Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

to the north-west, and Berwickshire to the north. To the south-west it borders

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

and to the south-east Northumberland, both in England. It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh, a town which declined markedly in the 15th century and is no longer in existence. Latterly, the

county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...

of Roxburghshire was Jedburgh. The county has much the same area as Teviotdale, the basin drained by the

River Teviot The River Teviot (; gd, Abhainn Tìbhiot), or Teviot Water, is a river of the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and is the largest tributary of the River Tweed by catchment area. The Teviot is an important river for wildlife, especially the A ...

and tributaries, together with the adjacent stretch of the Tweed into which it flows. The term is often treated as synonymous with Roxburghshire, but may omit Liddesdale as Liddel Water drains to the west coast.Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by, Francis Groome, publ. 2nd edition 1896. Article on Roxburghshire

History

The county appears to have originated in the 12th century with the creation of the sheriffdom of Roxburgh. The first known sheriff is Gospatric (sheriff of Roxburgh). The hereditary sheriffship of Roxburghshire was possessed by the family of Douglas until the abolition of heritable jurisdictions in the 18th century.New Statistical Account of Scotland, Vol III Roxburgh, Peebles, Selkirk, publ.William Blackwood, 1845, p.430 The county was constantly fought over in the Middle Ages as part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars, before the border settled into roughly its modern form with the Treaty of York in 1237. The violence and lawlessness of these times gave rise to the

Border Reivers Border reivers were Cattle raiding, raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. They included both Scotland, Scottish and England, English people, and they raided the entire border ...

. The ancient royal burgh of Roxburgh, from which the county had taken its name, fell into decay by the fifteenth century. After the demise of the town of Roxburgh, the county administration was based in Jedburgh, the county town. County Buildings were erected near the market place in 1812, in which the different courts met and the county officials transacted their business. In 1855 Alexander Jeffrey published his book "The history and antiquities of Roxburghshire and adjacent districts, from the most remote period to the present time." It ran to four volumes.

Geography

Roxburghshire is a predominantly rural county, consisting of low hills rising to the Cheviot Hills along the border with England. Just to the south of Melrose can be found Eildon Hill, a prominent local landmark. There are a few scattered lochs, though none of any significant size.

Transport

Other than terminus of the recently re-opened Borders Railway, of which two stations ( Galashiels and Tweedbank) lie within the county, there are no railways in Roxburghshire. There were formerly a number of lines serving the county, however these closed as a result of the Beeching cuts.

Demographics

The county has a population of 48,639 (in 2011),Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usual Resident Population, published by National Records of Scotland. Area type: Civil Parish 1930; calculated total for all Roxburghshire parishes which is 43% of the population of the Scottish Borders area.Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usual Resident Population, published by National Records of Scotland. Area type: Council Area Today, the main towns in the county are (population in 2011): * Jedburgh — 4,030 * Hawick — 14,294 * Kelso — 5,639 *

Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnet ...

— 2,307 Hawick is now by far the largest town, with 29% of the county's population. More than half the population live in the two parishes of Hawick and Melrose.

Administration

Today, Roxburghshire is within the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

council area for local government purposes and contains the

administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

of the area, the small town of

Newtown St Boswells Newtown St Boswells ( sco, Newtoon; gd, Baile Ùr Bhoisil ) is a village in the historic county of Roxburghshire which houses the administrative centre of the Scottish Borders council area. The village lies south of the Eildon Hills on the Spr ...

. It retains official status as a registration county, and falls within the Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale lieutenancy area for ceremonial purposes.

County

Until 1975, Roxburghshire was used for local government. The original county town of Roxburgh was abandoned following the destruction of

Roxburgh Castle Roxburgh Castle is a ruined royal castle that overlooks the junction of the rivers Tweed and Teviot, in the Borders region of Scotland. The town and castle developed into the royal burgh of Roxburgh, which the Scots destroyed along with the ca ...

in 1460 during the Anglo-Scottish Wars. Jedburgh then became the county town, serving as the location for the sheriff court and meeting place of the Commissioners of Supply, which were established in 1667 as the county's main administrative body. The County Buildings on Castlegate in Jedburgh were built in 1812 to hold the sheriff court and be the meeting place for the commissioners. The county council was created in 1890, taking most of the commissioners' functions. From 1890 until 1930 the council met at the County Buildings in Jedburgh. In 1930 the council moved its meeting place and headquarters to

