County, County Council and District Council Records for Wigtownshire

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• JP17
  Records of the Justices of the Peace for the County of Wigtown
  Commissions of the peace, 1808-1878; Oaths of allegiance, 1821-1974; Quarter sessions minutes, 1746-1787, 1848-1912.

• CO4
  Wigtownshire County Council
  Parish council and parochial board records - see individual parish records pages for details.

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

• GGD305
  Records of Dumfries and Galloway Police Force and of the bodies amalgamated to create it in 1948 including:
  • /6 Wigtownshire County Police annual reports, service records and miscellaneous other records, 1895-1967;
  • /7 General police reference works and regulations, including wartime procedures, 1844-1971.

(Certain items are closed under the Data Protection Act: contact Dumfries Archive Centre for more information)

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

• EW
  Wigtownshire County Council
  Commissioners of supply, 1736-1930; Highway authorities, 1778-1890; Wigtownshire Combination Poorhouse Board, 1882-1937; County Clerk's Department, 1882-1975; County Treasurer's Department, 1866-1975; Education records, 1857-1987; District Committees, 1890-1901; Militia Records; Parochial boards and parish councils, 1888-1899.
  • EW1
    Wigtownshire Commissioners of Supply
    Minutes, 1736-1930; Account book of assessments and expenditure of rogue money, bridge money, etc., 1792-1855; Register of mortgages under the Sheriff Court Houses Act 1860, 1867-1877; Assessment rolls, Leswalt parish, 1874-1895.
  • EW2
    Wigtown Highway Authorities
    Road trustees (including county trustees and trustees for the Upper and Lower Districts of the county), minutes, 1779-1890; Lists of statute labour conversion money, 1778-1825; Registers of loans, 1802-1823, 1828-1849; Accounts for statute labour conversion money, 1802-1865; Treasurer's accounts (toll roads), 1805-1864; Registers of contacts for works, 1803-1863.
  • EW3
    Wigtownshire County Council: County Clerk's Department
    Minutes (including committee and district committee minutes, and for most of the period, abstracts of accounts, reports, etc.), 1890-1975; Standing Joint Committee minutes, 1890-1910; Local Authority (Diseases of Animals), minutes, 1890-1910; County Road Board minutes, 1890-1909; Newton Stewart Hospital Joint Committee, 1892-1947.
  • EW3/6
    Wigtownshire Combination Poorhouse Board
    Minutes, 1882-1937. (Access restricted)
  • EW4
    Wigtownshire County Council: County Treasurer's Department
    Valuation rolls, 1891-1975; Abstracts of accounts, 1866-1968; Assessment rolls, 1890-1897, 1950-1960; Parish council abstracts, 1929-1930; Mochrum parish council, abstracts of accounts, 1929-1930; Ledgers and cash books (various accounts, also including ledgers of special districts, 1930-1945, hospital financial records, and district committee ledgers, 1922-1941), 1891-1957.
  • EW5
    Wigtownshire County Council: Education Records
    Records of Wigtownshire Education Authority, the Education Department of the County Council, school boards and individual schools. (Access restricted)
  • EW6/1
    Wigtownshire County Council: Upper District Committee
    Minutes, 1890-1901.
  • EW6/2
    Wigtownshire County Council: Lower District Committee
    Minutes, 1890-1901.

    District committees in Scotland were formed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict., c.50). They were composed of county councillors from the area together with one representative from each parochial board (later parish council) and one from each burgh, and were responsible for roads and for public health administration outwith burghs. They were abolished by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo. V, c.25).

  • EW7
    Wigtownshire Militia Records
    Lieutenancy records (militia lists, etc.), 1821-1831; Register of commissions, etc., 1845-1915; Advisory Committee (Justices of the Peace), minutes, 1912-1915; 1st Wigtownshire Artillery Volunteer Corps, order book, 1860-1889.
  • EW8
    Wigtownshire Parochial Boards and Parish Councils
    Leswalt Parish Council, draft minutes, 1895-1899; Stranraer Parochial Board / Parish Council, inspector's lettter book, 1888-1898.

At the Stranraer Museum:

• MD
  Machars District Council
  Minutes, 1930-1958, 1960-1974; Abstracts of account, 1960-1974; Circulars, 1939-1958; Licensing court, registers of applications for licences, 1888-1968, 1970-1975, and licensing plans, 1965-1976 and undated; Register of permits under the 1960 Betting and Gaming Act, 1962-1975; Ledgers, 1923-1957, 1960-1963; Isle of Whithorn Public Hall Committee, minutes, 1927-1955. (Access restricted)

• RDC
  Rhins District Council
  Minutes and abstracts of account, 1930-1975; Leswalt Memorial Hall, minutes, 1928-1962; Law papers (including a plan and photographs) concerning a right of way in Luce, 1908-1919; District licensing court, registers of applications for certificates, 1875-1975; Cash books, 1945-1959, 1962-1963; Public health ledger, 1923-1952; Plans, 1937-1975; Miscellanea (including a register of deeds sealed, 1893-1948), 1882-1991.

• WCC
  Wigtownshire County Council
  Motor vehicle licensing registers, 1904-1909 and undated; Report on the police of Wigtownshire, 1838; Records relating to Wigtownshire railways, 1845; Wigtownshire Special Electricity Order 1930 (maps); Burial records (various burial grounds), 1916-1943; Registration in Stranraer District (file), 1937; Finance records, 1891-1892; Miscellanea (mainly financial), 1890-1968.

Data provided by the Scottish Archive Network (SCAN)