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Stranraer

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Description of the parish in 1846

"STRANRAER, a royal burgh, a sea-port, and parish, in the county of Wigtown, 50 (S. S. W.) from Ayr; containing 3440 inhabitants. The town, which is coextensive with the parish, is beautifully situated at the head of Loch Ryan, a branch of the Frith of Clyde; and consists mainly of several parallel streets, of which the principal extends for nearly half a mile along the loch, and which are intersected at right angles by smaller streets leading to the shore. ..
An important fishery is carried on in Loch Ryan, for skate, flounders, turbot, halibut, cod, haddocks, whiting, lobsters, and crabs; oysters of good quality are also found in great abundance. The trade of the port consists chiefly in the export of grain, cattle, and other agricultural produce, leather shoes, and a few other articles, which are sent to Glasgow, Belfast, and Liverpool; and in the importation of timber from the Baltic, iron, and coal. A good trade is also carried on for the supply of the town and the neighbouring district. The number of vessels registered as belonging to the port, in 1843, was thirty-four, of an aggregate burthen of 1895 tons; and the amount of duties paid at the custom-house during that year was considerable. ..
A market, which is amply supplied with provisions of all kinds, is held weekly, on Friday. Fairs are held annually, on the Tuesday before the first Wednesday in January, and the Tuesday before Kilton Hill fair in June, for horses; on the third Friday in April, the first and third Fridays in May, and the third Friday in July, August, September, and November, for cattle; and on the third Friday in October, for fruit. The post-office has a good delivery; and facility of communication is afforded by the great military road from Carlisle to Edinburgh, which passes through the town, and by vessels that frequent the harbour. The town was erected into a royal Burgh, in 1617, by charter of James VI., under which the government is vested in a provost, two bailies, a dean of guild, a treasurer, and thirteen common-councillors. There are no incorporated trades having exclusive privileges; but the magistrates may compel any one carrying on business within the burgh to enter as a burgess, for which the fee of admission varies from one to three guineas. The magistrates exercise both civil and criminal jurisdiction, and hold both bailie and dean-of-guild courts for the trial of cases within the burgh. ..
The parish, consisting of about forty acres, originally formed part of the parishes of Leswalt and Inch; its ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Stranraer, of which the town is the seat, and of the synod of Galloway. The minister's stipend is £158, including an allowance for communion elements, and of which £120 are paid from the exchequer; an allowance of £30 per annum is received in lieu of a manse, and the glebe is valued at £70 per annum; patron, the Crown. The old church, which contained 700 sittings, being condemned in 1833 as unsafe and incapable of repair, a temporary building of wood was erected by the minister for the use of the congregation; and the present church, which is a neat structure, was built by subscription in 1841. There are places of worship for members of the Free Church, United Secession, Reformed Presbyterians, and the Relief; and a Roman Catholic chapel. The Academy, erected in 1845, at a cost of £2000, is well attended; and a parochial or burgh schoolmaster has a salary of £20, and the fees." - edited from A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Samuel Lewis, 1846.

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The parish of Stranraer shares the same boundaries as the Royal Burgh. As the town expanded, it spread into Inch and Leswalt parishes.

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Archives & Libraries

Stranraer Museum, George Street. A museum which also houses some local records. The ScotlandsPlaces website lets users search across national databases by geographical location. It includes, amongst other material,

  • catalogue entries for maps and plans held by the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh; some maps and plans can be viewed
  • photos and details of historical buildings and archaeological sites recorded by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh
  • 17th and 18th century tax rolls
  • an opportunity to transcribe thousands of historic documents
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Business & Commerce Records

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

Numerous papers concerning businesses in Stranraer are to be found in Court of Session records and the records of dissolved companies. They can be found by searching the National Records of Scotland catalogue for "Stranraer" and reference starts "CS" or reference starts "BT2".

  • GB1/78
    Stranraer Gas Company
    Minute Books, 1836-1906, 1944-1949.
  • BT2/9519
    Stranraer Gas Company Ltd
    1916- .

