The Parish of Kelso is situated in the north east of Roxburghshire and it is bordered by the Parishes of Smailholm and Nenthorn, Berwickshire to the north, the Parishes of Ednam and Sprouston to the east, the Parish of Eckford to the south and the Parishes of Roxburgh and Makerstoun to the west. Kelso is now part of two parishes, Kelso Old & Sprouston which is linked with Kelso Country Churches and Kelso North & Ednam.
The town grew along siude alongside Kelso Abbey is one of one of the four great medieval abbeys in the Borders although it is the least well preserved. Situated on the north bank of the River Tweed the palatial Floors Castle home to the Duke of Roxburghe is on the edge of the town.
Monumental Inscriptions Roxburghshire Vol VII Kelso 2nd Edition 2011 (incoporating the Old Parish Church, Kelso Abbey and St Andrews Episcopal Church), edited by Elma Fleming, includes:
Hearth Tax
List of ministers
War Memorial transcription
Rosebank Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions (book and CD-ROM)
CD-ROM Kelso Poor Law and Ragged School Records.
See our sales list for full details and cost of postage.
Volumes available for consultation within our Archive
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.
A History of the Old Parish Church by Dr. J.L. Trainer.
A History of the Trades of Kelso by Dr. J. L. Trainer.
Index to Kelso Chronicle Death Notices 1853 by Vivienne Dunstan.
Index to Kelso Chronicle Death Notices 1854 by Vivienne Dunstan.
Kelsae by Alistair Moffat.
Kelso, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by Dr. J. L. Trainer.
Kelso, History in Focus by Alistair Campbell.
Wartime Memories of Kelso by Walter Turnbull and Bill Pattison.
Kelso North - One of Zion's Gates by Rev. Donald R Gaddes.
The Recollections of George Taylor - from Kelso to Kalamazoo.
County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages.
Kelso Pioneer - the life of William Glass - Tristan da Cunha pioneer born Kelso. The Southern Annual, 1951
Kelso's Heritage - jewel in a radiant crown by Norman Douglas. The Southern Annual, 1951
CD-ROM Pigot's 1837 Directory of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.
CD-ROM Kelso War Memorial - contains detailed information on those whose names appear on the War Memorial - researched by Ruth Holmes.
CD-ROM A Topographical and Historical Account of the Town of Kelso by James Haig 1825.
CD-ROM Slater's Directory of Southern Scotland 1878.
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.
Title
Synopsis
Size Description
Issue No
Author
Forgotten Borderers--Andrew Walker (1808-1896)
Andrew Walker, born Earlston, worked at Newton Don and moved eventually to Camden and started a Ragged School. He emigrated to Troy in New York and died there.
less than 1 page
30
Bowmakers and Currys in the new world
The history of the Bowmakers and Currys before and after they emigrated to the New World.
1 page or more
10
Norman Bowmaker
Kelso's Ragged school
Case histories and fate of children in the 1800s who went to a Ragged School.
These three names from the excellent book that Audrey has written will make you want to purchase this book.
2 pages or more
9
Audrey Mitchell
Kelso Dispensary and Castleton Poor Law Records
Some notes by the author on his publication on C.D. of Poor Law records instancing some of the information available and mentioning various diseases mentioned
1 page or more
75
Peter Munro
Kelso Tradesmen Transcription Project
Note on a project to transcribe the records of nineteenth century Kelso tradesmen
1 page or more
75
Juline Baird
Revised and improved edition of Kelso Abbey, Old Churchyard and St. Andrews Monumental Inscriptions
Notes on the improved version of our Memorial Inscriptions covering Kelso Abbey, Old Churchyard Kelso and St. Andrews.
1 page or more
76
The Stewarts of Kelso
A report into extensive research into the Stewart family of Kelso, latterly of Edinburgh.
5 pages or more
77
Harry D Watson
From Kelso to Kalamazoo
An account of the life of George 'Celery' Taylor' born in Kelso in 1803 gardener who emigrated to Kalamazoo, Michigan and is noted for introducing celery into the United States. Kept a detailed diary which also records his experiences on his return visits to Scotland in 1871 and 1874.
78
Margaret Jeary
Border Murders
This is a stroll around the Borders looking into, with some depth, the murders in the 1800s.
2 pages or more
32
Norrie Mcleish
The Gladstones-A study
This is a brief outline of the Gladstone family here in the Borders and as far away as Edinburgh, and Norwich.
3 pages or more
35
G.M.S. Lauder-frost
Anderson Family Legend
Three brothers shared their last sixpence at Kelso Fair and then parted company.