. The council already had a branch office on Bowden Road in Newtown St Boswells, which it had built in 1896, and in 1930 the council inherited an adjoining building which had been built in 1928 for the short-lived Roxburghshire Education Authority. The complex became known as the County Offices. A large new building designed by Peter Womersley was added to the site in 1968. Roxburghshire County Council was abolished in 1975, when local government in Scotland was reorganised into upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Roxburghshire became part of the Borders region. The County Offices at Newtown St Boswells became the headquarters for the new Borders Regional Council. The Duke of Buccleuch and the Duke of Roxburghe between them had held the convenership of Roxburgh County Council for 43 years between 1900 and 1975. At the time of the county council's abolition in 1975, the county contained four

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

s and four districts (the districts generally covering the rural areas surrounding the town after which they were named): * Hawick Burgh * Jedburgh Royal Burgh * Kelso Burgh *

Burgh *Hawick District *Jedburgh District *Kelso District *Melrose District

District

The

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The Act followed and largely implemented the report of the Royal Commission on Local Gove ...

abolished the county council and incorporated its area into the Borders Region. Borders was divided into four districts, one of which was named Roxburgh. Roxburgh District's borders broadly resembled those of the historic county, but included the parish of Nenthorn from Berwickshire, and excluded the parishes of Bowden, Lilliesleaf, Maxton,

, and

St Boswells St Boswells ( sco, Bosels / Bosells; gd, Cille Bhoisil ) is a large village on the south side of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, about southeast of Newtown St Boswells on the A68 road. It lies within the boundaries of the historic ...

, which went instead to the new Ettrick and Lauderdale District. For

lieutenancy A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

purposes, the last

lord-lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

of the county of Roxburghshire was made lord-lieutenant for the district of Roxburgh when the reforms came into effect in 1975. Roxburgh District Council was based at Hawick Town Hall which had been built in 1886 for the former Hawick Town Council. The region and four district councils were abolished in 1996, merging to form the present

council area. A new lieutenancy area was created at the same time, called Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale, covering the combined area of the abolished districts of Roxburgh and neighbouring Ettrick and Lauderdale.

Political control

The first election to the district council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 16 May 1975. Political control of the council from 1975 until its abolition in 1996 was as follows:

Coat of arms

The County of Roxburgh was the first Scottish county to receive a grant of arms. This was made by Lord Lyon King of Arms on 9 July 1798. The coat of arms seems to have been granted for the use of the volunteer and militia units then being organised under the authority of the county's

lord lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

. When the county council was formed in 1890, the arms passed to them. The shield depicted a unicorn, a national symbol of Scotland. At the top of the shield was a hunting horn between two helmets: probably a reference to the border

reiver Border reivers were raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. They included both Scottish and English people, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their v ...

s, one of whom featured in the arms of the royal burgh of Jedburgh. The crest above the shield was an armoured arm brandishing a scimitar. The Latin motto was ''Ne Cede Malis Sed Contra Audentior Ito'' or ''Yield not to misfortunes (evil things) but go on more boldly against them.'', it was a quotation from Virgil's Aeneid 6, 95. On 6 May 1975 the coat of arms was regranted to Roxburgh District Council, without the crest. When the district council was abolished in 1996, the arms reverted to The Crown. Coat of Arms of Roxburghshire County Council 1890-1962.svg, Coat of arms of Roxburghshire County Council 1890–1962. Coat of Arms of Roxburghshire County Council 1962-1975.svg, Coat of arms of Roxburghshire County Council 1962–1975. Coat of Arms of Roxburghshire District Council 1975-1996.svg, Coat of arms of Roxburghshire District Council 1975–1996.

Civil parishes

Following the boundary changes carried out under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, the county of Roxburgh contained 30 civil parishes: * Ancrum (No.12 on map) *

Bedrule Bedrule ( gd, Ruail Bheathaig) is a hamlet and civil parish in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. The hamlet lies on the east side of the Rule Water, which gave the village its name, about 4 miles ...

(22) * Bowden (6) * Castleton aka Liddesdale (31) *

Cavers Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology is ...

(28) * Crailing (15) * Eckford (16) * Ednam (5) * Hawick (19) * Hobkirk (29) * Hownam (25) * Jedburgh (23) * Kelso (9) * Lilliesleaf (11) * Linton (17) * Makerstoun (8) * Maxton (13) *

(1) * Minto (20) * Morebattle (26) * Oxnam (24) * Roberton (18) * Roxburgh (14) * Smailholm (3) * Southdean (30) * Sprouston (10) *

St. Boswells St Boswells ( sco, Bosels / Bosells; gd, Cille Bhoisil ) is a large village on the south side of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, about southeast of Newtown St Boswells on the A68 road. It lies within the boundaries of the historic co ...

(7) * Stichill (4) * Teviothead (27) *

Yetholm Yetholm is the parish that contained the villages of Kirk Yetholm and Town Yetholm in the east of the former county of Roxburghshire, nowadays in the Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìoc ...