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

  • EGD/88
    J K Cowden, electricians, Stranraer
    Account books, 1935-1945.
  • EGD/89
    Unidentified Coal Merchant, Stranraer
    Account books, 1871-1892.
  • EGD/101
    Unidentified Grocer, Stranraer
    Day book, 1940-1944.
  • EGD/TEMP13
    J Anderson, Stranraer
    Accounts for goods bought from various suppliers in Glasgow, Kirkcaldy, Inverness and Greenock etc probably for a retail business, 1896-1897. 

At the Scottish Screen Archive:

  • SSA5/25
    Stranraer Picture House Ltd.
    Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1931; Prospectus, 1931; Minutes, 1931-1962; Ledger, 1963-1972; Notebook kept by management of the Regal Cinema noting items of capital expenditure, salaries, running costs etc, 1933-1964; Annual accounts and balance sheets, 1932-1980; Records relating to the closure of the Regal Cinema and winding up of the company, 1976-1980.

At the Stranraer Museum:

  • ST5
    Stranraer Gas Company
    Minutes, 1906-1944 and undated; Shareholding and dividends records, 1916-1949 and undated; Prospectus, undated; Memorandum and articles of association, 1916; Miscellanea, 1849-1949 and undated.
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Cemeteries

There are 7 cemeteries in Stranraer (4 in Stranraer parish, 1 in Inch parish and 2 in Leswalt parish):

1. Stranraer Old Parish Churchyard, Church Street (grid reference NX 059608, GPS: 54.904269,-5.028310):

 

2. Relief Church Burial Ground, Bridge Street (grid ref. NX 060607, GPS: 54.903801,-5.026878):

  • This burial ground is included in Monumental Inscriptions: Stranraer vol. 1, which can be purchased from the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society.
  • This is the burial bround for the Stranraer Relief Church, later Bridge Street United Presbyterian Church.

 

3. Thistle Street burial ground (grid ref. NX 063608, GPS: 54.904384,-5.02323):

  • This burial ground is included in Monumental Inscriptions: Stranraer vol. 1, which can be purchased from the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society.
  • This is the burial ground for the Thistle Street United Presbyterian Church, originally known as Bellevilla United Presbyterian Church.

 

4. Dalrymple Street burial ground (grid ref. NX 062606, GPS: 54.902969,-5.023410:

  • This burial ground is included in Monumental Inscriptions: Stranraer vol. 1, which can be purchased from the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society.
  • This is the burial ground for the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Dalrymple Street.

 

5. Ivy Place churchyard, London Road (grid ref. NX 064606, GPS: 54.9029,-5.020854):

  • in Inch parish
  • This burial ground is included in Monumental Inscriptions: Stranraer vol. 1, which can be purchased from the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society.
  • This is the burial ground for the First United Secession Chapel, later St Andrews United Presbyterian Church, in London Road.

 

6. Sheuchan Cemetery and extension, Leswalt High Road (grid ref. NX 055609, GPS: 54.905071,-5.034195):

  • in Leswalt parish
  • This burial ground is included in Monumental Inscriptions: Stranraer vols. 2 & 3, which can be purchased from the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society.
  • The graveyard is administered by Local Services, Culhorn Depot, Commerce Road, Stranraer, DG9 7DE. Tel: 03033 333000
  • A listed building.

 

7. Stranraer Glebe Cemetery, Moorefield (grid ref. NX 052604, GPS: 54.900278,-5.040128):

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Census

Parish / district reference number for 1841 - 1901 censuses: 899

The 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 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
Stranraer 1042848 1042557 103922 104113 224063 220463
(Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Further information on the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

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Churches

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Church History

In addition to the parish church, other churches include a Free Church, a Burgher (United Secession) Church, an Associate Session (Antiburgher Church), a United Free Church, and a Roman Catholic Church. There was also a Free Church and a Church of Scotland at Sheuchan (see under Leswalt)

A list of all persons over 12 years of age, collected under instructions to the Episcopalian 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:

  • At the eastern extremity of the town's jurisdiction is a seceding mission house belonging to the Antiburghers, scattered over the whole Rhins. There are 443 persons on the examination roll of this congregation.
  • There are two other sectaries - Smeatonites and McMillanites, but they are not numerous.
  • The 1791 population was 1602, of whom 60 are sectaries of different denominations.

