Livingstone
Livingston is a parish on the southern border of Linlithgowshire. It is bounded by Edinburghshire, and by the parishes of Whitburn, Bathgate, Ecclesmachan, and Uphall. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Blackburn, Dechmont, Livingston or Livingstone
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church, previous to the Reformation, belonged to the Abbey of Holyroodhouse.
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 |
| 1639-1854 | Livingston | 669 | OPR |
| 1855-1909 | Livingston | 669 | RD |
| 1910-1971 | Livingston | 669-1 | RD |
| 1910-1971 | Blackburn | 669-2 | RD |
| 1972-1974 | Livingston | 709 | RD |
| 1972-1974 | Blackburn | 710 | RD |
| 1981-2002 | Livingston | 772 | RD |
| 2003-2008 | Livingston, West Lothian | 772 | RD |
| 2009 | (Livingston) West Lothian, Livingston | 772 | RD |
| 2009 | (Blackburn) West Lothian, Whitburn | 776 | RD |
| 2026 | (Livingston) West Lothian Council; Carmondean Community Council Craigshill Community Council Deans Community Council Dechmont Community Council Dedridge Community Council Eliburn Community Council Howden Community Council Knightsridge Community Council Ladywell Community Council Livingston Village Community Council Longridge Community Council Murieston Community Council Westfield and Bridgehouse Community Council | ||
| 2026 | (Blackburn) West Lothian Council; Blackburn 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
Bishop, Campbell, Cunningham, Graham, Kerr, Marshall, Meikle, Wallace, Watson, 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 James Gray.
"At present the inhabitants of the parish, including all ages, are considerably above 400. There are two villages in this parish, one the Kirktown of Livingstone, containing about 40 inhabitants; and the other, lately built upon the estate of Blackburn, which contains near 200 people. There are no manufactures of any kind carried on in either, excepting that a water-mill, to drive machinery for carding and spinning cotton, has lately been erected at the latter village, which, it is to be hoped, will be of use, by employing at least a part of the inhabitants.
The morals of the inhabitants of this parish are, in general, correct. They have no vices that are peculiar to themselves, though, upon occasions, they refuse not to partake of a cheerful glass, they are by no means addicted to drunkenness."
(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 20, p. 1
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 2, Section I, p. 115
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
