Borders Family History Society

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Cranshaws

The Parish of Cranshaws is situated in northern Berwickshire in the Lammermuir Hills with the County of East Lothian to the west and north, the Parish of Abbey St. Bathans is on the east, to the south-east is the Parish of Duns whilst the Parish of Longformacus is on the south. Old Parish Records cover the periods: Births: 1731 to 1854. Marriages: 1731 to 1850. Deaths: 1731 to 1854

Cranshaws Parish Church

Sales List

• 1841 census Cranshaws.
• 1851 census Cranshaws.
• 1861 census Cranshaws.
• Cranshaws Monumental Inscriptions, Vol. 13 Berwickshire transcribed by Elma Fleming - includes:
  • Hearth Tax List
  • Militia List
  • List of Ministers
  • Mortcloth records
  • Roll of Honour transcription
        See our blog.

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

Volumes available for consultation within our Archive

• Pre 1855 Memorial inscriptions of Berwickshire by David Cargill.
• The Churches and Churchyards of Berwickshire by G. A. C. Binnie.
• Glimpses into the Past in Lammermuir by Norrie McLeish.
• Notes on the Parish of Cranshaws by Crichton E Eddy.
• Index to Particular Register of Sasines for Berwickshire.
• Pigot's 1837 Directory of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.
• Rutherford's Southern Counties Register and Directory 1867.
• County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages.
• Notes on the History of Cranshaws Castle, Donald Buchanan Robertson QC. (Berwickshire Naturalists' Club vOL 42).
• CD-ROM The Churches and Churchyards of Berwickshire by James Robson 1896.
• CD-ROM Slater's Directory of Berwickshire 1903.
• 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 Cranshaws 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 Cranshaws 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 Cranshaws monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): ALLAN (9), SCOTT (7), WILSON (6), ANDERSON (5), FERGIE (4), WOOD (4), MILLER (4), SIMPSON (4), SMITH (3), DODS (3), BROWN (3), SIBBALD (3), DODDS (3), PUNTON (2), DARRIE (2), COLTHERD (2), PRINGLE (2), NOBLE (2), MCPHERSON (2), EDGAR (2).

Other Sources

• The Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1791-99 vol.6 p.436: Cranshaws, County of Berwick (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name)
• The Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1834-45 vol.2 p.99: Cranshaws, County of Berwick (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name)

Scottish Borders Archives, The Hub Hawick

School Records

• Cranshaws School Board Minute Book 1873 to 1919 (Ref - B/ED/1/32).

The Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh

Cranshaws Church (Ref - CH2/597/2)

• Cranshaws Church Minutes and Accounts 1731 to 1827.
• Cranshaws Church Minutes and Accounts 1827 to 1853.
• Communicants 1853 to 1864, ref; .

Berwickshire Naturalists' Club

• Vols. 8 and 12 Cranshaws and its ownership.
• Vol. 22. visited 1889.
• Vol. 36 Cranshaws Castle by S. A. E. Landale.
• Vol. 36 Cranshaws Kirk by Rev. C. E. Eddy.
• Vol. 36 Ministers of the 17th. century.
• Vol. 41 History of Parish Schoolby D. B. Robertson.
• Vol. 41 Visited by Dr. Hardy.
• Vol. 42 Notes on the History of Cranshaws Castle by Donald Buchanan Robertson QC.
• Vol 45 A ramble in the hills by Mrs. Sheila Pate.

Websites;

Lammermuir Life Website contains a history of Cranshaws Church.
Pictures of Cranshaws .
The RCHAMS website Scotland's Places contains details of;

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

Place and Farm Names in the Census Records

1841 census: Cranshaws, Cowiehaugh, Castle, Dickshall, Bontree, Playhaugh, Hainshawside, Howbog, Scarlaw, Twinlawford, Rawburn, Whinrigg.

1851 census: Cranshaws, Cowie Haugh, Play Haugh, Boontree, Howbog, Whinrigg, Scarlaw, Rawburn, Twinlawford.

1861 census: Cranshaws, Boontree, Playhaugh, Cowiehaugh, Howbog, Rawburn, New Scarlaw, Old Scarlaw, Whinrigg.

Population;

The population has been recorded as follows:

• 1755 - 214
• 1791 - 164
• 1801 - 166
• 1811 - 186
• 1821 - 156
• 1831 - 136
• 1841 - 120
• 1851 - 127
• 1861 - 134

Berwickshire map