Border Estates
Since the early 17th century a large part of rural South of Scotland has been owned by the Duke of Buccleuch and his ancestors. Records kept by the Estate are therefore a valuable source for family history. I have done extensive research using the rental records in particular, which cover Buccleuch estates in Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire, eastern Dumfriesshire and part of Midlothian and Peeblesshire. Happily these records are publicly available in the National Records of Scotland. However they are not indexed as such and therefore difficult to navigate for the uninitiated.
The records are particularly valuable for ancestors who were tenant farmers on Buccleuch Estate land before the censuses of 1841 and beyond. The records often go back to around 1630. The rentals often hide family relationship information. And I specialize in conducting research within these archives – please contact me to discuss your request.
Queensberry Estate
Records of the Queensberry Estate in central and western Dumfriesshire remains in private hands at Drumlanrig Castle, near Thornhill. This includes areas such as Penpont, Tynron, Durisdeer, Closeburn and Sanquhar. However I’ve been able to access some of these records and make transcriptions available for you – see Dumfries and Galloway pages for more information.
Farm Names
Below is a list of the farms and farmtouns included in the rental rolls for 1814-15 (GD224/485/7) which cover all the Buccleuch Estate land in the Scottish Borders . This particular rental appears to include named sub-tenants and cottars as well as tenants so is especially useful for genealogists..
Ettrick Forest
SELKIRK Carterheugh and Auld Wark Fastheuch Fauldshope Fowlshiels Bowhill Newark Shielsheugh ETTRICK Anlieshope Easter Buccleuch Wester Buccleuch Mount Common Kenwoody Crosslea Deephope Gair Roplawshiel YARROW Catslackburn Easter Delorain Wester Delorain Dryhope Mid Eldinghope Over Eldinghope Wester Fauldshope Gilmanscleuch Howfoord Easter Kerrshope Kirkhope Ladhope Easter Mountbenger Wester Mountbenger Newburgh Newhouse Outer Huntly Peel & Hawthorn Singlie Deuchar Glengaber Whitehope Blackgrain Kirkoshead Yarrow Glebe Shuttinglees Glenlude Catheugh
Teviotdalehead
HAWICK PARISH Allanheugh Blackcleugh Branxholm Branxholm Park Commonside Crumhaugh Langhope Easter Mains of Hawick Wester Mains of Hawick Falnash & Thorniehall Goldielands Harwood Newbigging Newmilnlands Kerrsknow Nether Southfield Teviotside Whitchester Mickle Whitlaw Little Whitlaw Meatcroft Crawbyres Trinity Lands Dangerfield Kilnstead Waulkmill New Glebe Fenwick CAVERS PARISH Bowanhill Broadheugh Coltherdscleugh & Suddenrig Linhope Northhouse Peelbraehope Priesthaugh Skelfhill Dockcleugh Stobcleugh Mosspaul Phaehope ROBERTON PARISH Branxholm Moor Chapelhall Craik & Midshaw Eilrig Girnwood Easter Highchesters Milsington West Cleughhead Todshawhaugh Todshawhill Crouchhope Howpasley WILTON PARISH Burnfoot Boonraw Easter Groundiston Wester Groundiston Borthaugh Easter Clarilaw Dunkster Overhall Stoweslee Wiltonburn Hassendean
Liddesdale
Braidlie & Rispielaw Burnmouth Hole Flight & Clintwood Shaws Newlands Roughlie Byegate Dinlie Flatt Side Redmoss Guildfoot Foulshiels Gorrenberry Kirndean Myredikes Blakeburn Milnholm Milnburnholm & Hermitage Pouterlampert Baxtongill Hillhouse Riccarton Roan Saughtrees & Hindhouse Nether Sorbietrees Upper Sorbietrees Toftholm Twislehope Tweedenside & Kershope Nether Whisgills Stitchelhills & Lees Sundhope Byreholm Castleton Dikeraw Nether Harden Over Harden Greens Mains of Cocklake Meins Mangerton Powisholm & Park Nether Raw Over Raw Billhope
Eckford
ECKFORD Wester Moss Easter Wooden Wester Wooden Grimslaw Mosstower Smiddyhill Lanton LEMPITLAW Wholefield Eastfield of Lempitlaw Westfield of Lempitlaw Lempitlaw Lurdenlaw
