Middlebie, Carruthers, and Pennersaughs
Middlebie is a parish in Dumfriesshire. It lies partly in Annandale, and partly between that district and Eskdale. It is bounded by Tundergarth, Langholm, Half-Morton, Kirkpatrick-Fleming, Annan, and Hoddom. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Carrutherstown, Eaglesfield, Kirtle Bridge or Kirtlebridge, Middlebie, Waterbeck
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The parishes of Middlebie, Carruthers, and Pennersaughs were united in 1609.
Middlebie. Middlebie was the seat of the Presbytery until its removal to Annan in 1743. There was a Well of Our Lady at Middlebie.
Carruthers. This parish was joined by Parliament to Middlebie and Pennersaughs, 24 June 1609.
Pennersaughs. Pennersaughs was united to Middlebie and Carruthers in 1609.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Kirtle. A church was built in 1837. A chapel district was constituted by the General Assembly, 28 May 1838. The parish of Kirtle was disjoined from Middlebie and erected by the Court of Teinds, 26 February 1883.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Middlebie (QO)
Kirtle (QS)
(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 |
| 1744-1854 | Middlebie | 841 | OPR |
| 1855-1897 | Middlebie | 841 | RD |
| 1898-1968 | Middlebie, Northern District | 841-1 | RD |
| 1898-1968 | Middlebie, Southern District | 841-2 | RD |
| 2009 | Dumfries and Galloway, Annan | 839 | RD |
| 2026 | Dumfries & Galloway Council; Middlebie and Waterbeck 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, Armstrong, Bell, Davidson, Graham, Irving, Johnstone, Rae, Scott, Steel
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 Abraham Nivison.
"The population in 1791 was 1404, of whom 696 were males, and 708 were females; there were 360 under age 10. Farmers and their families numbered 705. There were 297 inhabited houses. There were of the Established Church, 1307; of Seceders, 97.
There were 20 weavers, 6 tailors, 8 joiners, 6 blacksmiths, 4 masons, 4 millers, 2 shoemakers, 3 cloggers, 69 male farm-servants, 80 female farm-servants, 2 merchants, 3 lawyers and writers, and 1 surgeon."
(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 6, p. 58
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 4, Section I, p. 363
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
