First Official (New) Train on the Waverley Route

I enjoyed myself at the opening of the Border Union Railway Line http://wrha.org.uk (part of the former Waverley Route) at Whitrope Station (in Castleton parish) on Sunday 1st July; accompanied by two friends, one of whom is a son of a former engine-driver on the route.
 

It was an auspicious date, chosen to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Hawick to Carlisle railway line.

The opening was performed by John Lamont, MSP and Madge Elliot .

Although they have about a half-mile of track, the bridge positioned after the first 300 yards hasn't had its certification yet, so the train (a railbus) made two return journeys of 300 yards back and forth for each set of passengers.

I chatted with Ian Crooks, the chairman, during the short journey.

They've made amazing progess since the last time I visited in August, 2009.

Not only have they laid a lot more track, painted carriages, made a nice station, they've also found time to improve the exhibition.
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There's more dates to visit the Waverley Route Heritage Centre at weekends until the end of October, and ride on the train in July and August. Timetable.

It was nice to see several of my ex-colleagues from Scottish Borders Council, two of whom are volunteers, as well as several fellow members of Borders Family History Society.

Border Clans Day, Langholm

We had a stall at the Border Clans Day, at the Buccleuch Centre, Langholm on Sunday, 6th September 2009.

The Armstrong, Elliot, Johnston and Moffat clans were all present, and Lady Fiona Armstrong came round and talked to us.

As well as ourselves, Dumfries and Galloway FHS were there, as was Dumfries and Galloway Council Archives, Cumbria Council Archives, and Liddesdale Heritage Centre. There was an ITV Border News team as well.

We don't often attend events outside our area, the 4 Border counties (Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire) of Scotland, however, many people who lived in these counties, also lived, worked, or married someone in the adjacent Scottish county of Dumfriesshire, or in the adjacent English counties of Northumberland and Cumberland, so attending these events, is a way of making the Society known to people who would not normally see us, and it was interesting to meet new people.

I had several discussions with American and Canadian Armstrongs who had come for Homecoming 2009, and stayed on a bit, all of them just beginning their family history.

Another discussion was with Frank Rutherford of Liddesdale Heritage Centre about Newcastleton, which is in Liddesdale. Newcastleton is about 10 miles from Langholm and the road that joins the two is very scenic. Frank thinks that the Casual Sick House probably was used temporarily to house paupers.

We showed various people our new Borders Poor Law Records publications, Jedburgh Parish (1852-1874) and Jedburgh Parish (1875-1893), and were heartened by their praise and by the number of sales we made.

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Where are the Newcastleton Poor Registers ?

Back in February 2009, one of the Poor Law Records volunteers told me that
she would really like to transcribe the Castleton parish Poor Law Records,
as she had many family members who might be in those records.
The parishes for which records have been digitised are Bowden, Broughton,
Drumelzier, Eckford, Eddleston, Eyemouth, Glenholm, Hounam, Kilbucho,
Jedburgh, Kelso, Lilliesleaf, Linton, Makerstoun, Manor, Maxton, Morebattle,
Oxnam, Peebles, Skirling, Smailholm, St Boswells, Stichill, Stobo, Traquair,
Tweedsmuir, Yetholm; and Castleton is missing.
When I next went to Hawick Heritage Hub I discovered that the only records
they had relating to Castleton and the Parochial Board was the McKinley Fund
minute book which contained only a few summary minutes and was not relevant.
I wondered where the Poor Law records were and whether they have been lost,
are in another archive, or even in somebody's attic.
The ministry began in 1574 with Martin Elliot, the rector, parson and vicar.
Initially the session was within the jurisdiction of Langholm Presbytery,
and the synod of Dumfries. On 9 December 1604, the session united with
Wheelkirk, Ettleton and Belkirk. By the early twentieth century the session
was within the jurisdiction of Hawick Presbytery, so I thought that if the
records were not in the Scottish Borders Archives, they might have been in
Langholm, and found their way into Dumfries and Galloway Archives.
Alas, that hope was soon dashed, and another idea that they might be lurking
in Newcastleton Heritage Centre was also in vain.
The poor registers aren't listed in the National Archives catalogue, either.
This is clearly something that needs more investigation.
My colleague, Davina Smart, discovered in the Valuation Roll for
Roxburghshire, from Whitsunday 1924 to Whitsunday 1925, the following
information:
Casual Sick House, South Hermitage Street, Castleton; Proprietor Parish
Council of Langholm; Inhabitant Occupier: Lancelot Graham, Caretaker.
She thought this might be the poorhouse, and it is next to the church
building now used as the heritage centre.
This isn't as unlikely as it might seem.
Most poor houses (officially all) closed by 1930, but some a great deal
earlier; Jedburgh poor house was closed in 1921, but the Shelter was used for
vagrants until 1930. There was some discussion about using it for the casual
sick, or as an overflow for Jedburgh Cottage Hospital.
In Linton, a building attached to the poor house was built as a pauper
hospital for the casual sick in 1857, and was still in use in 1916.
By 1952 it had become a wash house for the school which had taken over the
poor house.
However, although Castleton was sending its paupers to Jedburgh poor house by
1884, it's not impossible for the Casual Sick House to have been the
poor house initially.

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