Bothwell Muir, Bertram Shotts
Shotts is a parish on the east border of the middle ward of Lanarkshire. It is bounded by the south-west end of Linlithgowshire, and by the parishes of Cambusnethan, Dalziel, Bothwell, and New Monkland. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Cleland, Dykehead, Gartness, Harthill, Hillend, Kirk of Shotts, Muirhead or West Benhar, Omoa, Salsburgh or Sallysburgh, Shotts, Shotts Ironworks, Shottsburn
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The parish of Shotts was previously part of the parish of Bothwell. In 1471, James, Lord Hamilton, built at the Shotts in Bothwell Muir a chapel, which he dedicated to St Catherine of Siena. Near it was St Catherine's Well. Within the bounds of what is now the parish of Shotts, Lord Hamilton founded also, in 1476, St Catherine's Hospital of the Shotts. Soon after 1560 this parish was disjoined from Bothwell. The church of Shotts was rebuilt in 1821.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Caldercruix. The parish of Caldercruix was disjoined from Shotts, New Monkland, and Clarkston, 23 February 1894.
Calderhead. A chapel already existing here was rebuilt in 1860. The parish of Calderhead was disjoined from Shotts and Cambusnethan, 8 July 1872.
Clarkston. A church was built at Clarkston in 1830. The parish was disjoined from New Monkland and Shotts in November 1869.
Cleland. A church was built here in 1877. The parish of Cleland was disjoined from Shotts and Bothwell, 11 December 1882.
Harthill and Benhar. The parish of Harthill and Benhar was disjoined from Shotts, 18 March 1878.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Shotts (QO)
Caldercruix (QS)
Calderhead (QS)
Clarkston (QS)
Cleland (QS)
Harthill and Benhar (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 |
| 1705-1854 | Shotts | 655 | OPR |
| 1855-1876 | Shotts | 655 | RD |
| 1877-1968 | Shotts, Middle District | 655-1 | RD |
| 1877-1968 | Shotts, Eastern District | 655-2 | RD |
| 1877-1968 | Shotts, Western District | 655-3 | RD |
| 1877-1968 | Shotts, Northern District | 655-4 | RD |
| 1969-1971 | Shotts | 655 | RD |
| 1972-2006 | Shotts | 569 | RD |
| 2007-2008 | Shotts, North Lanarkshire | 569 | RD |
| 2009 | North Lanarkshire, Shotts | 569 | RD |
| 2026 | North Lanarkshire Council; Shotts 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
Black, Brown, Johnston, Marshall, Russell, Smith, Sneddon, Stewart, Thomson, Wilson
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 Archibald Bruce, Minister.
"The number of souls in 1793 was 2041, of whom 708 were persons under 15 years of age. There were 1 surgeon, 42 weavers, 10 licensed ale and spirit sellers, 6 smiths, 14 shoemakers, 14 tailors, 1 cooper, 16 colliers, and 80 miners employed at the iron works. The number of families belonging to the Established Church was 122, 363 families of the Burgher Seceders, 16 families of Antiburghers, and 17 families of Cameronians; total 518 families.
The people, with a few exceptions, are industrious and sober. Since the present minister's connection with Shotts, and he believes for many years before that period, criminal prosecutions have been unknown, one prosecution for murder, excepted, where the libel was not proven. Each, it would appear, sober and contented with the fruits of his own industry, feels but little of those passions whose indulgence terminate in ignominy and death."
(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 15, p. 49
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 6, p. 624
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
