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Lauder

Berwickshire map

The Parish of Lauder is situated in the north east of Berwickshire, being bounded on the north by the County of Midlothian, on the east by the Parishes of Longformacus, Westruther and Legerwood, on the south by the Parish of Melrose and on the west by the Parishes of Stow and Channelkirk.

Old Parish Birth Records exist from1680 to 1716 and from 1720 to 1854.
Marriage Records exist from 1677 to 1796 and from 1844 to 1854.
Death records exist from 1785 to 1794 and from 1836 to 1854.

Sales List;

1841 census Lauder.
1851 census Lauder.
1861 census Lauder.
Lauder Memorial Inscriptions Vol. 10 Berwickshire transcribed by Jean Sanderson 2003 (contains Hearth Tax, Militia List, list of Ministers and War Memorial transcription).
Lauder Death Records 1781 to 1854 transcribed by Nigel Hardie.

Lauder Parish Church

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

Volumes available for consultation within our Archive

Lauder and Lauderdale by A Thomson 2001.
Protocol Book of Robert Wedderop Lauder 1543 to 1557.
Through Time and Place - a History of Lauder by Andrew Mercer.
Pre 1855 Memorial Inscriptions of Berwickshire by David Cargill.
C.D. The Churches and Churchyards of Berwickshire by James Robson 1896.
The Churches and Churchyards of Berwickshire by G.A.C. Binnie.1995.
Index to Particular Register of Sasines for Berwickshire.
C.D. Berwickshire, Banffshire, Peeblesshire and Selkirkshire Trades Directory 1837.
Rutherford's Southern Counties Register and Directory 1867.
C.D. Slater's Directory of Berwickshire 1903.
County Directory of Scotland 1912 - Borders Towns and Villages.

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
A Case for the Commissary	The amount of information found on any particular family is a matter of luck but time spent will be rewarding.	4 pages or more	33	Rosemary Bigwood
Robert Lauder of the Bass	An account, fully referenced, of the family of the Lauders of the Bass Rock.	3 pages or more	90	Gregory Lauder-Frost
Through Time and Place - a walk through Whitslaid Farm and Tower Lauder	Review of a book by Andrew Mercer.	less than 1 page	97
The Perils of Secondary Sources	The writer looks at the dangers to research from not checking primary sources quoting examples and showing how mistakes can arise.	3 pages or more	97	Gregory Lauder-Frost
Notes on people in Lauder in 1501	Brief notes on Thomas Borthwick of Gammylstoun confirmed in 1501 as in certain tenements in the Royal Burgh of Lauder, previously occupied by Charles Murray, and surrounded by lands of William Broun, George Weddirhede, William Hoppringle, William Scheill and Thomas Spens. Also Robert Lauder, son of Gilbert in Whitslaid.	less than 1 page	103	Gregory Lauder-Frost
The Flowers of the Forest--Borderers who fell at Flodden	The Fletcher brothers from Selkirk and were they at Flodden? Probably.	1 page or more	29	Andrew Cockburn
Whiteslade, Berwickshire, and its Owners	Many have seen this ruin on the way from Greenlaw to Lauder, and often wondered about the history of this once great fortress. This article covers it magnificently.	2 pages or more	31	G.M.S. Lauder Frost
Tyson Brothers - the Ultimate Sacrifice	The author has traced her husbands back to the Tysons of Selkirk. Bertram Tyson (b1854, Lauder), son of John (1809-1868), a tailor and Euphemia Richardson (1807-1886). Bertram was 1 of 13 children, and married Joan Nichol. They had 9 children; 3 sons were killed in WW1 (John , James Andrew, Bertram). William survived WW1, and his further story and sporting life is described.	3 pages or more	109	Marjorie McLaughlin
A Nostalgic Visit to Lauder and Channelkirk	A report of the author's return from South Africa, his attendance at a late night Church service in Lauder, the erection of a plaque and his family connections with the area.	3 pages or more	82	Prof. Charles Wait
Coldingham mortcloth records	The mortcloth records are fascinating as they list every occasion when a mortcloth was hired out for a burial. This covers the Coldingham mortcloth.	1 page or more	28	Vivienne S. Dunstan
Lowland Scots in Prussia	Absorbing account of Scots mainly in Danzig and Konigsberg from 15th to 17th centuries. A lot of names recorded.	5 pages or more	45	G.M.S.Lauder-Frost
The Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose	This article has been extracted from a much longer memoir that John Dick wrote when he retired around 1950. He was born in 1889, the second son of William Dick, an ironmonger in Melrose and his wife Isobella Lauder. He emigrated to Canada as a young man where he eventually became the Chief Cost Accountant for Sun Life Assurance Company. John served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I as a quarter-master sergeant. Although he was twice married he had no children.	7 pages or more	67	John Dick
William Dick (1849 - 1932)	Account of William Dick, a blacksmith in Fountainhall and his family	4 pages or more	63	Margaret Dick
The Chisholm Highland Connection	The story of the Chisholm family, their involvement in medieval wars and their move from the Borders to the Highlands.	5 pages or more	73	Gregory Lauder-Frost
Robert Lauder of that Ilk	This is the story of the background and demise of Robert Lauder of that ilk (d.1598), one of the last to be recorded with that appellation.	3 pages or more	29	G.M.S. Lauder-Frost
Cousin Fred from Hawick	Problems tracing the history of a Dickson family who had lived in the Lauder area from the 17th century,	3 pages or more	65	Jim Dickson
Lauder of Edrington, the castle and early references	The history of the Lauder's from when they owned the Bass Rock to when they were custodians of Berwick on Tweed castle.	5 pages or more	41	Gregory Lauder Frost
Joseph Stephenson of Longyester, Riddle Lodge and Soonhope	The writer recalls his ancestor, Joseph Stephenson and looks at an unfortunate arrangement he entered into under the influence of alcohol.	3 pages or more	99	Harry D Watson

