Westruther is a parish lying debatably between the Lauderdale and the Lammermoor districts of Berwickshire. It is bounded on the north by Cranshaws, on the east by Longformacus and Greenlaw, on the south by Gordon and Legerwood, and on the west by Legerwood and Lauder. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Houndslow or Hounslow, Westruther
Bassendean, Wedderlie
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
Previous to the Reformation the church, dedicated to St Mary, belonged to the nunnery of Coldstream. The parish was united to Gordon in 1617, but again disjoined, 15 June 1646. By Act of Parliament, 2 March 1649, the kirk was ordered to be transported from Bassendean to Westruther (as a result of a petition from the parishioners that the kirk was ruinous). In the parish were the chapel of Wedderlie and the White Chapel of Spottiswood.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.
| OPR and RD Numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Name | Number | Type |
| 1657-1854 | Westruther | 756 | OPR |
| 1855-1971 | Westruther | 756 | RD |
| 1972-1976 | Westruther | 789 | RD |
| 2009 | Scottish Borders, Gordon | 791 | RD |
| 2026 | Scottish Borders Council; Gordon and Westruther Community Council | ||
(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)
Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)
Statistics from informal and official censuses
Anderson, Campbell, Craigs, Deans, Hunter, Lothian, Mitchell, Ramage, Scott, Wood
Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.
By the Reverend Mr William Shiels.
"The population in 1791 was 730. The only villages are those of Westruther, Wedderly, and Hounslow."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)
Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 7, p. 109
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 2, Section III, p. 63
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
