield, Elliston, Thornilaw.

1851 census: Weirgate, Lessudden Village, Bankhead, Mertoun Toll Bridge, Fens, Benrigg, Crossflatt, Hiltonhill, Mainhill, Merrick, Holmes, Camieston, Maxpoffle, Elliston, Whinfield, Loanend, Thornielaw, Arthur Shiel, Charlesfield.

1861 census: Lessudden House, Bankhead, Mertoun Bridge Toll, Fens, Holmes House, Maxpoffle, Northfield, Whinfield, Ellistoun, Thornilaw, Aurthershiel, Charlesfield, Temple House, Benrig.

Population

The population has been recorded as follows:

• 1755 - 309
• 1794 - 500
• 1801 - 497
• 1811 - 508
• 1821 - 636
• 1831 - 701
• 1841 - 747
• 1851 - 884
• 1861 - 864.

Roxburghshire map

Local Pictures

Crystal Well, near Benrig, St Boswells


Crystal Well, near Benrig, St Boswells


The Eildons and Tweed from Dryburgh (before 1951)


The Tweed and Eildon Hills at Dryburgh


Eildons from Dryburgh


On the Tweed, St Boswells (before 1908)



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.