EYEMOUTH MUSEUM TRUST

LOCAL/FAMILY HISTORY CENTRE

With the assistance of Funding by the East Berwickshire U3A, Eyemouth Museum Trust has now established a small Research Facility aimed principally at assisting Residents of and Visitors to Eastern Berwickshire with research into their family history. It is recognised that presently anyone wishing to do research must either visit Edinburgh, Hawick or Galashiels all some considerable distance away and from the number of enquiries received by the Museum it is obvious that there is a demand for this service.

We have made space available to provide the service which will be manned initially by a research assistant every Monday between 10.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. and also by appointment. The centre is affiliated to the Borders Family History Society and all their resources will be accessible, with some publications being offered for sale. 

We have provided a computer with internet access to obtain information on Old Parish Records, Births, Deaths and Marriages, Census Details, Newspaper Archives, Ships Lists, and Old Maps.

Paper copies of the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses for all towns and villages in eastern Berwicksire are available; additionally we have a copy of the 1881 census for the whole of the UK in a set of CDs.

We have copies of the all Memorial Inscriptions available for Eastern Berwickshire Village Churchyards, pre 1855 Memorial Inscriptions for all of Berwickshire, details of some Irregular Marriages at Lamberton Toll and some Registers for Greenlaw Jail. We also have a copy of Mortcloth Records for Coldingham between 1694 and 1759 and are collecting all information we can that might be of assistance to those having an interest in local and family history.

It is intended to involve the local Community in a small project aimed at identifying all the old Wynds and Vennels of Eyemouth as detailed in the 1841 Census. These were Castle Wynd, Barracks Lane, Hairs Close, Maitland’s Square, Milne Court, Narrow Lane, Crooked Lane, Paul’s Court, Broad Wynd, Pleasants, Hay’s Square, Chain Bridge, Lodge, Brown’s Square, Barracks, Tosh’s Wynd, Goodsman’s Wynd, Shore, Todd’s Close, Purve’s Wynd, Gillie’s Close, School Wynd, Quay, Back Wynd, Front Wynd, Lowrey’s Wynd, McIntosh’s Close, Dodds’ Close, Brown’s Wynd, Shanky’s Wynd, Bank Street and  Saltgreens. A Map of the Town as it was in 1842 is available for this purpose.

While disabled access is not available to the area presently being used for this facility it is intended to ensure that the service is available to all with an area within the Tapestry Room being available as required to meet this particular need. In the longer term it is planned, subject to finance becoming available, to have an extension to the upper floor of the Museum complete with lift access.

Bill Stewart

Research Assistant
LOCAL / FAMILY HISTORY CENTRE
EYEMOUTH MUSEUM
Manse Road
EYEMOUTH
Berwickshire
TD14 5JE

Telephones        (museum) 018907 51701                               (mobile)  07910 045771                  (home) 018907 81339