Map of Lauder 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 Lauder 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 Lauder monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): WILSON (46), SCOTT (39), BROWN (33), THOMSON (31), DICKSON (31), MURRAY (25), HARDIE (22), HUNTER (22), HALLIDAY (20), FAIRBAIRN (20), NISBET (20), SMITH (19), ROBERTSON (19), REDPATH (19), HENDERSON (19), BELL (18), LOTHIAN (18), YOUNG (18), WATSON (17), FALCONER (16).

Other Sources;

Lauderdale - some facts and figures by Andrew Mercer 2003.

Scottish Borders Archive and Family History Centre, The Hub Hawick hold the following records;

Lauder School Board Minutes 1873 to 1919 ref; B/ED/1/66-68.
Cleekhimin School documents including log books, records of work 1910 to 1960 ref; B/ED/7/1-11.

The National Archives of Scotland hold the following records;

Lauder Parish Church;

Burials 1827 to 1838 ref; CH2/534/24.
do 1836 to 1881 ref; CH2/534/25.
Minutes 1677 to 1688, 1707 to 1708, 119 and 1733 to 1882.

Lauder Associate Session (Burgher);

List of members 1796 to 1806.
Session Minutes 1796 to 1811 ref; CH3/207/1.

Lauder Associate Congregation Church;

List of members 1870 to 1908 ref; CH3/208/5.
Roll of male heads of family 1834 to 1841 ref; CH2/534.

Lauder Free Church;

Baptisms 1844 to 1856
Minutes 1844 to 1856.

Records of the Lauderdale Branch of the Educational Institute of Scotland ref; GD342.

also the following Maps;

1756 Estate Plan ref; RHP.3683.
1758 Plan of Nether Houden ref; RHP.3707.
1803 Plan of the enclosed ground of the Burgh of Lauder ref; RHP.3628.
1808 Plan of Riddel Lodge ref; RHP.1215/1 1817 Plan of Tullis Hill Farm ref; RHP.1258.
1825 Plan of Thirlestane Castle ref; RHP.3715.
1826 Survey of roads in Lauderdale ref; RHP.3686.

