Lochmaben is a parish near the centre of Annandale, Dumfriesshire. It is bounded by Johnstone, Applegarth, Dryfesdale, Dalton, Mouswald, Torthorwald, Tinwald, and Kirkmichael. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Barras, Greenhill, Heck, Hightae, Lochmaben, Smailholm, Templand
Broad Chapel
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church was dedicated to St Magdalene. There was a chapel at Rokele, now called Rockhall. There was a Well of St Thomas.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Parish (QO)
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.
| OPR and RD Numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Name | Number | Type |
| 1741-1854 | Lochmaben | 840 | OPR |
| 1855-1857 | Lochmaben Burgh | 840-1 | RD |
| 1855-1857 | Lochmaben Landward | 840-2 | RD |
| 1858-1968 | Lochmaben | 840 | RD |
| 1969-1971 | Lockerbie | 840 | RD |
| 1972-2004 | Lockerbie | 837 | RD |
| 2005-2009 | Dumfries and Galloway, Lockerbie | 837 | RD |
| 2026 | Dumfries & Galloway Council; Royal Burgh of Lochmaben and District Community Council | ||
(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)
Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)
Statistics from informal and official censuses
Bell, Gibson, Graham, Henderson, Johnstone, Kerr, Moffat, Rae, Richardson, Smith
Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.
By the Reverend Mr Andrew Jaffray.
"The number of inhabitants in 1755 was 1395; at present the souls in this parish is about 3000. Lochmaben is a royal borough, governed by a provost, three baillies, a dean of guild, treasurer, and nine common council men. There may be about 700 inhabitants in the town. There is a considerable manufacture carried on, in the town and country round it, of coarse linen cloth, which is all sold into England.
There is a district called Four Towns, as comprehending four populous villages. Many of the men are weavers. The women spin their own flax, and a good deal of foreign flax also. There are two corn mills, which do the most of the work in the parish. There are two lint mills, which are insufficient to perform the work that would come to them."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)
Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 7, p. 234
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 4, Section I, p. 377
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
