Wigtown

The ScotlandsPlaces website lets users search across national databases by geographical location. It includes, amongst other material,

• catalogue entries for maps and plans held by the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh; some maps and plans can be viewed
• photos and details of historical buildings and archaeological sites recorded by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh
• 17th and 18th century tax rolls
• an opportunity to transcribe thousands of historic documents

Wigtown and Whithorn : historical and descritptive sketches, stories and anecdotes, illustrative of the racy wit & pawky humor of the district, by Gordon Fraser, 1877, is avaiable at the Internet Archive.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

Numerous papers concerning businesses in Wigtown are to be found in Court of Sesion records and the records of dissolved companies. They can be found by searching the National Records of Scotland catalogue for "Wigtown" and reference starts "CS" or reference starts "BT2".

There are 3 cemeteries in Wigtown parish:

1. Wigtown Churchyard, Church Lane (reference NX 436555, GPS: 54.870000, -4.439100):

• The churchyard surrounds the parish church and contains the ruins of the old parish church.
• Monumental Inscriptions were recorded by J E Birchman in the 1980s. They have been published by the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society. Copies are in local libraries and at the Ewart Library, Dumfries.
• A listed building.

2. Wigtown Top Cemetery [sometimes called Wigtown High Cemetery], Jubilee Terrace (grid reference NX 430556, GPS: 54.870532, -4.448133):

• Monumental Inscriptions have been published by the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society. Copies are in local libraries and at the Ewart Library, Dumfries.
• The graveyard is administered by Local Services, Culhorn Depot, Commerce Road, Stranraer, DG9 7DE. Tel: 03033 333000

3. Wigtown Park Cemetery, on the A714 about half a mile south of Wigtown (grid reference NX 428546, GPS: 54.861817,-4.449559):

• Monumental Inscriptions have been published by the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society. Copies are in local libraries and at the Ewart Library, Dumfries.
• The graveyard is administered by Local Services, Culhorn Depot, Commerce Road, Stranraer, DG9 7DE. Tel: 03033 333000

Parish / district reference number for 1841 - 1901 censuses: 901

The 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 returns can be searched on the FreeCEN website.

There is an online index to the 1851 census created by the Friends of the Archives of Dumfries and Galloway.

Some census records on microfilm may be consulted in LDS Family Search Centres around the world.

LDS Library Film Numbers:

	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891
Wigtown	1042848	1042558	103922	104113	224064	220464

(Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Further information on the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

In addition to the parish church, other churches include a Free Church, and a United Associate Congregation. The Rootsweb Churches and Graveyards in Dumfries and Galloway site has photographs of the parish church, the churchyard and several gravestones.

A list of all persons over 12 years of age, collected under instructions to the Episcopalian Curates of Galloway and Dumfriesshire, was published as Parish lists of Wigtownshire and Minnigaff, 1684. It is available at the Open Library.

The Old Statistical Account (written in the 1790s) gives this information about Dissenters:

• total population - 1350, Seceders - 191, Cameronians - 27

The New Statistical Account (written in 1839) gives this information:

• There is a meeting house of the general associate synod in which there is accommodation for about 600 sitters. At an election of a pastor lately, about 120 members were found qualified to vote.
• Number of Dissenting and Seceding families - about 66; number of families attending the Established Church - about 240; number of Roman Catholic families - about 25.

A census of Religious Worship and Education was taken in 1851 at the same time as the census of population. A table of statistics about the churches in Wigtownshire at this time is available here. The statistics for the separate burghs were also given. Those for Wigtown are as follows:

Wigtown (Parliamentary Burgh): Population of Parish 2824, Population of Burgh 2121:

Religious Denomination	Number of Places of Worship	Number of Sittings			Number of Attendants at Public Worship on Sunday March 30 1851 (including Sunday Scholars)
Free	Appropriated	Total	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Established Church	1	600		600	303
United Presbyterian Church	1	300	330	630	360
Free Church	1	40	360	400	220
Total	3	940	690	1630	883

Source: Census of Great Britain, 1851, Religious worship and education. Scotland. Report and tables. British Parliamentary Papers 1854 LIX (1764).

The1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, the United Presbyterian Church, and the Free Church.

Details of church history:

• Wigtown Parish Church

Prior to the reformation the church of Wigtown belonged to the priory of Whitern and was dedicated to St Machuit. The ruins of the old church still remain near to the present day parish church, built in 1850. After the 1929 union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church, Wigtown parish church was united with the United Free congregation of Wigtown West, following the union, the Wigtown West church was sold and the old parish church remained in use. Wigtown was later linked with Kirkcowan in 1982. The kirk session sat within the Presbytery of Wigtown until by Act of Assembly XXI, 1963, The Presbytery of Wigtown and the Presbytery of Stranraer were united to form the Presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer.