The New Statistical Account (written in 1839) gives this information:

  • The average number of births yearly for 7 years preceding 1831 is 48, as entered in the register of births and baptisms. To this must be added at least 1/3rd more baptized by Dissenting clergymen, and not entered in the parish register.
  • The following are the places of worship within the parish not connected with the Establishment [Church of Scotland]: 1 Reformed Presbyterian, 2 United Secession, 1 Relief, 1 Catholic chapel.
  • The 1835 population was 1729 connected with the Established Church, 1033 in Protestant Dissenting congregations, 161 Catholics, and 51 not know to belong to any religious denomination.
  • [The parish minister] believes that the Dissenting chapels are well attended.

A census of Religious Worship and Education was taken in 1851 at the same time as the census of population. A table of statistics about the churches in Wigtownshire at this time is available here. The statistics for the separate burghs were also given. Those for Stranraer are as follows:

Stranraer (Royal Burgh): Population of Parish 3877, Population of Burgh 3877:

Religious Denomination Number of Places of Worship Number of Sittings Number of Attendants at Public Worship on Sunday March 30 1851 (including Sunday Scholars)
Free Appropriated Total Morning Afternoon Evening    
Established Church 1 84 1000 1084 200 300  
Reformed Presbyterian Church 1 30 680 710 309 325  
United Presbyterian Church 3  122 1010 1792 [sic] 635 735  
Free Church 1 28 700 728 204 325 700
Roman Catholic Church 1       200    
Total 7 264 3390 4314 1638 1685 700
The number of sittings is not returned for one place of worship (belonging to the Established Church) out of the above seven places.

Source: Census of Great Britain, 1851, Religious worship and education. Scotland. Report and tables. British Parliamentary Papers 1854 LIX (1764).

The1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, the Free Church, 3 United Presbyterian Churches (Belvilla, Bridge Street and Ivy Place),  a Reformed Presbyterian Church, a Synod of Original Seceders, and a Roman Catholic Church.

Details of church history:

  • Stranraer Old Parish Church:
Prior to the reformation there existed at Stranraer a Chapel dedicated to St John and in the year 1600 the General Assembly sanctioned the founding of a parish for the district. It wasn't until 1622 however, and the erection of the Presbytery of Stranraer that the Parish of Stranraer came into being. In 1722 the Heritors built a new parish church, which in turn was replaced towards the end of the 19th cent and which later fell into a ruinous state. The kirk session sat within the Presbytery of Stranraer until 1963 when, by Act of Assembly, the Presbytery of Wigtown and the Presbytery of Stranraer were united together under the name of the Presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer.
  • Stranraer Associate Session (Ivy Place, Antiburgher Church, First United Secession Church) later United Presbyterian Church :
Due to the loss of the early minutes of the Antiburgher Presbytery of Glasgow, the early beginnings of this congregation cannot be traced however the first recorded notice of the Antiburgher Congregation of Stranraer Ivy Place appears in 1757 and James Douglas, the first minister of the congregation was ordained in 1759. In 1847 Stranraer Ivy Place Antiburgher Church became part of the United Presbyterian Church. Following the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland in 1900, Stranraer Ivy Place U.P. became Stranraer Ivy Place United Free Church and in 1927 a union was established with the congregation of Stranraer St Mark's, to form the charge of Stranraer St Andrew's United Free Church. Upon the 1929 union between the United Free Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland, Stranraer St Andrew's U.F. became Stranraer St Andrew's Church of Scotland and in 1982 the congregation was linked with that of Inch. The linked congregation of Stranraer St Andrew's remains active today, under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer.
  • Stranraer, Bellevilla (Burgher) United Secession, later United Presbyterian West, then United Free :
Stranraer, Bellevilla (Burgher) United Secession Church originated with a petition for sermon to the Burgher Presbytery of Glasgow in 1793 from a group in Stranraer, the remnant of Seceders who had broken with an Antiburgher congregation in the town over the 'Lifter' question. The first minister was ordained in 1799. The congregation passed to the United Presbyterian Church and united with Stranraer Bridge Street UP as Stranraer West UP. This passed successively to the United Free Church, as Stranraer St Ninian's, and to the Church of Scotland. The UFC charge was in the presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer and the synod of Dumfries and Galloway.
  • Stranraer Free Church Kirk Session, later St Mark's United Free:
Stranraer Free Church was formed at the Disruption, with a church building erected the following year. It passed to the United Free Church as Stranraer St Mark's, which united with Stranraer Ivy Place as Stranraer St Andrew's in 1926. The UFC charge was in the presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer and the synod of Dumfries and Galloway.
  • Stranraer Reformed Presbyterian Church, Dalrymple Street:
Church built c.1824.
  • Sheuchan Kirk Session, later Stranraer St Margarets and Stranraer High
see under Leswalt
  • Sheuchan Free Church, later United Free Church
see under Leswalt
  • Stranraer and Rhinns of Galloway Auxiliary National Bible Society of Scotland
Since the beginning of the 19th cent, the Bible Society within Scotland has been actively involved in translation, publication and distribution of the Scriptures, indeed in the second half of the century Scottish missionaries were pioneer in helping distribute the bible in Asia and Africa, and the first bible to be printed in a Nigerian Language was published in Scotland. In 1819 it was proposed that an auxiliary branch of the National Bible Society be set up within Stranraer, which would work alongside, and share the same objectives as the Edinburgh Bible Society, which had been established in 1809, followed a number of years later in 1812 by the Glasgow bible society. Initially the main body incorporating each regional society was the British and Foreign Bible Society however by 1926 the Glasgow and Edinburgh Societies, and many other Scottish auxiliaries, had disassociated themselves, and it followed that in 1861 the National Bible Society of Scotland came into being. The society remains active today and has in recent years changed its name to the Scottish Bible Society.

Church websites: Trinity Church of Stranraer; St Joseph's.

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Church Records

Data provided by the  Scottish Archive Network (SCAN)

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 National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh, and they can all be consulted there at the National Records of Scotland.

Parish reference number: 899

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

Stranraer OPR Births / baptisms Proclamations / marriages Deaths / burials / mortcloths
899/1 1695-1819 1712-1819 -
899/2 1820-1854 1819-1853 1847-1850 (2 entries)
899/3 Index 1820-1854 - -
Register of Neglected Entries 1835-1854 -
(Data supplied by National Records of 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.  Entries several years out of the order of time occasionally occur, and a number of interpolated entries in the portion after 1836. Mothers' names seldom recorded before 1775.
M.  (Proclamations and Marriages) Only one entry after March 1851. A number of Marriages of parishoners celebrated in Ireland are recorded.
[Subsequent to publication of the Detailed List, additional early entries of B. and M. were found, now included in 899/1, plus an index to B. 1820-1854 now included as 899/3.]

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:

1068042 Items 1 - 3 Baptisms, 1695-1855; Baptism Index, 1820-1854; Marriages, 1712-1854; Burials, 1847, 1850; Neglected Entries, 1835-1854.
(Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

The Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society have published Irish Marriages in Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, 1759-1826, which includes information on Stranraer, Stoneykirk and Leswalt.

Further information on the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

Kirk Session records are held at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

There are no Heritors' Records at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • CH2/938
    Stranraer Old Kirk Session
    Minutes and accounts, 1695-1740, 1821-1824, 1828-1831 and 1838-1841; Minutes, 1740-1819 and 1846-1872; Accounts, 1791-1816 and 1823-1833; Decreet, Mr George Blair, minister at Stranraer, v. John McCracken and others, 1763.
  • CH2/1404
    Monigaff Kirk Session
    Presbytery of Stranraer scroll minutes, 1925-1929.

