Borders Family History Society

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Ashkirk

Ashkirk is situated in east Roxburghshire being bounded on the on the east by the Parishes of Lilliesleaf and Wilton, on the south by the Parish of Roberton, on the south-west by the Parish of Kirkhope and on the north-west by the Parish of Selkirk all in Selkirkshire. The parish straddles the boundary between the former counties of Roxburgh and Selkirk. The parish is now linked with Selkirk Old Parish Records cover the periods: Births: 1630 to 1854. Marriages: 1630 to 1759, 1848 to 1853. Deaths: 1630 to 1645, 1715 to 1733, 1849 to 1853.

Ashkirk Parish Church

Sales List

• 1841 census Ashkirk.
• 1851 census Ashkirk.
• 1861 census Ashkirk.
• CD-ROM Ashkirk Memorial Inscriptions - includes:
  • Militia List
  • List of Ministers
  • War Memorial transcription
  • Graveyard and lair plans
  • Scott surname index
  • Place index
  • School attendance records 1890 to 1894.

See our sales list for full details and cost of postage.

Volumes available for consultation within our Archive

• Ashkirk pre. 1855 Memorial Inscription transcribed by The Selkirk Antiquarian Society, 1969.
• The Churches and Graveyards of Roxburghshire by Dr. G. A. C. Binnie 2001.
• Rutherford's Southern Counties Register and Directory 1867.
• County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages.
• Ashkirk and its Monumental Inscriptions - Hawick Archaeological Society, 1962.
• Ashkirk Old and New: Ghosts and Green Pastures - The Southern Annual, 1957.
• CD-ROM Pigot's 1837 Directory of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.
• CD-ROM Land Ownership Commission Report 1872 -1873.

Magazine Articles;

Please note that the heading Author includes persons who have compiled or transcribed records; and that the topics indexed, and the synopses are subjective opinions.
See the Sales List to buy copies of the magazines containing articles in which you're interested.

Map of Ashkirk from UK Great Britain, Ordnance Survey one-inch to the mile (1:63,360), 'Hills' edition, 1885-1903
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.

Map of Ashkirk from UK Ordnance Survey Historical Maps from 1919-1947
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.

20 Most Common Surnames

The 20 most common surnames on gravestones recorded by us in the Ashkirk monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): SCOTT (58), HENDERSON (15), ELLIOT (14), BELL (10), THOMSON (10), JACKSON (9), DUNLOP (8), GRAY (8), BROWN (8), ANDERSON (8), GRIEVE (8), MURRAY (7), DOUGLAS (7), HOGG (7), OGILVIE (7), TURNBULL (6), OLIVER (6), ARMSTRONG (6), WILSON (6), LAIDLAW (5).

Other Sources;

• The History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and adjacent Districts by Alexander Jeffrey 1864.
• The Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1791-99 vol.3 p.213: Ashkirk, County of Roxburgh (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name)
• The Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1834-45 vol.3 p.268: Ashkirk, County of Roxburgh (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name)
• Two Centuries of Borders Church Life by J Tait Kelso 1891.

Scottish Borders Archives, The Hub Hawick

School Records

• School Admission Registers 1890 to 1991 ref; S/ED/21/2/1-2.
• School Daily Registers 1858 to 1992 ref; S/ED/21/3/1-34.
• School Log Books 1864 to 1940. ref; S/ED/2/1-2.
• School Log Books 1940 to 1992 ref; S/ED/21/1/1-4.
• School minute book, cash book and ledger 1873 to 1919 ref; S/ED?1/1-5.
• School Photographs 1906 ref S/ED/21/4/1-2.

The Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh

Ashkirk Parish Church (Ref - CH2/650)

• Collections 1630 to 1662 , 1689 to 1695 and 1736 to 1798.
• Disbursements 1630 to 1645.
• Penalties 1630 to 1647.
• Minutes 1632 to 1649, 1695 to 1711 and 1849 to 1909.

Free Church of Scotland (Ref - MR59)

• Baptisms 1844 to 1908.

Maps

• 19th century 1:2800 plan of Burnfoot (Ref - RHP/3586)

Hawick Archaeological Society

• 1871 Earliest records of the Parish.
• Haunted Ashkirk or murder in the Ale Valley?
• Bishop's stone at Wollrig.

Websites;

• Farm Horse tax 1797-1798.
• Medical Officer's of Health Reports 1891.

Place and Farm names in Census Records;

1841 census: Ashkirk, Sandyhall, Castleside, Hogshaugh, East Essenside, West Essenside, Shielswood, West Burnfoot, Burnfoot, Salenside, New Woll, Woll, Wollrigg, New Headshaw, Haremos, Clerklands, Birkwood, North Sinton, Dryden, Shiel, Barbachlaw, Whitslade, Syntonmossend, Syntonparkhead, Synton, Bowhouse, Longtownheight, Dimpleknowe, Syntonmill, Whinfield, Synton Corses, Synton Mains, Nookhaugh.

1851 census: Ashkirk, Synton Mill, Dimpleknowe, Synton, Whinfield, Synton Corses, Synton Parkhead, Longtownheight, Synton Shiel, Synton Mains, Whitslade, Sandyhaugh, New Woll, Sallonside, Castleside, Hoggshaugh, Old Easter Essenside, Easter Essenside, Wester Essenside, Shielswood, Burnfoot Shiel, Burnfoot, Dryden, Haughead, North Sinton, Birkwood, Clerklands, Greenhill, Hare Moss, Headshaw, New Headshaw, Woolrig, Wool Cottages, Ashkirk Shiel, Ashkirktown, Barbacklaw, Bridgend.

1861 census: Ashkirk, Dryden, Nook Haugh, North Sinton, Birkwood, Clerklands, Greenhill, Headshaw, Woolrig, New Headshaw, Wool house, Sandyhaugh, Castleside, New Woll, Sallenside, Hoggshaugh, Burnfoot, Shielswood, Easter Essenside, Wester Essenside, Whitslade, Sinton Mains, Sinton Corses, Whinfield, Dovecoat, Dimpleknowe, Bowknow, Longtonheight, Parkhead, Mossend, Ashkirk Shiel, Barbachlaw.

Population

The population has been recorded as follows:

• 1755 - 629
• 1801 - 511
• 1821 - 544
• 1831 - 563
• 1841 - 563
• 1851 - 572
• 1861 - 577

Roxburghshire map