• Wigtown Free Church (later United Free and West Church of Scotland)

The congregation of Wigtown Free Church, which started out as a preaching station, was sanctioned as a full charge at the end of 1843, the year of the Disruption. At this time a Relief Church was being erected in Wigtown, however due to financial problems the building could not be completed and had to be offered up for sale. The unfinished building was subsequently purchased on behalf of the FC congregation and became the Free Church of Wigtown. In 1900, upon the union of the Free Church and the United Presbyterians, Wigtown Free Church was renamed Wigtown United Free Church and in 1901 Wigtown U.F was joined with the former United Presbyterian congregation of Wigtown West U.F.. The two sessions were joined under the name of Wigtown U.F. and after the union the former U.P. church continued in use as the place of worship. Following the 1929 union between the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church, Wigtown U.F. became Wigtown West Church of Scotland and in 1948 Wigtown West joined with the congregation of Wigtown Laigh, under the name of Wigtown Church of Scotland. After this union the former West church was sold. Wigtown Associate congregation sat within the U.P. Presbytery of Galloway and later the U.F. Presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer.

• Wigtown United Associate Congregation (later United Presbyterian, West United Free and West Church of Scotland)

Wigtown United Associate Congregation, which sat within the Antiburgher branch of the Secession church, first received mention in the records of the Synod in 1750, when a call was presented to Mr John Tennant, whom the Antiburgher residents of Wigtown wished to have recalled from Ireland to be ordained over them. It was decided however to leave Mr Tennant where he was and in 1751 the first minister of the Wigtown congregation, Andrew Ogilvie, was ordained, a church to house the session had been completed during the previous year. In 1900, upon the union of the Free Church and the United Presbyterians, Wigtown U.P. was renamed Wigtown West United Free Church and in 1901 Wigtown West U.F was joined with the former Free Church congregation of Wigtown U.F.. The two sessions were joined under the name of Wigtown U.F. and after the union the former U.P. church continued in use as the place of worship. Following the 1929 union between the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church, Wigtown U.F. became Wigtown West Church of Scotland and in 1948 Wigtown West joined with the congregation of Wigtown Laigh, under the name of Wigtown Church of Scotland. After this union the former West church was sold. Wigtown Associate congregation sat within the U.P. Presbytery of Galloway and later the U.F. Presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer.

Data provided by the  Scottish Archive Network (SCAN)

The Parish Church (Established Church, Church of Scotland):

The original Old Parish Registers (of baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages, and deaths / burials) of the Church of Scotland, which cover the years up to 1854, are held in the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh, and they can all be consulted there at the National Records of Scotland.

Parish reference number: 901

The Old Parish Registers (OPRs) span the following dates (although there are gaps within these ranges):

Wigtown OPR	Births / baptisms	Proclamations / marriages	Deaths / burials / mortcloths
901/1	1706-1819	1707-1782	-
901/2	1819-1854	1832 (1 entry)	-
Register of Neglected Entries	1830	-	-

(Data supplied by National Records of Scotland)

The Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland, published 1872, provides this information about the content of the OPRs, including the gaps within them:

B.  Blank Nov. 1751 - Sept. 1753; but at that part are 12 irregular entries 1745 - 1768. Only 20 entries Sept. 1753 - Jan. 1771. Defective Oct. 1772 - Jan. 1779. Regular Record blank Dec. 1782 - Sept. 1799, but there are irregular entries on 5 pages. at that part, dated 1774 - 1798. Irregular entries, 1740 - 1761 (one family), recorded in 1829.
M.  Blank (except one entry 1754) Feb. 1752 - April 1772, and (except for one entry 1775) Dec. 1772 - April 1777. Record terminates June 1782, except 1 entry for 1832.
[Subsequent to publication of the Detailed List, additional early entries of B. and M. were found, now included in 901/1.]

The baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages and deaths / burials indexes can be searched at the ScotlandsPeople website. Copies of the register entries may be purchased.

Copies of the registers on microfilm may be consulted in some local libraries and at LDS Family Search Centres around the world. The indexes to baptisms / births and proclamations / marriages can also be searched on the LDS Family Search website or on the IGI on microfiche in local libraries.

LDS Library Film Numbers:

1068042 Items 6 - 7

Baptisms, 1706-1855; Marriages, 1707-1854, 1772-1782; Neglected Birth Entry, 1830.

(Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Further information on the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

Kirk Session records are held at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Heritors' Records (HR355) are at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• CH2/374
  Wigtown Kirk Session
  Minutes, 1701-1745, 1822-1823, 1843-1854 and 1867-1889; Accounts, 1725-1815; Baptisms, 1867-1924; Proclamations, 1883-1936; Communion roll, 1848-1934.