(21)

Defunct parishes and amalgamations

In medieval times there were 47 parishes, making the area the most densely parished in Scotland. * Abbotrule: divided between Bedrule and Southdean in 1806. * Ettleton and Wheelkirk: absorbed into Castleton *Hassendean: divided between Minto, Roberton and Wilton, 17th century. * Jedworth, Old Jedworth and Upper Crailing: united to form the parish of Jedburgh. * Kirkton or Cavers Parva: absorbed into Cavers in 1895.Edinburgh Gazette (official journal of the government), 5/3/1895 p. 295; and 18/12/1894 pp. 1449-1450 * Lempitlaw: absorbed into Sprouston at the Reformation. * Longnewtown: absorbed into Ancrum in 1684. * Maxwell, Roxburgh Holy Sepulchre and Roxburgh St James: absorbed into Kelso (aka Kelso St Mary's), date unknown. * Mow: absorbed into Morebattle in 1672. *Nisbet and Spital: absorbed into Crailing 1606. * Rutherford: absorbed into Maxton. * Wilton: absorbed into Hawick post-1900.

Settlements

Hawick from the top of the Motte - geograph

Melrose Town Centre from Quarry Hill - geograph

* Abbotrule * Ancrum *

Appletreehall Appletreehall is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, 2 miles north-east of Hawick, in the historic county of Roxburghshire. Nearby are Branxholme, Broadhaugh, Roberton, Wilton and Wilton Dean. See also *List of places in th ...

* Ashkirk * Bairnkine *

* Bonchester Bridge * Bowden *

Branxholme Branxholme is a hamlet in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, overlooking the River Teviot, three miles southwest of Hawick, on the A7 road to Langholm. Nearby are Ale Water, Alemoor Loch, Burnfoot, Borthwick Water, Colterscleugh Mon ...

* Broadhaugh * Burnfoot * Camptown * Crailing * Crailinghall * Darnick * Denholm * Eckford * Edgerston * Ednam * Eildon * Galashiels (''shared with Selkirkshire'') * Gattonside *

Hallrule Hallrule is a hamlet on the B6357 road, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the Rule Water, near Abbotrule, Bedrule Bonchester Bridge, Denholm, Hobkirk, Ruletownhead and to the south, the Wauchope Forest. The village's name in 1502 w ...

* Hawick * Heiton * Hobkirk * Hownam * Jedburgh * Kelso * Kirkton * Kirk Yetholm * Lempitlaw * Lilliesleaf * Lindean * Linton * Longnewton, Roxburghshire * Maxton *

* Midlem * Minto * Morebattle * Newcastleton * Newstead *

* Nisbet * Oxnam * Roxburgh *

* Smailholm * Southdean * Spittal-on-Rule * Sprouston * Stichill * Town Yetholm * Tweedbank * Wilton * Wilton Dean

Notable residents

Robert Livingston the Elder The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

, (1654–1728), born in Ancrum, was the Secretary for Indian affairs of the New York Province and the first lord of

Livingston Manor Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the Province of New York granted to Robert Livingston the Elder during the reign of George I of Great Britain. History Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the colonial Province of New York granted ...

. * Thomas Pringle the nineteenth century Scottish writer, poet and abolitionist was born at Blakelaw, a farmstead four miles (6 km) to the south of the town of Kelso where his father was the tenant. * Henry Scott Riddell (1798–1870), the poet, was buried at Teviothead and is commemorated by a monument on a nearby hill. * "Chief" Robert Riddell (1820–1921), brother of the poet, born in Teviotdale, was a Scottish-Canadian pioneer and veteran of the

Upper Canada Rebellion The Upper Canada Rebellion was an insurrection against the oligarchic government of the British colony of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario) in December 1837. While public grievances had existed for years, it was the rebellion in Lower Canada (p ...

. He is noted for having pioneered the township of Beverly in Ontario. *

Thomas B. Scott Thomas B. Scott (February 8, 1829 – October 7, 1886) was President Pro Tem of the Wisconsin State Senate. Biography Scott was born on February 8, 1829, in Roxburghshire, Scotland. He apparently settled in Dekorra, Wisconsin, in 1848 and what ...

(1829–1886), President Pro Tem of the Wisconsin State Senate.

References

Edina.ac.uk
A Vision of Britain Through Time: Descriptive gazetteer entries for Roxburghshire

External links

Map of Roxburghshire
on Wikishire {{Coord, 55, 30, N, 2, 30, W, region:GB_type:adm2nd_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Counties of Scotland Districts of Scotland Roxburgh Counties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922) Politics of the Scottish Borders