Cranstoun, Little Preston
Cranston is a parish on the eastern border of Edinburghshire. It is bounded by the county of Haddington, and by the parishes of Inveresk, Dalkeith, Newbattle, Borthwick, and Crichton. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Chesterhill, Cousland, Edgehead, Ford, Oxenford, Preston, Sauchanside or Sauchenside
Oxfurd, Preston Hall
The parish of Cranston had a detached part situated on the south-west border of the parish of Crichton. This detached part has been transferred to the parish of Crichton. See affected properties and landholders. (1892: Boundary of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government Act, 1889, by Hay Shennan)
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
Previous to the Reformation the church known as Little Preston belonged to the Archbishop of St Andrews.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
(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 |
| 1682-1854 | Cranston | 680 | OPR |
| 1855-1956 | Cranston | 680 | RD |
| 1957-1968 | Cranston and Crichton | 681 | RD |
| 2009 | Midlothian | 762 | RD |
| 2026 | Midlothian Council; Tynewater 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
Brown, Cockburn, Johnston, Meek, Moffat, Pryde, Reid, Rutherford, Smith, Wilson
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 Walter Fisher.
"From an exact survey made in 1792, the number of souls amounted to 839; males 376, females 463. There are three villages in the parish: Cranston, Cousland, and Preston. The population of Cranston is 81 males, 106 females, total 187; of Cousland, 68 males, 94 females, total 162; and of Preston, 29 males, 46 females, total 75. There are 26 Seceders, and 4 Episcopalians.
Of occupations there are 14 farmers, 1 surgeon, 7 retailers of small groceries, 2 innkeepers, 3 smiths, 3 masons, 4 carpenters, 4 weavers, 2 shoemakers, 3 tailors, 2 millers, 1 baker, 4 gardeners, 1 Justice Peace officer, 1 Sheriff officer, and 2 schoolmasters."
(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 9, p. 277
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 1, p. 191
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