Other Churches:

Records of other churches are held at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • CH3/549
    Stranraer Associate Session (Ivy Place, Antiburgher Church, First United Secession Church) later United Presbyterian Church
    Minutes, 1759-1760, 1774-1789, 1822-1847 and 1881-1926; Accounts, 1759-1772; Collections, 1780-1792; Collections and distributions, 1803-1810; Cash book, 1812-1831; Manager's minutes, 1898-1926; Baptismal register, 1811-1882; Marriages, 1812-1836 and 1839-1845; List of members, revised 1840; District Missionary list, 1845.
    The registers are being made available on the ScotlandsPeople website.
  • CH3/736
    Stranraer, Bellevilla (Burgher) United Secession, later United Presbyterian West, then United Free
    Minutes,1870-1907; Missionary committee minutes, 1836-1855; Communion roll, 1879-1914.
  • CH3/1382
    Stranraer Free Church Kirk Session, later St Mark's United Free
    Minutes, 1926; Deacons' court minutes, 1844-1870, 1874-1900, 1906-1920; Baptisms, 1883-1926.
  • CH13/23
    Stranraer United Free Church
    Minutes, 1963-1965; Management committee minutes, 1963-1966; Communion roll, 1962-1966.
  • CH2/1112
    Stranraer and Rhinns of Galloway Auxiliary National Bible Society of Scotland
    Minutes, 1819-1949; Committee minutes, 1819-1850.
  • RH21/61
    Stranraer Roman Catholic Congregation, Diocese of Galloway
    Register of baptisms, 1846-1908; Register of marriages, 1846-1971
At the National Records of Scotland and on the ScotlandsPeople website:
  • Stranraer, St Joseph's Roman Catholic congregation
    Indexes to and images of the Roman Catholic births and baptism registers, 1846-1908; marriages, 1846-1934.

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

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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
Stranraer 899 1855 1966
Stranraer Area 899 1967 1971
Stranraer Area 870 1972 2004
Dumfries & Galloway, Stranraer 870 2005  

Registration districts did not necessarily coincide exactly with parishes. It is important to remember that Stranraer parish was actually very small and that the registration district and the burgh boundaries changed as the town grew. Part of Stranraer registration district is in Inch parish, and part in Leswalt parish.

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Correctional Institutions

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • HH21/57, HH21/58, HH21/59
    Stranraer Prison
    Register of Criminals (No 2), 1841-1847; Register of Criminal Prisoners, 1847-1883; Register of Civil Prisoners, 1841-1847; Daily Statement of Prisoners, 1875-1881.

At the Stranraer Museum:

  • ST
    Stranraer Burgh Records
    Clerk's Department: Incarceration records, 1824-1840; Stranraer Museum - deposited records: Accounts of the Prison Board for Stranraer Jail, 1852-1860; Stranraer prison accounts, 1853-1909.
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Court Records

At the Stranraer Museum:

  • RDC
    Rhins District Council Records
    District licensing court, registers of applications for certificates, 1875-1975.
  • ST
    Stranraer Burgh Records
    Clerk's Department: Burgh court books, 1596-1710; Burgh court and town council minute books, 1710-1734, 1766-1788;  Burgh court minutes, 1943-1974; Licensing court records, 1963-1975; Dean of guild court books, 1803-1848, 1850-1961, and petitions, undated; Baillie court diet books, 1816-1824, 1827-1930; Registers of deeds and protests, 1809-1869; Protocol books, 1588-1926 (incomplete); Register of services of heirs, 1825-1847.
    Surveyor's Department: Index of dean of guild court plans, c 1901-1944.

Stranraer Sheriff Court records are listed on the Court Records page.

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Description & Travel

Stranraer town centre Ordnance Survey Grid Reference GPS Post code Lat. 54°54'17"N
NX 062608 54.904550
-5.028176
DG9 7JP Lon. 5°1'42"W  

Surrounding parishes: Leswalt, Inch.

You can see pictures of Stranraer which are provided by:

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Directories

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

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Gazetteers

 

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.

  • David Webster's Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, published 1819, online at Google Books.
  • Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, published 1846, online at British History Online.
  • Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4) and John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887) are on A Vision of Britain (click on "Historical places and writing").
  • Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland(1892-6) on Electric Scotland
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Historical Geography

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

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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 Stranraer. Sasines:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • B/69
    Stranraer Burgh Records
    Register of sasines,1683-1943.

