Borders Family History Society

Longformacus

The Parish of Longformacus is situated in the north of Berwickshire in the Lammermuir Hills. It is bordered on the north by the County of Midlothian, on the east by the Parishes of Abbey St. Bathans, Duns and Langton, on the south by the Parishes of Greenlaw and Westruther and on the west by the Parish of Lauder.

Old Parish Birth Records exist from 1654 to 1854.
Marriage Records exist from 1716 to 1854.
Death records exist from 1716 to 1760.

Sales List

1841 census Longformacus.
1851 census Longformacus.
1861 census Longformacus.
Longformacus Monumental Inscriptions Vol. 16 Berwickshire transcribed by Elma Fleming (contains Hearth Tax, Militia List, list of Ministers, mortcloth records, Roll of Honour transcription and an extract from the Longformacus Public School Admission Log from 1873 to 1913, listing 424 admissions to the school, showing names of pupils and parents, addresses, occupations and dates of pupils' births). See our blog.

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Longformacus Parish Church

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.
C.D. The Churches and Churchyards of Berwickshire by James Robson 1896.
Glimpses into the Past in Lammermuir by Norrie McLeish.
Index to Particular Register of Sasines for Berwickshire.
Pigot's 1837 Directory of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.
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
Know your parish Longformacus	The history, and how Longformacus got its name. Its population and parish records.	1 page or more	21
Longformacus	A cautionary tale from 1871 and some extracts from the school log book,	2 pages or more	73
Poor Relief in the 1840s	A review of the operation of the poor relief in the early 19th century. It includes the size of the allwances paid and an estimate of the cost of living at the time.	4 pages or more	71	Peter Munro
Abbey St Bathans, Cranshaws and Longformacus	A brief description of 3 neighbouring parishes and the records available.	2 pages or more	73

Map of Longformacus 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 surnames on gravestones recorded by us in the Longformacus monumental inscriptions volume are (number of gravestones in brackets): BROWN (21), WILSON (8), FORTUNE (7), CRAIK (7), SMITH (6), ANDERSON (6), SCOTT (6), PURVES (5), BUCKHAM (5), PATERSON (5), ELLIOT (5), TROTTER (4), TAIT (4), TURNBULL (4), JOHNSTON (4), MILLER (4), MACK (4), MOFFAT (4), RANKIN (4), THOMSON (4).

Other Sources;

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

Longformacus School Admission register 1874 to 1962 ref; B/ED/3/5.
School Board Minute Books 1873 to 1919 ref; B/ED/1/71-72.
School Log Book Admission Registers etc. 1913 to 1991 ref; B/ED/16/1-5.

Scottish National Archives Edinburgh hold the following records;

Longformacus Parish Church;

1. Minutes 1684-1711.
2. Accounts and Minutes 1715-1734, 1776-1796 with gaps.
3. Accounts 1734 to-1864.
4. Births 1855 -1861 - ref; - CH2/250.

Longformacus Free Church;

1. Session Minutes 1848-1930.
2. Committee and Deacons' Court Book 1845-1941.
3. Account Books from 1845 to 1931.
4. Births 1876 to 1889. - ref; -CH3/221.

Berwickshire Naturalists' Club has published the following articles;

Vol. 10 Longformacus - the name.
Vol. 10 Longformacus House.
Vol. 34 Manor and its owners by Miss H. M. Brown.
Vol. 37 Horseupcleuch- graves of 2 Cromwellian Soldiers.
Vol. 35 Lammermuir Road.
Vol. 36 Ministers of the 17th. century.
Vol 45 A ramble in the hills by Mrs. Sheila Pate.

Websites;

First Statistical Account by the Rev. Mr. Selby Ord (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name).

Second Statistical Account by the Rev. Henry Riddell (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 in Society Archives).

Place and Farm names in Census Records;

1841 census: Longformacus, Caldra, Otterburn, Byrecleugh, Trottingshaw, Horsecupcleugh, Wrinklaw, Dronshiel, Kippetlaw, Cattleshiel, Redpath, Dyeshaugh, Elmford, Smiddyhill, Windshiel, Felcleugh, Rigfoot, Whitchester, Blackerston, Retreat, Whareburn.
1851 census: Longformacus, Byrecleugh, Trottingshaw, Dye Bank, Horseupcleugh, Cattleshiel, Muirton, Caldra, Dronshiel, Otterburn, Whitchester, Rigfoot, Dick's Hall, Ellmford, Windshiel, Elmhaugh, Redpath, Felcleugh, Smiddy Hill, Blackerston, Retreat, Wareburn, Blackerstone.
1861 census: Longformacus, Horscupcleugh, Trotingshaw, Byrecleugh, Kippetlaw, Cattleshiel, Droneshiel, Caldra, Otterburn, Whitchester, Elmhaugh, Ellem, Elmford, Fellcleugh, Smiddyhill, Windshiel, Redpath, Dyeshaugh, Murton, Retreat, New Blackeston, Paradise, Old Blackerston, Weirburn.

Population;

The population has been recorded as follows: 1755 - 399, 1791 - 452, 1801 - 406, 1811 - 444, 1821 - 402, 1831 - 425, 1841 - 390, 1851 - 411, 1861 - 448.