The Borders Family History Society aim to help people with their family history primarily in the Border counties (Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire) of Scotland, as well as in adjacent counties of England and Scotland.

There are many small kirk yards in the Scottish Borders

Monumental Inscriptions
Shows all Monumental Inscriptions volumes currently for sale.

Society members get a discount per volume.

Search the Gravestones Index
All published volumes can be searched online.

Each volume contains the inscription on all the (readable) gravestones (tombstones) in the respective burial place at the time of publication, and there is an index to the surnames in the inscriptions at the back.

Most volumes also include a Hearth Tax list, War Memorial inscriptions, a list of kirk ministers, and many have a militia list.

BFHS – Latest publication

Roxburghshire Monumental Inscriptions – No 21: Melrose Abbey
Available as a CD or an A4 format book, each has the same content.
564 gravestones.
Photos of the gravestones and their inscriptions.
Hearth Tax and Militia Roll.
Gravestone inscriptions in Melrose Abbey and grounds.

As well as the recorded volumes of tombstone inscriptions, the society also have useful indexes for Magazine Articles, Poor Law Records, Borders Family Trees.

Visit the Borders Family History Society Website

National Archive of Scotland (NAS)- The NAS holds historical records created by businesses, landed estates, families, churches and other corporate bodies. Every year tens of thousands of people from all over the world use the NAS’s services to carry out research, seek advice on record keeping, and enhance the learning and teaching of history.