Ratho is a parish in the north-west division of Edinburghshire. It is bounded by Kirkliston, Corstorphine, Currie, and Kirknewton. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Bonnington, Burnwynd, Ratho
Ashley, Bonnington, Dalmahoy, Hatton, Norton
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The parish of Ratho belonged to the Bishopric of St Andrews, and thereafter was annexed to the College Kirk of Corstorphine. The church was dedicated to St Mary. Our Lady's Well is in the vicinity.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Ratho (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 |
| 1682-1854 | Ratho | 698 | OPR |
| 1855-1869 | Ratho | 698 | RD |
| 1859-1869 | Stobhill | 698b | RD |
| 1870-1956 | Ratho | 698a | RD |
| 1870-1954 | Stobhill | 698b | RD |
| 1957-1971 | Ratho | 698 | RD |
| 1957-1963 | Borthwick and Stobhill | 674 | RD |
| 1964-1968 | Borthwick, Stobhill and Carrington | 674 | RD |
| 1972-2002 | Ratho | 768 | RD |
| 2009 | (Stobhill) Midlothian | 762 | RD |
| 2009 | (Ratho) City of Edinburgh | 768 | RD |
| 2026 | (Ratho) City of Edinburgh Council; Ratho and District Community Council | ||
| 2026 | (Stobhill) Midlothian Council; Newtongrange 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
Allan, Anderson, Binnie, Brown, Forrest, Lawrie, Peat, Smith, Timmins, Young
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 James Robertson.
"At present, the number of souls in the parish, do not exceed 825; the number returned to Dr Webster, in the year 1755, was 930."
(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. 260
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 1, p. 76
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