At the Stranraer Museum:

  • ST
    Stranraer Burgh Records
    Clerk's Department: Scroll register of sasines, 1822-1834; Register of services of heirs, 1825-1847.

Valuation Rolls, from 1855, are held in Edinburgh. Valuation Office field books and plans (for the Valuation Office survey of 1911-1915) are also held in Edinburgh. A few valuation rolls are held locally. Stranraer records:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • VR81
    Valuation Rolls: Stranraer Burgh
    1855-1930; the Roll from 1930 is included in the Valuation Roll for the County of Wigtown; the rolls for 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1920, 1925 and 1930 are online at the ScotlandsPeople website.
  • VR123
    Valuation Rolls: County of Wigtown
    1855-1975; the rolls for 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1920, 1925 and 1930 are online at the ScotlandsPeople website.
  • IRS87/58-63
    Valuation Office (Scotland): Field Book, 1910-1920: Stranraer Burgh, Inch Ward
    Entries 1-484, plus 48 supplementary.
  • IRS87/64-68
    Valuation Office (Scotland): Field Book, 1910-1920: Stranraer Burgh, Leswalt Ward
    Entries 1-329, plus various supplementary.
  • IRS87/569-75
    Valuation Office (Scotland): Field Book, 1910-1920: Stranraer Burgh, Stranraer Ward
    Entries 1-630.
  • IRS133
    Valuation Office (Scotland) maps to accompany the above field books, scale 1/2500, Ordnance Survey sheets for Wigtownshire.

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

  • EW4
    Wigtownshire County Council: County Treasurer's Department
    Valuation rolls, 1891-1975; Assessment rolls, 1890-1897, 1950-1960.

Estate records:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

Some estate papers can be found by searching the National Records of Scotland catalogue for "Stranraer" and reference starts "GD". Collections particularly worth searching are:

  • GD25
    Papers of the Kennedy Family, Earls of Cassillis (Ailsa Muniments)
  • GD27
    Papers of Kennedy of Dalquharran
  • GD72
    Papers of the Hay family of Park
  • GD109
    Papers of the family of Dalrymple-Hamilton of Bargany, Ayrshire
  • GD135
    Papers of the Dalrymple Family, Earls of Stair
  • GD138
    Papers of the Stewart family, Earls of Galloway (Galloway Charters)
  • GD141
    Papers of the McDouall family of Logan, Wigtownshire
  • GD154
    Papers of the Agnew Family of Lochnaw, Wigtownshire
  • GD180
    Papers of the Cathcart Family of Genoch and Knockdolian
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NX058607 (Lat/Lon: 54.902934, -5.030125), Stranraer which are provided by:

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Merchant Marine

Sailors on board ships registered at Stranraer, Wigtown and Whithorn in 1851 are listed on CD: Scotland South-West, Highlands and Islands Seamen Crew Lists, 1851 available from Family History Indexes. The data is taken from TNA documents BT98/2735 (Stranraer), BT98/2794 (Wigtown) and BT98/2395 (Whitehorn [sic], wrongly included in Banff returns).

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

  • EGD/97
    Schooner 'Isabella' of Stranraer
    Papers, 1843-1871, comprising: Log books with details of crew and voyages transporting coal from Troon and potatoes etc to Gloucester and Glasgow; cargo book; book of account of Captain John Davidson, 1843.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • CE77
    Stranraer outport records
    Registers of ships and shipping, 1824-1908.
  • CE116
    Shipping registers covering several areas
    Shipping register concerning the outports of Glasgow, Ardrossan, Ayr, Campbeltown, Greenock, Stranraer and Troon, 1991-1994; Shipping register concerning the outports of Ardrossan, Ayr, Campbeltown, Dumfries, Greenock, Stranraer, Troon, 1958-1994.
  • BT3/203
    Merchant shipping crew lists and agreements, 1872
    'Refuge', Registered No.21995. Port of Registry: Stranraer. (Trading - Whitehaven, Ramsay, Douglas, Workington).
  • BT3/204
    Merchant shipping crew lists and agreements, 1870
    'Two Sisters', Registered No.1537. Port of Registry: Stranraer. (Laid Up).
  • GD110
    Papers of the Hamilton-Dalrymple Family of North Berwick
    Protection by commissioners of Admiralty for crew of 'Kennedy' of Stranraer, for 3 months, 28 Sep 1756.

