Baptism by a Burgher Minister, Berwickshire

[Rach]

I have been helping out a friend in Australia with bits and pieces of Berwickshire research. She has found that one of her ancestors was christened 50 years after his birth as he 'was baptised originally by a Burgher Minister'.
She has several children for whom she cannot find any birth information. One reason she thinks is because several Edrom records are missing. However, I don't suppose there are any records kept of any baptisms by Burgher Ministers?
I'm afraid I am a bit ignorant about this. Any help would be appreciated.
Rae

[Currie]

You’re not the only one Rae, I’d never heard of Burgher Ministers until your post. I would have guessed it was something to do with McDonalds.

What time period are you talking about? If it comes within the guidelines, and if you want to, you could try posting more info about the individuals and see if anyone can turn something up.

All the best,
Alan

[AndrewP]

Hi Rae,

I searched the NAS online catalog for Edrom and the only church records there are for the Church of Scotland. Either no records remain for the Burgher Church, or (more likely I think) the Burgher Church was not in Edrom Parish.

Could the Burgher Church be in the neighbouring parish of Duns? Or was it further afield?

All the best,

AndrewP

[Currie]

Hello Rae & Andrew,

As penance for my ignorance of the Burgers I have just read pages 413-419 of “A Theological Dictionary” by Charles Buck, 1807.

http://www.google.com.au/books?id=V9RDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA413

Anyone after a broader picture could read the following.

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/noncon1.html

Alan

[Rach]

Thank you Alan and Andrew for your replies and your efforts.
[Had a chuckle about McDonalds!]
I will have to get back to my friend to get an idea of when they were born. It may have been the early 19thC.
She thought that they may have been baptised in private chapels on estates where they worked. Asked at N.A.S. about this but I would need to find out who were the estate owners over that period. At that time I didn't know about the burgher minister.
I haven't looked at the links yet but will have a go at them for some light reading!
Will return when I have found out a little more.
Rae

[JulieAK]

I'm currently reading through some OPR for Polwarth, Berwickshire (it's near Edrom). And I found one whole family where the birthdate and baptism date was recorded in Polwarth records but under witnesses it had "before the Burgher congregation in Dunse". I notice these baptisms weren't on the IGI. It was a Wood family BTW, who lived in Polwarth but seems attended services in Dunse.

Might be worth getting the OPR film for Edrom from the LDS church and reading through it.

[Rach]

Thanks for the tip, Julie.
My friend has sent some birth dates which were taken from an old school exercise book but she was puzzled about where the christenings took place. As she is in Australia and has tended to work from the OPR's from the LDS church I think that she may have eliminated that avenue already which is probably why she said that there were Edrom baptisms missing.

What time period are you talking about? If it comes within the guidelines, and if you want to, you could try posting more info about the individuals and see if anyone can turn something up.

The parents were James Crow and Helen Liddell. Here are the dates of birth:
Agnes Crow,1823, Blackburn, Berwickshire
George Crow, 1826, Foulden, Berwickshire
James Crow, 1831, Kimmerghame Mains, Edrom, Berwickshire
Helen Crow, 1833, Whitelaw, Berwickshire
Isabella Crow, 1838, Whitelaw, Berwickshire

Other children:
Margaret was born Ayton and christened 1815, Coldingham
Jane was born Lethom Shanks and christened 1817, Golden Square Presbyterian, Berwick on Tweed.
Any help appreciated.
Rae

[Anne Baillie]

Hi Rae,
I know a little about this lot (yet another sideline of my lot)
Will send gedcom to you.
Regards
Anne

[Rach]

Thank you for that, Anne.
I see that you haven't been able to find baptisms for these children either. It is a puzzle really as it was unusual for this branch not to have their children baptised.
Rae