Change of Speaker for tomorrow, Sunday, 30 November at Melrose

Unfortunately, Mary Craig, who was to have spoken about Beggars, Thieves and Whores - the ultimate medieval outsiders, has suddenly fallen ill.
Instead, we will have two speakers:

    Enid Cruickshank: Walter and Andrew Haddon, solicitors, of Hawick
    She also has some interesting items about the Boer War.

    Gregory Lauder–Frost: Earlier records including privy council records, exchequer rolls and regality records
    He will bring some examples along for you to look at.

It's at the same venue, the Corn Exchange & Ormiston Institute, Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PN.  See this map for directions.
I warmly invite you to attend the talk whether you are a member or not. Doors open at 2pm; the talk begins at 2.30pm.

We'll have a range of family history publications available to buy including our new publication, Innerleithen Shops, and there’ll be light refreshments (donation expected) available after the talk.

If you have a problem with your family history, please discuss it (no charge) with one of our volunteers.


We wish Mary a speedy recovery.

Innerleithen Shops

We are pleased to announce the launch of our latest publication “Innerleithen Shops” compiled by local history enthusiast, Bob Richardson.

The CD contains a detail of all the shops in Innerleithen (and there are a surprising amount of them)  from approximately 1870 to the present day. There are photographs of every shop or the building in which the shop was situated (apart from a few where the building has been demolished) with a detail of their owners, their dates of ownership and the type of business.

As well as present day photographs there are also in a number of cases images of the same shop at an earlier date and/or of bill headings or advertisements relating to the particular shop such as the above.

Additionally there are a number of old photographs of the Town and even a couple of previously published poems on the shops and their owners – giving a definite bit of personal insight.

A most interesting purchase for anyone with a connection with Innerleithen.

Co-incidentally Innerleithen Community Council has recently launched a new website also containing a number of old photographs and other historical information on the Town.

The CD, price £7 can be purchased at our premises or by choosing the appropriate delivery option and pressing the button below.
Please note: World Zone 2 includes Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Oceania.
Europe includes Eire and Russia.
World Zone 1 comprises all other countries.

Delivery Options

Innerleithen Shops - UK- 2nd class £8.55 GBP Innerleithen Shops - EU Airmail £10.50 GBP Innerleithen Shops - World Zone 1 £11.30 GBP Innerleithen Shops - World Zone 2 £11.30 GBP Innerleithen Shops - Surface Mail £11.10 GBP Innerleithen Shops - UK- 1st class £10.15 GBP Innerleithen Shops - World Zone 3 £11.30 GBP

Ronald Morrison

See Unique Records from Heriot-Watt University Archives

As part of Scottish Book Week 2014 (also known as Book Week Scotland), Heriot-Watt University Archives are offering a selection of bound volumes from the Textile Collection for visitors to look at.
The event is from 2pm to 3pm on 26 November and is at Scottish Borders Campus, Nether Road, Galashiels, TD1 3HF, Scotland. Map.

There are a lot of interesting records in the archives including mill records, early records of the College, lace, fashion drawings. You can search the Heriot-Watt University Archives Textile Collection catalogue.

I'm always interested in business records, especially wages and prices, so that part of the archives interests me. In particular, I see from the catalogue that they have lots of records relating to organisations in Galashiels, Hawick and Selkirk.
Although I'm not interested in dressing fashionably; fashion was important to many of our forebears and images and descriptions of fashions are extremely useful in dating your family photographs.

Please note that the event is free but places are limited and booking is essential.

Book to see the unique Textile Collection volumes.

Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose, is a snapshot of childhood in Melrose, Scotland, before the First World War.

John Dick, born 1888, was the son of the local ironmonger and had the sort of happy childhood that was the lot of the children of prosperous families in country areas. The text in this memoir is exactly as John Dick wrote it in 1950, and was supplied by his nephew, Ian Dick of Auckland, New Zealand.

The 52 page book discusses life in Melrose, the shops, excursions, church antics, local characters, celebrations, holidays, and school. It's all a fascinating read about Melrose in the late 19th and early 20th century. It's well illustrated by photos, some in colour, many of which even our older citizens won't have seen for years.
Price £3.75 excluding postage. Weight 90g.


You can get a copy at our archive at 52 Overhaugh St, Galashiels, TD1 1DP, or by choosing the appropriate delivery option and pressing the Buy now button below. Please note: World Zone 1 generally covers countries in North America (excluding the USA), South America, Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and South East Asia. World Zone 2 includes Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Oceania. World Zone 3 is USA. Europe includes Eire and Russia.

Delivery Options

Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose - UK - 2nd class £5.80 GBP Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose - EU Airmail £7.75 GBP Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose - World Zone 1 £8.55 GBP Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose - World Zone 2 £8.55 GBP Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose - Surface Mail £8.35 GBP Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose - UK - 1st class £7.40 GBP Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose - World Zone 3 £8.55 GBP

If there are other publications you want to buy at the same time, please contact the Sales Convenor on our Contacts page using the contact type Order for Publications.