The Shipping Registers of Dumfries (1824 to 1904), Kirkcudbright (1824 to 1841), Stranraer (1824 to 1908) and Wigtown (1836 to 1920) have been indexed by the Friends of the Archives of Dumfries and Galloway. The register gives ownership details of ships registerd at these ports, together with ships' details and naming the Master. The database can be searched here.

See also Customs Records.

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Military History

The Roll of Honour website records the names on the Stranraer war memorials. More information can be found at the Scottish War Memorials Project.

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Names, Geographical

The Ordnance Survey Object Name Books are held by the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh. Stranraer records:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • RH4/23/231
    Ordnance Survey Original Object Name Books for Scotland: Wigtownshire
    Parishes of Leswalt, Inch, Portpatrick and Stranraer (book 35).
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

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 Records of Scotland, Edinburgh. See Public Records below.

The workhouses.org.uk website has a lot of information about the Rhins of Galloway (Wigtownshire) Combination Poorhouse.

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Population

Year Population
1755 610
1801 1722
1851 3877
1901 2856
1951 1465

N.B. These figures are for the burgh and parish only. The town of Stranraer extended into the two neighbouring parishes of Inch and Leswalt. There is a page with census statistics from 1755 to 1951 here.

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

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Probate Records

Probate records are 'Confirmations' in Scotland.

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Stranraer 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.

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Public Records

Parochial Boards and their successors, Parish Councils, administered many local functions including poor relief.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • CO4/45
    Straraer Parish Records
    Parochial Board Minute Books, 1843-1900; Parochial Board General Register of the Poor, 1843-1903; Parish Council Minute Books, 1900-1930; Parish Council General Register of the Poor, 1903-1930.

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

  • EW8/20
    Stranraer Parochial Board / Parish Council
    Inspector's letter book, 1888-1898.
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Schools

School Board records and / or school logbooks are held at the Ewart Library, Dumfries. Stranraer records:

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

  • EW5/7
    Stranraer Schools Management Committee
    Minutes/day book, 1947-1949. (Closed until 1 Jan. 2025)
  • EW5/60
    St Joseph's School
    Log book, 1903-1940. (Closed until 1 Jan. 2016)
  • EW5/64
    Dalrymple School
    Daily registers, 1970-1983. (Closed)
  • EW5/53/5-9
    Sheuchan School
    Admissions and withdrawals registers, 1867-1937(Access restricted)

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

School Board School Accommodation for scholars Average attendance
Stranraer Burgh Stranraer Academy 648 burned down 1894
Sheuchan 302 218  
Elementary School 409 350  
Elementary School 2 144 106  
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic School 72 59
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Social Life & Customs

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

  • EGD/78
    Stranraer West End Bowling Club
    Cash Book, 1922-1929 and related financial papers, 1928-1929.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • FS
    Friendly Society Records
    • FS2/46 - Stranraer & Rhins of Galloway Property Investment Co., 1852
    • FS5/245 - Stranraer Egg Collecting Society, no date.
    • FS5/347 - Stranraer Co-operative Society, no date.
    • FS12/354 - Ex-Service Club Stranraer Limited, 1893-1929.
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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.

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Taxation

The burgh listing of the farm horse tax, 1797-98, the female servants tax, 1785-92, and the Male Servants Tax, 1777-98, can be seen at ScotlandsPlaces.

