Skirling is a parish on the west border of Peeblesshire. It is bounded by Lanarkshire, and by Kirkurd, Broughton, and Kilbucho. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Skirling
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Formerly in the Presbytery of Peebles, but transferred to that of Biggar on its formation in 1644.
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 |
| 1665-1854 | Skirling | 769 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Skirling | 769 | RD |
| 2009 | Scottish Borders | 803 | RD |
| 2026 | Scottish Borders Council; Skirling 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
Moncrieff, Murray, Noble, Proudfoot, Rowe, Russell, Scott, Sinclair, Thomson, Watson
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 Howe.
"From a survey of the parish, there are at present in it 120 males, 114 females, 49 under age 10, total 234 souls. In this parish there are 10 farmers. One of these possesses five farms. Other two possess two farms each. Each of those 10 farms contain, at an average, near 200 acres."
(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 3, p. 254
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 3, Section II, p. 99
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