How a lady searched for relatives
less than 1 page
8
Mrs. Steele
Stoddart
Margaret Stoddart, born 1831, and her very interesting history. From stot-herd,one who tended cattle 1376. Earliest mention in Douglas Barony of Buittle.
2 pages or more
38
Audrey Mitchell
A grave look at the Borders
This must be one of the great stories ever to be printed in our magazine - it is the story of grave snatchers, and how one brave chap got his just reward.
4 pages or more
21
Ian Abernethy
A Cockburn Family in Berwickshire and Its Descendants - The Book
The author's Cockburn family history - mostly recent.
3 pages or more
24
Andrew Cockburn
An Opaque Glass
About William Glass (or Glasgow), who had become the first governor of the South Atlantic Island of Tristan da Cunha, honoured by the Friends of Kelso Museum in 1996.
2 pages or more
60
Audrey Mitchell
CD Review - Kelso Poor House and Ragged School
Interesting review of the content of this much loved publication, and a bit on the social context of the Poor House and the Ragged School in Kelso.
1 page or more
67
Norrie McLeish
Governor Glass
Some notes on William Glass, born in Kelso who went on to establish the colony of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic and to become its first Governor.
1 page or more
75
Ronald Morrison
The relationship of place names and personal names
The relationship is two fold: (1) Place names derived from personal names,
(2) Personal names derived or adopted from place names.
1 page or more
21
Jessie Macdonald
Newspapers published in the Borders
Border newspapers published in the Borders. 65 in total.
2 pages or more
5
Peter Elliot
John Lee, Shoemaker in Kelso
Some details of the funeral of John Lee, shoemaker in Kelso 1802. Details of funeral arrangements and surnames of those attending the funeral
2 pages or more
75
Elma Fleming
Adam Clark (1811 to 1866)
A fascinating account of Adam Clark, born in Edinburgh but brought up in Kelso who became a bridge builder of renown in Hungary building the first bridge across the Danube linking the communities of Buda and Pest.
4 pages or more
79
Dr. Jim Lyon
Maxwellheugh Cottage - the biography of a house
A review of the families who had inhabited a house on the outskirts of Kelso.
8 pages or more
73
Isobel Gordon
A Berwickshire Schoolmaster
Jean Smithers has contributed this "nugget" from her investigations into the history of one of the strands of her ancestry.
1 page or more
11
Jean Smithers
The men who marched away
If you have heard Gavin speak you will know how he has devoted his all spare time to this subject this is the K.O.S.B. part in Gallipoli, another Flodden. Men missing Gala 54, Hawick 52, Jedburgh 18, and so on.
3 pages or more
9
Gavin Richardson
William Elliot, Architect
The family history of William Elliot and descriptions of some of the fine house's he built.
3 pages or more
15
Kathleen Stewart
The Chisholms: Highland Names in the Borders?
This is not just about the Chisholms, it delves into place names in the Borders, why they changed their names and the Highland connections.
4 pages or more
28
Michael Robson
A Sassenach Searches for his Scottish Ancestry
How the family name may have originated. Possible connections with Kelso. The Reiver Connections
An interesting historical tale.
5 pages or more
39
George Heaviside
Map of Kelso 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.
20 Most Common Surnames
The 20 most common on gravestones recorded by us in the Kelso Abbey, Old Churchyard & St Andrew's monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): BROTHERSTON (157), SCOTT (26), RUTHERFORD (21), SMITH (18), GRAY (17), ALLAN (15), DAVIDSON (13), DICKSON (13), WILSON (12), TAIT (12), TURNBULL (12), AITCHISON (11), THOMSON (11), BROWN (10), HARDIE (9), ROBERTSON (9), ORMSTON (9), KER (9), WATSON (9), PURVES (9).
The 20 most common on gravestones recorded by us in the Kelso - Rosebank Cemetery monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): SCOTT (111), THOMSON (71), WILSON (62), SMITH (59), BROWN (56), ROBERTSON (54), TURNBULL (47), YOUNG (47), MURRAY (46), BELL (45), DOUGLAS (42), ANDERSON (42), HENDERSON (38), PATTERSON (33), PURVES (32), RUTHERFORD (32), TAIT (31), HUME (27), WALKER (27), GRAY (26).
Other Sources
A Topographical and Historical account of the Town of Kelso and the Town and Castle of Roxburgh by James Haig - Edinburgh 1825.
Kelso Records being traditions and recollections of Kelso by John Mason - Edinburgh 1834.
Kelso Past and Present by W.F. Vernon - Kelso 1873.
Glimpses of Kelso by J. B. Dickson - Kelso 1883.
History of Kelso Grammar School by James Smith - 1909.
Yesterday in a Border Parish by James Lindsay Hilson.