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

At the Stranraer Museum:

  • ST
    Stranraer Burgh Records
    Stranraer Museum - deposited records: Survey of the rates and duties on windows and lights, 1769-1770.
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Town Records

Towns were usually referred to as Burghs in Scotland. Records of the Burgh of Stranraer are held by Stranraer Museum and the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the Stranraer Museum:

  • ST
    Stranraer Burgh Records
    Clerk's Department: Burgh court books, 1596-1710; Burgh court and town council minute books, 1710-1734, 1766-1788; Town council minute books, 1789-1834, 1835-1975; Agenda books, 1870-1975; Scroll minute books (committees), 1940-1944, 1974-1975; Burgh court minutes, 1943-1974; Licensing court records, 1963-1975; Police commissioners' minutes, 1848-1900, and agenda book, 1870-1900; Dean of guild court books, 1803-1848, 1850-1961, and petitions, undated; Baillie court diet books, 1816-1824, 1827-1930; Registers of applications for ale and spirit licences, 1828-1849, 1880-1963; Registers of deeds and protests, 1809-1869; Protocol books, 1588-1926 (incomplete); Scroll register of sasines, 1822-1834; Royal charter, 1617 (scroll, transcript and printed copy); Register of services of heirs, 1825-1847; Incarceration records, 1824-1840; Poll books, 1841, 1858-1872; John Simpson Agnew Trust, minutes, 1930-1957, and list of recipients, 1954; Union Society of Tradesmen in the Royal Burgh of Stranraer, minutes, 1770-1807; Road bonds letter book, 1893-1929; Letter books, 1882-1945; Princess Victoria Distress Fund donations list, c 1953-1955; 'General Writings', 1920-1943; Henry MacDonald Fund, minutes, 1921-1952, and cash book, 1922-1941; Sports enclosure, Stair Park, minutes, 1932-1961; Registers of dairies, etc., 1879-1918, Poisons and Pharmacy Act licences, 1909-1918, brokers, pleasure boats, explosives, etc., 1910-1968, bookmakers' permits, 1962-1969, places of public refreshment, 1905-1965, rents, 1956-1959, and actions taken under Sec.16 of the 1930 Housing Act, 1934-1939; Town Clerk's Department petty cash book, 1967-1975, and postage book, 1959-1975; Newspaper cuttings, 1918-1969; Protests, wind and weather book, 1908-1942; Local fuel overseers' records, 1918-1920, 1939-1945; Memoranda, 1918-1926, 1930-1945; Old Castle, Stranraer, visitors book, 1915-1919; Oaths of allegiance, 1833, 1881-1905; Replies to loyal messages, 1901, 1910; Lists of condemned houses, 1930-1940; Building bye-laws, 1954, 1955; Records relating to the harbour and railways, 1853-1941; Municipal Corporations Commissioners report on Stranraer, 1834; Bye-laws, 1934; Miscellaneous, 1872-1970 and undated.
    Treasurer's Department: Burgh cash books, 1829-1878, 1931-1957; Police Commissioners ledgers, 1895-1920; Roads and bridges ledgers, 1903-1926; Harbour financial records, 1854-1973; Burgh Fund ledger, 1931-1932; Housing rent roll, 1921-1939; Valuation, etc., cash book, 1853-1909; Abstracts of account, 1921-1922, 1924-1969, 1972-1975; John Simpson Trust, ledgers and cash books, 1937-1968; Tenders for council housing, 1935-1939; Common good ledger, c 1903-1908.
    Surveyor's Department: Registers of plans and sections, 1893-1924, 1944-1975; Index of dean of guild court plans, c 1901-1944; Miscellaneous plans, 1963-1975.
    Stranraer Museum: Miscellaneous and deposited records: Accounts of the Prison Board for Stranraer Jail, 1852-1860; Stranraer prison accounts, 1853-1909; Stranraer Gas Co documents and accounts, undated; Survey of the rates and duties on windows and lights, 1769-1770; Burgh accounts, 1830-1833; Copy of burgh charter, 1617; Stranraer customs table, 1781; Miscellaneous, 1841-1977.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • B/69
    Stranraer Burgh Records
    Register of sasines,1683-1943.
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Voting Registers

At the Stranraer Museum:

  • ST
    Stranraer Burgh Records
    Clerk's Department: Poll books, 1841, 1858-1872.