Ashkirk is a parish partly in Selkirkshire, but chiefly in Roxburghshire. It is bounded on the north by Selkirk, on the east by Minto and Lilliesleaf, on the south by Roberton and Wilton, and on the west by Yarrow. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Ashkirk, Dryden, Headshaw, North Synton, Salenside, Synton, Wester Essenside, Woll, Wollrig
The parishes of Ashkirk and Selkirk were situated partly in the county of Roxburgh and partly in the county of Selkirk, the Roxburghshire part of the parish being so situated as to split the Selkirkshire part into two portions, one of which formed a detached part of the county of Selkirk. The parishes were placed wholly in the county of Selkirk. See affected properties and landholders. (1892: Boundary of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government Act, 1889, by Hay Shennan)
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church was dedicated to St Ninian, whose holy well was near.
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 |
| 1630-1854 | Ashkirk | 781 | OPR |
| 1855-1892 | Ashkirk | 781 | RD |
| 1893-1948 | Ashkirk | 773b | RD |
| 2009 | Scottish Borders, Selkirk | 811 | RD |
| 2026 | Scottish Borders Council; Lilliesleaf, Ashkirk and Midlem 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
Bell, Brown, Brydon, Henderson, Murray, Oliver, Scott, Turnbull, Turner, 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 Simon Haliburton.
"There are now in the parish of Ashkirk 539 souls, of whom there are 271 males and 268 females; there are 121 under 10 years of age. The people of this parish are industrious, frugal, temperate, and devout."
(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. 213
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 3, Section I, p. 268
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
