Dunsyre is a parish on the north-east verge of the upper ward of Lanarkshire. It is bounded by the counties of Edinburgh and Peebles, and by the parishes of Dolphinton, Walston, and Carnwath. Its post-town is Dolphinton. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Anston, Dunsyre, Weston
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church was dedicated to St Bride, and belonged to the Abbey of Kelso; disjoined from the Presbytery of Lanark and annexed to that of Biggar, by the Commission of Assembly, 4 June 1765.
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 |
| 1687-1854 | Dunsyre | 642 | OPR |
| 1855-1968 | Dunsyre | 642 | RD |
| 2009 | South Lanarkshire, Biggar | 584 | RD |
| 2026 | South Lanarkshire Council; Black Mount 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, Brown, Currie, Dickson, Hamilton, Kerr, Lees, Sanderson, Scott, Stark
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 John Bradfute.
"On the 1st of January 1791, there were in the parish, 183 males, 177 females, 460 individuals, of whom there were 83 under 10 years of age. All the parishioners, except about 40 sectaries of various denominations, are of the established church. There are in the parish twelve farmers, a few weavers, smith, masons, wrights, and tailors, who have about half a dozen apprentices."
(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 1, p. 337
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 6, p. 64
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
