Borders Family History Society

09/04/2026

Do you have ancestors from Selkirk? We have a number of books in our Library that could help with your research. It might just help to break a brick wall! Call in to see us on Tuesdays or Thursdays 10am-4pm or email us research@bordersfhs.org.uk

08/04/2026

06/04/2026

in 1320, some Scottish noblemen signed the Declaration of Arbroath, one of the earliest declarations of Scottish independence. 700 years later, researchers were able to trace some of the signatories' descendants thanks to DNA testing 🧬

02/04/2026

Royal Mail Postage Now Available In The Website Shop.

We have now introduced automatic Royal Mail postage rates for physical items purchased in the website Shop.

This means that accurate weights and dimensions have been introduced for every item available in the Shop, and the system will work out the correct postage rate for UK and International postage on a per item basis.

At the moment we only offer two classes of postage - For UK postage we have Royal Mail 2nd Class, and for International postage we have Royal Mail International Standard.

We can introduce other postage classes, such as UK First Class, UK Signed For, International Tracked, International Economy etc, if there is a demand for this.

https://bordersfhs.org.uk/bfhs-shop/

23/03/2026

‼️Admin help ‼️
Do you have a few hours to spare to help the society with some admin tasks? We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who can help us to keep on top of the admin requirements to ensure the smooth running of the society. If you think you could help please drop us an email info@bordersfhs.org.uk

19/03/2026

Monumental Inscriptions Surname Search Now Live!

We are very pleased to announce that the first searchable database in our Research area has been launched - The Monumental Inscriptions Surname Search. This is just the first of the Research resources that were available on our old website to make the transition to the new website - we have more in the pipeline. Thank you for your patience.

If you hover over the main Research link in the Home page menu, you will see the link for the Monumental Inscriptions Surname Search, or you can use the link below.

The results from the Monumental Inscriptions Surname Search will allow you to see which Scottish Borders cemeteries your ancestors are buried in, and then if you want to dig deeper into that cemetery, you can order one of our Monumental Inscription booklets or PDF from the Shop.

We do not have all the available Monumental Inscription booklets & PDF versions "on the shelves" in the Shop yet. If you do not see a booklet in the Shop for a cemetery you are interested in, please email Sales via our Contact Us page to order one.

https://bordersfhs.org.uk/monumental-inscriptions-surnames-search/

10/03/2026

Have you seen the ‘Knowledge base’ on the Your Scottish Archives website?

This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Scottish history. The website looks at a variety of types of documents and includes background information. For example, you can learn what ‘Cess Rolls’ are.

It also has sections looking at topics such as ‘Days, Dates and Calendars’. In this section you will learn why a letter written in Scotland in February 1625 could be received in England in February 1624: https://yourscottisharchives.com/days-dates-and-calendars

The section looking at ‘Money and Banking’ could be a great help if you are trying to work out if a person left a vast fortune in a 16th century will or just a pittance.

Huge shout out and thanks to the amazing archivists and the team at the Scottish Council on Archives who have put this amazing site together.

Knowledge base: https://yourscottisharchives.com/knowledge-base

27/02/2026

Our premises at Overhaugh Street will reopen on Tuesday 3rd March and will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am till 4pm, each week.

We look forward to seeing you at Overhaugh Street in 2026 and helping you with your family history research!

26/02/2026

In the era before civil registration, church records sometimes included unexpected additional information.

An unknown person added some detail to the burial record of Torryburn woman Margaret Ruthven in 1840…

20/02/2026

Details in Old Parish Registers can be unpredictable and surprising.

Recording the death of Jedburgh plasterer Michael Waugh in 1850, this entry notes: “He caught six salmon in the Tweed on Saturday 23, died 25th, age 75”.

09/02/2026

Latest addition to our Library - Talking Stones - history of Hutton Parish

08/02/2026

PDF Downloads Now Available In The Shop!

We are pleased to announce that downloadable PDF versions of some publications are now available to purchase in the website Shop. The first three we have available are our recently released Monumental Inscription booklets for Jedburgh, Roberton and Lilliesleaf. More will be added soon. The obvious advantages for purchasing a PDF version rather than a hard copy are that you get instant delivery of the PDF (no waiting on the post!) and that there are no shipping charges.

https://bordersfhs.org.uk/bfhs-shop/