Borders Family History Society

Southdean and Abbotrule

Southdean is an upland Parish in the south of Roxburghshire on the border with England which was sometimes known as Charteris Parish. On the western boundary is the Parish of Hobkirk to the north and east lies the Parish of Jedburgh, the Parish of Edgerston lies to the east, the English County of Northumberland runs along the southern boundary whilst the Parish of Castleton lies to the south west. According to the Gazetteer of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1806 - "Like the rest of the border districts, this parish affords many monuments of warlike antiquity, as camps, castles, and other fortifications". The former Parish of Abbotrule (occasionally Abbotsrule) was suppressed in 1806 and divided between Southdean and Bedrule. Southdean & Abbotrule and Hobkirk are now linked with the Parish of Ruberslaw (a combination of the former Parishes of Bedrule and Minto).

Southdean Parish Church

Old Parish Records for Southdean cover the periods:

• Births: 1696 to 1854.
• Marriages: 1736 to 1854.
• Deaths: 1736 to 1844.

    - and for Abbotrule:

• Births: 1755 to 1776.
• Marriages: 1755 to 1776.

Sales List

• 1841 census Southdean.
• 1851 census Southdean.
• 1861 census Southdean.
• Southdean Mortcloth Records 1736 to 1758 by Nigel Hardie.
• Southdean Burials 1818 to 1844 by Nigel Hardie.

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

Volumes available for consultation within our Archive

• Ruleswater and its People by George Tancred - reprint 1992.
• 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.
• 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.

Other Sources

• Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843 to 1900 by the. Rev. William Ewing
     contains details of the Free Church of Scotland Wolflee Congregation which served the Parishes of Southdean and Hobkirk.
• The History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and adjacent Districts by Alexander Jeffrey 1864.
• The Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1791-99 vol.12 p.67: Southdean, County of Roxburgh (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name)
• The Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1834-45 vol.3 p.98: Southdean, County of Roxburgh (click "browse scanned pages" and insert Parish name)
• Two Centuries of Borders Church Life by J Tait Kelso 1891.

Hawick Archaeological Society

• 1879 Kirk and parish (Abbotrule).
• 1909 Scots at Southdean Kirk, 1388.
• 1911 Pre-reformation church at Southdean.
• 1911 Unveiling of Otterburn memorial.
• 1926 History.
• 1946 Roll of parish ministry of Hawick 1183-1929.
• 1948 Bi-centenary commemoration of James Thomson.
• 1962 Bell and communion cups Abbotrule.
• 1962 Photograph of Kirk (Abbotrule).
• 1963 Ancient bell destroyed Abbotrule.
• 1964 Churchyard monumental inscriptions (Abbotrule).
• 1967 Excavations at Southdean Old Kirk.
• 1988 Otterburn Battle remembered at Southdean.

Berwickshire Naturalists' Society

• Vol. 13 Described.
• Vol. 25 Plan.
• Vol. 28 Olivers of Southdean.
• Vol. 35 Church.

Websites;

A list of names on gravestones in Abbotsrule Churchyard published by Hawick Archaeological Society.
A history of Southdean Old Kirk.
Stobie's Map of Roxburghshire of 1770.
The RCAHMS website Scotland's Places contains details of;

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

Place and Farm names in Census Records

1841 census; Mackside, Wolflee, Blackcleughmouth, Hyndlie, Westshiels, Dykrow, Lustruther, Waterside, Northbank, Letholm, Huntford, Carter Bar, Meadow-cleugh, Burns, Skyehead, Tamshielhaugh, Abbotrule, Hobkirk Glebe, Doorpool, Mackside Toll, Ruletownhead, Burnkinford, West Fodderlie, Glendouglas, Smailcleugh, Paradise, Cleethaugh, Dovesford, Mervinslaw, Roughley, Ashtrees, Woodhouse, Bairkine, Whiteburn, Billingburn, Bents, Chesters Village, Broom, Falside, Classsliepeel, Westerhouses, Roundabouts.

1851 census; Mackside, Blackleemouth, Wolflee, Wolfhopelee, Hyndlee, Westshiels, Dykerow, Lustruther, Whiteburn, Letham, Wooplaw, Burnkine, Ruletonhead, Abbotrule, Fodderlee, Doorpool, Chesters Glebe, Glendouglas, Smailcleughfoot, Paradise, Barnkine, Woodhouse, Ashtrees, Lowriesden, Cleethaugh, Dovesford, Mervinslaw, Roughleenook, Falside, Classleepeel, Broom, Chesters, Westerhouses.

1861census: Lustruther, Mackside, Wolflee Townhead, Hyndlee, Dykeraw, Westshiels, Southdean, Lethem, Falside, Chesters, Roundabouts, Burnkine, Ruletonhead, Wester Fodderlee, Abbotrule, Doorpool, Mackside Toll, Glendouglas, Hobkirk, Smailcleughfoot, Carradice, Bairnkine, Lowriesden, Ashtrees, Woodhouse, Westerhouses, Broomhills.

Population

The population has been recorded as follows:

• 1755 - 480
• 1801 - 697
• 1811 - 804
• 1821 - 837
• 1831 - 839
• 1841 - 868
• 1851 - 845
• 1861 - 687

Roxburghshire map