Melrose
Melrose Mill Danielton Mains Kilncroft Newstead Mill
Eskdale
LANGHOLM Arkin & Whitshiels Arkinholm Becks & Earshaw Bigholms Bloch & Blochburnfoot Calfield Cleuchfoots Irvine & Caldtown Middleholm Milnholm Brackenwrae Potholm Nether Wrae Westwater Glenloganhead Hallcrofts of Meikleholm Langholm Corn Mill Waulkmill Murtholm WESTERKIRK Bailliehill Billholm Bombie Boonies Burnfoot, Fingland & Straingate Carlesgill Dalbeath Enzieholm Little Harperwhat Meikle Harperwhat Hopsrig Knock Mains Mid Knock Knockhill Nether Knock Lineholm Megdale, Mountfauld & Treehope Shiell Nether Stenneswater Over Stenneswater ESKDALEMUIR Aberlosh Nether Cassock, Ruckhole & Pockleaf Clerkhill & Graystonelees Coat Nether Dumfelling Over Dumfelling Cumminghead Ganvald Grassyards Holm Holm Mill Mid Raeburn Rinnaldburn & Cothope Tanlawhill Twiglees Westside & Castlehill Langshawburn Fingland EWES Burnfoot Bush, Burngrains and Wolfhope Eweslees & Blackhall Carrotrig Glendovan & Brieryshaw Lodgegill & Byrecleughwater Mosspeeble Sorbie Nether Wrae Over Wrae Kirkton Flaskholm Tarrona Unthank & Fiddleton Hoghill Brush
Canonbie
Airnlee Albierig Auchenrivock Andrewsknows Archerbeck Barnglies Barnglieshead Barrascrofts,Nether Barrascrofts,Over Nether Bogrie Over Bogrie Brae----land Broomieknow Bruntshielbog Bulmansknow Canonbie Mill Canonbie Moor Closses Nether Crookholm Over Crookholm Cronksbankhead Drybrow Enthorn Forge Forgebraehead Glenzierbecknow Glenzier Garden Glenzierhead Glenziermidtown Nether Glenzier Glencartholm Graystail Greenburn Hagg Hardenside Harlaw Harlaw Hack Harlawhag Harlawhill Harlawmiln Harlawmilnsteads Holehouse Hecks Jockshill Kerr Knottyholm Lymiecleugh Middlerig Muirburnhead Milnsteads Nether Mumbiehirst Over Mumbiehirst Newtown Nittyholm Orchard Perterburn Rowanburnfoot Rowanburnhillhead Sarktower Sarkmilntown Shillingmoss Tarrasfoot Tarcoon Nether Thorniwhats Over Thorniwhats Todscleughside Todhillwood Todknowhead Tomshielburn Whitknow Whitlawside Nether Whitlawside Windyhill Outer Woodhead Nether Woodhouselees Over Woodhouselees
Here’s a link to my transcribed estate rentals, kirk session records and other records for the above estate areas. Do let me know if you find them useful for you.
Our Laidlaw ancestors were shepherds continuously for over 300 years on “Syart”., located at the head of the Megget Dam. The last one retiring c1957. Family lore relates the farm got its name at the time Mary Queen of Scots was out riding in a party with the Duke of Buccleuch when she exclaimed “See the Hart”.
Several years ago I was fortunate enough to visit the farm, and speak with the current shepherd.
Where was the Coltherdscleugh farm located?
I am looking for a location for the birth of a James Renwick 1751 or 1756.
Colterscleuch lies just next to the A7 road, a mile or two north of Teviothead. I pass it regularly!
I have an Attestation record for a David Murray of Teindside from around the end of the 1700s.
Was Teindside on a Buccleuch Estate?
TIA
Yes – Teindside is in Hawick parish. Its on the A7 just north of Colterscleuch which was asked about earlier. There were some cottages there and I suspect that is where David Murray lived. Unfortunately the Buccleuch rental records for that area just have information about Teindside farm and not the cottages which would have been sub-let.
Thankyou Andrew. I looked for this in your pay per view section but couldn’t find the relevant estate.
Could you point me in the right direction please just in case he was the farmer’s son?
I’ve now found the farm on your Teviotdalehead Rentals list but what is a “teind”?
That’s good. I don’t know if the farm name relates to this but a Teind was an annual payment made by landowners which went towards funding the parish church and the minister’s stipend. Roughly equivalent to the English ‘tithe’.