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Lyne and Megget

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"LYNE AND MEGGET, two parishes in Peeblesshire, widely apart in position, but mutually identical in parochial interests. The post-town is Peebles. Lyne is nearly circular, with a small square northerly projection; and is bounded on the north by Newlands, on the north-east by Harehope-burn, which divides it from Eddlestone, on the east and south-east by Meldon-burn, which divides it from Peebles, on the south-west by Lyne-water, which divides it from Stobo, and on the west by Howe-burn and Stevenston-hill, which divide it from Newlands ... Megget is distant geographically 8 miles, but along the shortest practicable path 14 miles. It lies on the southern verge of the county; and is bounded on the north by Manor, on the east and south-east by Selkirkshire, on the south-west by Dumfries-shire, on the west by Tweedsmuir, and on the north-west by Drummelzier ... Population in 1831, 156; in 1861, 134."
From the Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, edited by John Marius Wilson, 1868.
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Cemeteries

The Borders Family History Society has published a CD of monumental inscriptions for the parishes of Lyne and Megget, and Manor.

Pre-1855 inscriptions for the parish are contained in the Scottish Genealogy Society's volume of Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions.

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Census

Graham and Emma Maxwell have transcribed and indexed the 1841, 1851 and 1861 census returns for this parish.

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Church Records

The parish church (Church of Scotland) has registers dating from 1649. Old Parish Registers (before 1855) are held in the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh, and copies on microfilm may be consulted in local libraries and in LDS Family History Centres around the world. Later parish registers (after 1855) are often held in the National Records of Scotland as are any records of non-conformist churches in the area (often unfilmed and unindexed, and only available there).

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Civil Registration

Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths began in Scotland on 1st January 1855. For further details of this see the National Records of Scotland website.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Lyne and Megget which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

A 19th century account of Lyne and Megget is available online. A description of Lyne Water is also available.

Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, edited by John Marius Wilson and published by A. Fullarton and Co - 1868

Lyne and Megget (parishes)

LYNE AND MEGGET, two parishes in Peebles-shire, widely apart in position, but mutually identical parochial interests.  The post-town is Peebles.  Lyne is nearly circular, with a small square northerly projection; and is bounded on the north by Newlands, on the north-east by Harehope-burn, which divides it from Eddlestone, on the east and south-east by Meldon-burn, which divides it from Peebles on the south and south-west by Lyne-water, which divides it from Stobo, and on the west by Howe-burn and Stevenston-hill, which divide it from Newlands.  The circle is 2¾ miles in diameter, and the square projection ¾ of a mile deep.  A stripe of low ground stretches along the Lyne, sharp and gravelly in its soil, and bleak and naked in its aspect, but plied to a certain extent with the plough.  The rest of the area is upland and strictly pastoral, once covered with natural wood, but now adorned with scarcely a tree.  In the south-west, overlooking the Lyne, are vestiges of a Roman camp, 6 acres in extent, and occupying a singularly advantageous site.  The Glasgow and Peebles turnpike runs along the Lyne.—Megget is distant geographically 8 miles, but along the shortest practicable path 14 miles.  It lies on the southern verge of the country; and is bounded on the north by Manor, on the east and south-east by Selkirkshire, on the south-west by Dumfries-shire, on the west by Tweedsmuir, and on the north-east by Drummelzier.  It measures nearly 6 miles from east to west, and between 6 and 7 from north to south.  St. Mary's Loch, for 1 mile on the south-east, belongs to it in common with Yarrow.  Megget-water rises in the extreme west, and, running due east to St.

LYNE (THE), a river of Peebles-shire, the next in local importance to the Tweed.  It rises in various little head-waters close on the boundary with Edinburghshire; one of them on Weatherlaw, a very brief distance from the sources of the North Esk, and the Water of Leith; another of them on West Cairn-law, the largest of the Pentlands, 1,800 feet high; and several of them draining Cauldstane-slap, a grand mountain-pass, or place of egress, from Tweeddale to the north.  The Lyne, recieving in its progress Baddingsgill-burn, West-water, and numerous mountain-rills, runs 5¾ miles south-eastward through Linton, 2 miles southward between Linton on the west and Newlands on the east, and 3¾ in the same direction through Newlands.  It is now joined, half-a-mile below Drochil-castle, by Tarth-water, which bears along with it the tributary waters of a branch of the Medwin, on its right bank, runs 4 miles south-eastward between Stobo and Manor on the right, and Newlands, Lyne, and Peebles on the left, and falls into the Tweed 2¾ miles in a straight line above Peebles.  Its entire length of course is 15½ miles, or including sinuosities, about 20.  The Lyne is a good trouting-stream.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NT191329 (Lat/Lon: 55.58344, -3.284929), Lyne and Megget which are provided by:

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Population

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

  • 1755 - 265
  • 1792 - 152
  • 1801 - 167
  • 1811 - 194
  • 1821 - 176
  • 1831 - 156
  • 1861 - 134