Borders Family History Society

Skirling

Skirling is a small parish on the western edge of the County of Peebles and it is now one of the linked Parishes of Upper Tweeddale. Kirkurd Parish is to the north east and the combined parish of Broughton, Glenholm & Kilbucho is to the east & south. Lanarkshire lies to the west of Skirling.

Old Parish Records cover the periods:

Births: 1683-1854 (Mothers' names are not recorded until 1729)
Marriages: 1665-1854)
Deaths: 1723-1736, 1750-1794

Skirling Parish Church

Sales List

1841 census Skirling.
1851 census Skirling.
1861 census Skirling.
Death Records 1783-1794

(see sales list for full details and cost of postage)

Volumes available for consultation within our Archive

Pre 1855 Monumental Inscriptions of Peeblesshire by S.A. Scott published by Scottish Genealogical Society 1971.
Rutherford's Southern Counties Register and Directory 1867.
County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages.

Magazine Articles

No articles currently.

Map of Skirling from Quarter-inch to the mile, Scotland, 1921-1923 or One-inch to the mile, Popular edition, Scotland, 1920-1930
by kind permission of the National Library of Scotland.
Use the control at the top left of the map to zoom in or out and drag the map left, right, up, or down as you wish.

Other Sources

The Buildings of Scotland - Borders, Cruft, Dunbar & Fawcett, Yale University Press, London 2006
The Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1791-99 vol.3 pp.254: Skirling, County of Peebles
The Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1834-45 vol.3 p.99: Skirling, County of Peebles

Scottish Borders Archives, The Hub Hawick

Skirling Parish General Register of Poor 1858-1928 - ref: SBA/360/64
Skirling Parish Record of Applications for Poor Relief 1855-1923 - ref: SBA/360/65
Skirling Parish Register of Poor Persons on the roll of the Parish 1845-1902 - ref: SBA/360/66
Skirling Parish Pay Roll Registered Poor 1855-1908 - ref: SBA/360/67
Skirling Parish Visiting Book Registered Poor 1855-1909 - ref: SBA/360/68
Skirling Parochial Board Pay Roll of Registered Poor and other Parishes 1992-1925 - ref: SBA/360/92

The National Archives of Scotland

Skirling kirk session records (Ref - CH2/329)

Minutes 1654-1659, 1701-1713, 1718-1720, 1765-1853 - with gaps
Accounts 1658-1675, 1690-1697, 1701-1714

Skirling Free Church Records (Ref - CH3/900)
History - The minister of the parish and most of his congregation left the Established Church at the Disruption. The congregation was well managed and built a church in 1843.

Minutes 1849 - 1924

Websites

Village Website
A 19th century account of Skirling

Place and Farm names appearing in census records

1841 census: Skirling, Townhead, Crags, Greatlaws, Muirburn, Loanhead, Candyburn, Knockend, Skirling Mill, Waulkmill, Lower Mains, Southmains, Kirklawhill.
1851 census: Skirling, Slaterow, Goretfoot, Townhead, Knockend, Cambwell, Candyburn, Muirburn, Greatlaws, Craigs, Kirklawhill, Southmains., Burnhouse, Nether Mains, Mains, Waulk Mill, Mill, Loanhead.
1861 census: Skirling, Goatfoot, Calmwell, Knockend, Waukmill, Skirling Mains, Lower Mains, Southmains, Kirklawhill, Candyburn, Muirburn, Cothouse, Greatlaws, Craigs, Loanhead.

Population

The population has been recorded as follows;

1755 - 335
1801 - 308
1811 - 310
1821 - 345
1831 - 358
1861 - 317

Peeblesshire Map