Greenlaw

 

Parish No 743 Greenlaw is located within the County of Berwickshire which is now known as the Scottish Borders.  Greenlaw is located 7 miles south west of Duns.  For a map showing the location of Greenlaw please click here.

 

"A town and parish in the county of Berwick. The town is situated nearly in the centre of the county, and is a borough [burgh] of barony, held in feu from the Earl of Marchmont, who is superior. After the town of Berwick was taken by the English, the courts of justice wre removed to Dunse, and shorterly after established in the town of Greenlaw, which is still the county town. It contains about 600 inhabitants. The parish extends about 7 or 8 miles in length, and on average 2 in breadth. The surface is in general level, but has several eminences, which are of considerable height. The soil in the S. part of the parish is a deep strong clay, exceedingly fertile, but towards the N. it becomes wet, and spouty, and of a very inferior quality; and, on the northern borders, is only fit for sheep pasture. The beautiful house of Marchmont, the seat of the Earl of Marchmont, is situated about a mile or two from the town. It is surrounded with extensive plantations, and beautiful pleasure grounds. There are the remains of two religious houses, which were dependent on the priory of Kelso. Population in 1801, 1270."

 

from Gazetteer of Scotland published 1806, Edinburgh.

 

Military Records, Monumental Inscriptions, Poll Tax Lists etc

 

The Borders Family History Society have produced a book called ‘Greenlaw Berwickshire Monumental Inscriptions 4’ [ISBN 1 874232 08 5].  I have borrowed a copy of this book from my local Library.  These books are great for finding out information on your ancestors.  If you had family in this area you can look up the surname index at the back of the book and you can see how many entries you have for this parish.  The book contains all monumental inscriptions from Greenlaw Parish Graveyard along with information on the Militia Records, Greenlaw Parish Poll Tax Lists from 12 September 1695, Ministers of the Parish Church and details of the War Memorials.  This book is well worth a read for those interested in Greenlaw.

 

Church History

 

Greenlaw Parish Church

 

Saint Bede who was also known as The Venerable Bede made reference to Old Greenlaw in about 700AD.  This therefore suggests that there may have been a church at Old Greenlaw before the present day church. [The Venerable Bede was an Anglo-Saxon Benedictine Monk and Scholar.  His theological works earned him the title of Doctor of the Church.  He is the only Englishman to be honoured in such a way.  He was canonised in 1899.]  It said that in a field next to Old Greenlaw Mansion House there was once a graveyard, which would certainly support the theory of an earlier church having been at Old Greenlaw.  However no evidence has been uncovered in support of the graveyard, since no evidence can be produced the theory of a graveyard is termed as hearsay.

 

The ‘new’ Greenlaw which is the Greenlaw of today began to expand in size and by the later part of the 16th Century was larger and had a higher standing of importance than Old Greenlaw.  The New Greenlaw was made a Burgh of Barony in 1600 and became the County Town from 1596 to 1661 and then again from 1696 to 1903.  Both in 1661 and 1903 Duns replaced Greenlaw as the County Town.

 

Gospatrick the 3rd Earl of Dunbar gifted Greenlaw Church, along with the subsidiary chapels of Halliburton and Lambden to Kelso Abbey in 1147.  This is the earliest written record of the Church.  The first known Priest at Greenlaw Parish Church was Nigel in 1159.  It is thought that Greenlaw Church was dedicated to St Helen but this is uncertain.  The dedication took place on 4 April 1242 by David de Bernham who was the Bishop of St Andrews.

 

It is thought that the present day Church is most certainly on the same site as the pre-Reformation Church.  In 1675 the church had to be extensively repaired as in 1674 it was said that the minister had to ‘flee for fear of the church falling on him’.  The south wall of the church was taken down and re-built and the church roof was replaced with a wooden roof which was covered in slates.  A gallery was added to the west side of the church and a pulpit and desk was built also.

 

The tower which is located at the west end of the church was once the Tolbooth or jail.  It is said that the tower was built in 1712.  In 1712 the church was given an extension to reach the Tolbooth, however there was no passageway from the church to the Tower.  Although there was a window leading from the tower to the church so that the prisoners of the Tolbooth could attend services held by the church.

 

To the west of the tower a Courthouse was built in 1712.  The Courthouse was said to be a similar size to that of the church.  In 1831 the courthouse was demolished as another Courthouse had been built in the middle of the green.  The Tolbooth Tower at the west end of the church became the church tower, although the Church of Scotland did not formally take ownership of the tower until 1968.

 

In 1721 the church had yet more alterations made; galleries were added to the east and west of the church.  A north loft was added to the church in 1784 and the church was re-modeled and became t-shaped in 1855 when a north aisle was added.  In 1883 the church was given new seating and the canopy was removed from the pulpit.  The church at this time had a staircase on the outside of the building which accessed the east gallery.  This staircase was removed and an internal staircase was installed again in 1883.

 

Halliburton Chapel

 

Halliburton was once a village on the outskirts of Greenlaw, however today there is only a farm steading and one or two cottages left.  It is thought that the chapel of Halliburton was built in the 12th Century and was gifted to Kelso Abbey in 1140 by the sons of Triute of Halliburton.  The church was a subsidiary to Greenlaw Parish Church and was dedicated to St Mary.

 

The farm steading at Halliburton was re-built in 1820.  It is thought that the masonry from the old chapel and from the graveyard were used to re-build the steading.  Ordinance Survey Maps dated 1858 and 1906 both show the ‘supposed site of chapel’ opposite the farmhouse in the field, however there is no evidence of any foundations in the field.

 

Lambden Chapel

 

Walter de Strivelyn [or Stirling] was granted permission by the Bishop of St Andrews to have a chapel built on his land at Lamben, provided that the Earl of Gospatrick agreed as the village of Lamden was part of his feu and estate.  Lamden Chapel was a subsidiary to Greenlaw Parish Church.  Lamden Chapel was dedicated to St Mary.

 

The Chapel was destroyed in 1545 by the Earl of Hertford and was not re-built.  In the early 18th century a number of stones were found with inscriptions.  The First Statistical Account in Scotland was published between 1791 and 1799.  At this time remains of the building of Lambden Chapel and the graveyard were recorded within the Account.  However by the time the New Statistical Account was published [sometime between 1834 and 1845] the remains had disappeared.

 

Population

 

Here are some figures showing the parish's population through time:

 

*      1755 - 895

*      1785 - 1210

*      1801 - 1270

*      1811 - 1260

*      1821 - 1349

*      1831 - 1442

*      1841 -

*      1851 -

*      1861 - 1371

*      1871 - 1381

*      1881 - 1252

*      1891 -

*      1901 - 1014

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