Berwickshire Naturalists' Club has published the following articles and notes;

Vol 11 Lauder Common.
Vols. 11, 17 and 25 Lauder family burial place at Carolside.
Vols. 11 and 25 Lauder of Whitslaid.
Vols. 14 and 26 Lauder of the Bass.
Vol. 15 Lauder Town Wall.
Vol. 18 Lauder by the Rev. T Martin.
Vol. 19 Lauder - its history by the Rev. T Martin.
Vol. 29 Maitlands of Lauderdale.
Vol. 32 Tolbooth Clock.
Vol. 35 Lauder Church, Town Hall and Roman Camp visited.
Vol. 35 Herring Road to Dunbar.
Vol 36 Ministers of the 17th. century.
Vol. 38 Lauder Post Office.
Vol. 40 Parish School.
Vol. 40 Old Kirk visited.
Vol. 41 Lauderdale's Library.
Vol 40 Early Lords of Lauderdale by K Stringer.

Websites

Lauder Burgh - contains a wide range of local information including a general history of the Burgh.

First Statistical Account by the Rev. Dr. James Ford (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name).

Second Statistical Account by the Rev Peter Cosens (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name).

RCHAMS website Scotland's Places contains details of;
Farm Horse tax 1797-1798.
Medical Officer's of Health Reports 1891.
Land Ownership Commission Report 1872 -1873. (available on C.D. in Society Archives).

Place and Farm names in Census Records;

1841census: Lauder, Stonyford, Walk Mill, Barns, St. Leonards,Chapel, Upper Kedslie, Kedslie, Hawickshiel, Woodheads, Lauder Mill, Wyndhead, Blackburn, Shielfield, Blackchester, Pilmuir, Kirkstead, Trabroun, Whitelaw, Ladypart, Muircleugh, Allan Bank, Boghall, Longhope, Tullishill, Dodhouse, How, Longcroft, Soonhope, Easter Addenston, Wester Addenston, Cleekhimin, Farmfoot, Thirlestane, Newmills, Newbigging, Burncastle, Earnscleugh, Hoggs Burn, Lylestone, Old Lylestone, Lyleston Mill, Lauder Haugh, Midburn, Waterloo, Norton, Huntington, Windbank, Eagerhope, Broadshawrigg, Howbog, Snowdon, Wantonwalls, Westmains, Eastmains, Heugh, Blyth, Thirlestane Mill.
1851census: Lauder, Farmfoot, Addinstone, Swonhope, Lockie's Lodge, Dodhouse, Tollishill, Longhope, Boghall, Thirlstane, Midburn, Haugh, Newmills, Lylestone Mill, Cleek-him-in Toll, Lylestone, Old Lylestone, Longcroft, Glenburnie, Bermuda, Earnscleugh, Burncastle, Newbiggingwalls, Newbigging, Huntington, Norton, Luggy, Wantonwalls, Westmains, Eastmains, Thirlstone, Snawdon, Heugh, Knowhead, Blyth, Howbogg, Broadshawrigg, Woodheads, Kedslie, Chapel Gate, Chapel, Hawickshiel, St. Leonards, Lauder Barns, Burnmill, Wyndhead, Sandyford, Waukmill, Eagle Gate, Waterloo, Row, Allan Bank, Muircleugh, Ladypart, Whitelaw, Trabrown, Pilmer, Blankchester, Shielfield, Lammers Lodge, Midburn.
1861 census: Lauder, Allan Bank, Muircleugh, Whitelaw, Ladypart, Trabrownhill, Trabrown, Inchkeith, Pilmuir, Shealfield, Blackburn, Haugh, Newmills, Midburn Check Bar, Midburn Toll, Thirlestane, Walkmill, Stonyfoord, Woodheads, Hawickshiel, Chapel Mains, Kedslie, St.Leonards, Lauder Barns, Luggie, Norton, Huntington, New Bigging, Burncastle, Cheekimin, Lyleston, Wester Addinston, Easter Addinston, Longcroft, Glenburnie, Tollishill Howe, Dodhouse, Boghall, Tollishill, Langhope, Farmfoot, Drommondshall, Wantonwalls, Earnscleugh, Bermuda, Blythrig, Broadshaughrig, Howbog, Blyth, Heugh, Thirlestane Mill, Snowdon, Eastmains, Westmains, Harryburn, Burn Mill.

Population;

The population has been recorded as follows: 1755 - 1714, 1801 - 1760, 1811 - 1742, 1821 - 1845, 1831 - 2063, 1841 - 2198, 1851 - 2154. 1861 - 2198.