Crawfordjohn is a parish in the south-west of the upper ward of Lanarkshire. It is bounded on the south-west by Dumfriesshire and Ayrshire, and on other sides by the parishes of Douglas, Wiston, Lamington, and Crawford. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Abington, Crawfordjohn
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The vicarage of Crawfordjohn belonged to the Abbey of Kelso. Its church appears to have been dedicated to St Anne, on whose day, the 26th of July, a yearly fair was held here. In the early part of the thirteenth century the lands of the parish were owned by John, a near kinsman of Baldwin of Biggar, and from him they got the name of Crawfordjohn. There is a mission chapel within the bounds at Abington.
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 |
| 1693-1854 | Crawfordjohn | 636 | OPR |
| 1855-1968 | Crawfordjohn | 636 | RD |
| 2009 | South Lanarkshire, Crawford | 588 | RD |
| 2026 | South Lanarkshire Council; Duneaton 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
Forrest, French, Hunter, Milligan, Nelson, Steel, Thomson, Watson, Williamson, 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 William Miller.
"The number of souls in the parish in 1790, was 590. There were 4 shopkeepers, 6 innkeepers, 2 wrights, 3 smiths, 2 masons, 4 weavers, 1 tailor, 1 shoemaker, and 1 cooper. A number of the inhabitants are tacksmen of farms; and there are several cottagers in the parish. Some of these work in the mines of Leadhills and Wanlockhead: others possess a piece of ground under the tacksmen, and follow any kind of work that occurs, with a horse or horses, whereby they are enabled to pay their rent.
The people are generally intelligent, sober, and regular; but of late, seem to have more fondness for showiness of dress, and convivial meetings, than could have been expected in so remote a situation. Curling is a favourite diversion among the commonality; and even the gentlemen sometimes join in it."
(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 6, p. 274
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 6, p. 497
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
