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Sorbie

Map showing the location of the parish

"SORBIE, a parish, in the district of Machers, county of Wigtown, 6 miles south from Wigtown; containing, with the villages of Garliestown and Sorbie, 1700 inhabitants, of whom 809 are in the rural districts, and 235 in the village of Sorbie. The parish, bounded on the east by Wigtown bay, is about six miles in length, varying from three miles and a half to nearly six miles in breadth, and comprising 9000 acres, of which 7700 are arable with a moderate proportion of meadow and pasture, 400 woodland and plantations, and the remainder moor and waste. The bay of Garliestown is well adapted for the construction of a spacious harbour, which would greatly facilitate the trade between the western coast of England and this country. The rateable annual value of the parish is £8646. Galloway House, the seat of the Earl of Galloway, is a stately mansion erected about the middle of the 18th century, and beautifully situated on the coast, between the bays of Garliestown and Rigg. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Wigton and synod of Galloway: the minister's stipend is £244. 13. 7., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £15 per annum; patron, the Crown. The church, situated in Sorbie village, was rebuilt in 1750, and repaired in 1826; it is a neat substantial structure containing 500 sittings. The members of the Free Church have a place of worship; and there is a place of worship at Garliestown for Independents. The parochial school is well conducted, and attended by about sixty children; the master has a salary of £33. 3., with a house and garden, and the fees average £20 annually. There are several other schools, of which two, at Garliestown, are endowed by the Earl and Countess of Galloway." – edited from A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Samuel Lewis, 1846.

Villages

Garlieston
Sorbie

Places in Sorbie parish, with links to online historical and modern maps.

Please read the main GENUKI Wigtownshire pages if you have not already done so.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

A separate Records Page page gives details of the records for this parish held by Scottish archives.

The ScotlandsPlaces website lets users search across national databases by geographical location. It includes, amongst other material,

Cemeteries

There are 2 cemeteries and 2 ancient burial grounds in Sorbie parish:

1. Sorbie Old Churchyard, which surrounds the original Sorbie Kirk (grid reference NX 438468, GPS: 54.791463, -4.429668, Google map): 2. Sorbie New Cemetery (grid ref. NX 439464, GPS: 54.788488, -4.428654, Google map): 3. Cruggleton (grid ref. NX 478428, GPS: 54.757086,-4.366776, Google map): 4. Kirkmadrine (grid ref. NX 475482, GPS: 54.805453,-4.374028, Google map):

Census

Parish / district reference number for 1841 - 1901 censuses: 897

The 1841 and 1851 returns can be searched on the FreeCEN website.

There is an online index to the 1851 census created by the Friends of the Archives of Dumfries and Galloway.

Some census records on microfilm may be consulted in LDS Family Search Centres around the world.

LDS Library Film Numbers:

  1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891
Sorbie 1042847 1042557 103922 104113 224063 220462
Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Further information on the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

Church History

In addition to the parish church at Sorbie (rebuilt at Millisle in 1874-6), other churches include a Free Church, and a Congregational church at Garlieston. The Rootsweb Churches and Graveyards in Dumfries and Galloway site has photographs of the current parish church (at Millisle), together with the churchyard and ruins of the old church in Sorbie.

A list of all persons over 12 years of age, collected under instructions to the Episcolalian Curates of Galloway and Dumfriesshire, was published as Parish lists of Wigtownshire and Minnigaff, 1684. It is available at the Open Library.

The Old Statistical Account (written in the 1790s) gives this information about Dissenters:

The New Statistical Account (written in 1838) gives this information:

The1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, the Congregational Church in Garlieston, and the Free Church.

Details of church history here.

Church Records

The Parish Church (Established Church, Church of Scotland):

The original Old Parish Registers (of baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages, and deaths / burials) of the Church of Scotland, which cover the years up to 1854, are held in the General Register Office for Scotland in Edinburgh, and they can all be consulted there at the ScotlandsPeople Centre.

Parish reference number: 897

The Old Parish Registers (OPRs) span the following dates (although there are gaps within these ranges):

Sorbie OPR Births / baptisms Proclamations / marriages Deaths / burials / mortcloths
897/1 1700-1819 1700-1819 1706-1716, and 2 entries 1813 & 1818
897/2 1819-1854 1820-1854 -
Register of Neglected Entries 1836, 1838, 1840    
Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

The Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland, published 1872, provides this information about the content of the OPRs, including the gaps within them:

B.  Blank July 1721 - Jan. 1739, and defective 1739 - 1745 inclusive. Portion 1761 - 1771 in form of a small Memorandum Book. Blank (exc. one page of entries April 1773 - Jan. 1774) July 1771 - Sept. 1789, and June 1790 - June 1794, exc. twelve irregular entries 1787 - 1806 which occurs at that part.
M.  Blank June 1721 - June 1794, and Nov. 1814 - June 1816.
D.  Mortcloth Dues intermixed with other matters. Two entries of Death, dated 1813 and 1818.

The baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages and deaths / burials indexes can be searched at the ScotlandsPeople website. Copies of the register entries may be purchased.

Copies of the registers on microfilm may be consulted in some local libraries and at LDS Family Search Centres around the world. The indexes to baptisms / births and proclamations / marriages can also be searched on the LDS Family Search website or on the IGI on microfiche in local libraries.

LDS Library Film Numbers:

1068041 Items 2 - 3 Baptisms, 1700-1820; Marriages, 1700-1721, 1794-1820; Burials, 1706-1716, 1813-1818; Neglected Birth entries, 1836, 1838, 1840.
Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Further information on the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

Kirk Session records are held at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh. Some Kirk Session material is to be found in the OPR records (897/1). Details of church records here.

Heritors' Records (HR12) are at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh. Details of records here.

Other Churches:

The location of records of other churches is not known.

The Sorbie page of the LDS Family Search Research Wiki has more information about church history and records.

Civil Registration

Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths began in Scotland on 1st January 1855. Full information on the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

Registration districts covering this parish:

Registration district number start date end date
Sorbie 897 1855 1966
Whithorn 900 1967 1971
Whithorn 875 1972 2004
Dumfries & Galloway, Whithorn 875 2005  

Registration districts did not necessarily coincide exactly with parishes.

Description & Travel

Sorbie village Ordnance Survey Grid Reference GPS Post code Lat. 54°47'27"N
NX 437467 54.790769
-4.432452		 DG8 8EG Lon. 4°25'57"W

Surrounding parishes: Kirkinner, Glasserton, Whithorn.

Directories

The parish entry in Pigot's National Commercial Directory for the whole of Scotland, 1837, is online at Google Books.

Gazetteers

There is a list of places in Sorbie parish, with links to online historical and modern maps.

The GENUKI gazetteer will give a calculation of the distance from Sorbie to another place.

Several old gazetteers are available. They all contain descriptions of the parish and many are also worth searching for entries of places within the parish.

Genealogy

The Sorbie parish page on the Wigtownshire Pages contains a lot of excellent genealogical material and some beautiful photographs.

Historical Geography

A Vision of Britain provides historical descriptions, population & housing statistics, historic boundaries and maps.

Land & Property

Details of historic buildings and archaeological sites in this parish held by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh, are catalogued at ScotlandsPlaces. In the results, click RCAHMS. Unfortunately, not all entries have digital images.

Listed buildings in Sorbie and Garlieston.

Valuation Rolls, from 1855, and Valuation Office field books and plans are held in Edinburgh. A few valuation rolls are held locally. Details here.

Manor and Estate Records

Some estate papers can be found at the National Archives of Scotland. Details of Sorbie records here.

Maps

Historic maps:

This British Library webpage uses small examples of historical maps of London to show the differences between maps at various scales.

This Charles Close Society Sheetfinder will provide the sheet numbers for historic Ordnance Survey 1-inch and 6-inch maps for any location.

Present-day maps:

Military History

The Roll of Honour website records the names on the Garlieston and Sorbie war memorials. There is another listing on the Wigtownshire pages. More information can be found at the Scottish War Memorials Project.

Names, Geographical

The Ordnance Survey Object Name Books are held by the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh. Details of Sorbie records here.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

The relief of paupers after 1845 was carried out by the Parochial Board and later by the Parish Council. Their records are at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh. Details of Sorbie records here.

Population

Year Population
1755 986
1801 1091
1851 1886
1901 1373
1951 1117

There is a page with census statistics from 1755 to 1951 here.

See also A Vision of Britain and Histpop for population statistics.

Probate Records

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Sorbie may be found in either the Wigtown Commissariot (CC22) or the Edinburgh Commissariot (CC8) records. From 1824, commissary business has been conducted by the Sheriff Court of Wigtown (SC19).

Sources worth searching for deeds include Wigtown Sheriff Court.

Schools

School Board records and / or school logbooks are held at the Ewart Library, Dumfries. Details of Sorbie records here.

The Ordnance Gazetteer for Scotland lists the following public schools in the parish (1893):

School Accommodation for scholars Average attendance
Garlieston 188 136
Sorbie 160 130

Statistics

"Statistical accounts" giving fascinating insights into the local topography and history, social and economic conditions, and even the daily lives of people, were written by the parish ministers in the 1790s and the 1830s. For more information see the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

Taxation

The parish listing of the farm horse tax, 1797-98, can be seen at ScotlandsPlaces.

For details of other early taxation records see the Early Taxation Records page.

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Last updated 30 January, 2012 : William McM. Owen