• HR355
  Wigtown parish heritors' records
  Minutes, 1849-1929; Accounts, 1853-1933; Cash book, 1921-1933; Papers relating to buildings, 1850-1912; Papers relating to transference to Church of Scotland, 1925-1929; Correspondence, 1849-1929; Assessment rolls, 1850-1855; Plans of church, manse and glebe, 1853-1915, undated.

Other Churches:

Records of other churches are held at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• CH3/311
  Wigtown Free Church (later United Free and West Church of Scotland)
  Session minutes, 1845-1942; Deacon's Court minutes, 1853-1901; Account book, 1923-1947; Baptismal register, 1844-1947; Communion roll, 1844-1919.
  The registers are being made available on the ScotlandsPeople website.

  The LDS have filmed the following records which may be consulted at LDS Family History Centres.
  LDS Library Film Numbers:

  889477 Item 1	Wigtown Free Church	Baptisms, 1844-1847.	Original documents: National Records of Scotland - CH3/311/5
  304671 Item 30	Baptisms, 1844-1858, 1875-1876

  (Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

• CH3/310
  Wigtown United Associate Congregation (later United Presbyterian, West United Free and West Church of Scotland)
  Session minutes, 1849-1901; Congregational and manager's minutes, 1879-1933; Account book, 1835-1922; Baptismal register, 1849-1901; Marriage Register, 1849-1855; Communion roll, 1849-1897.
  The registers are being made available on the ScotlandsPeople website.

  The LDS have filmed the following records which may be consulted at LDS Family History Centres.
  LDS Library Film Numbers:

  304671 Item 29	Wigtown United Associate Congregation	Baptisms, 1849-1862; marriages, 1849-1855.	Original documents: National Records of Scotland - CH3/310/4
  1886485	Session minutes, 1849-1901; Account books, 1835-1922; Baptisms, 1849-1901; Marriages, 1847-1855; Communion roll, 1849-1897.	Original documents: National Records of Scotland - CH3/310

  (Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

The Wigtown page of the LDS Family Search Research Wiki has more information about church history and records.

Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths began in Scotland on 1st January 1855. Full information on the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

Registration districts covering this parish:

Registration districts did not necessarily coincide exactly with parishes.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• HH12/89, HH21/24, HH21/60 and HH21/
  Wigtown Prison
  Governor's Journal, 1873-1878; Register of Criminal Prisoners, 1848-1875; Daily Statement of Prisoners, 1859-187861; Register of Criminals (No 2), 1840-1848.

At the Stranraer Museum:

• WN
  Wigtown Burgh (Access restricted)
  Town Clerk's Department:  Miscellanea - including a record of persons imprisoned in the tolbooth, 1826-1838, and papers concerning the prison (including reports, minutes, etc.), 1791-1891.

At the Stranraer Museum:

• WN
  Wigtown Burgh (Access restricted)
  Town Clerk's Department:  Burgh court book, 1872-1873; 'Collected documents' including burgh court hearings, 1724-1838.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• for Wigtown Sheriff Court - see Wigtownshire Court Records (separate page).

• for Wigtown Commissary Court - see Wigtownshire Court Records (separate page).

Surrounding parishes: Kirkinner, Penninghame, Kirkcowan (not touching but very close), and Kirkmabreck in Kirkcudbrightshire (via a ferry at Creetown).

Wigtown is Scotland's Book Town. Bookshops there have a good stock of books about Scotland, or by Scottish authors.

• Geograph
• Flickr

The parish entry in Pigot's National Commercial Directory for the whole of Scotland, 1837, is online at Google Books.

Rootsweb has a transcript of the Trades secion of an unidentified 1912 Wigtown Directory.

Several old gazetteers are available. They all contain descriptions of the parish and many are also worth searching for entries of places within the parish.

• David Webster's Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, published 1819, online at Google Books.
• Fullarton's Topographical, Statistical and Historical Gazetteer of Scotland, published 1842, vol. 1, A-H only, online at Google Books has an entry for Bladnoch.
• Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, published 1846, online at British History Online.
• Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4) and John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887) are on A Vision of Britain (click on "Historical places and writing").
• Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland(1892-6) on Electric Scotland

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Wigtown to another place.

A Vision of Britain provides historical descriptions, population & housing statistics, historic boundaries and maps.

Details of historic buildings and archaeological sites in this parish held by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh, are catalogued at ScotlandsPlaces. In the results, click RCAHMS. Unfortunately, not all entries have digital images.

Listed buildings in Wigtown.

Sasines:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• B72
  Records of Wigtown Burgh
  Register of Sasines (1st Series), 1724-1809; Register of Sasines (2nd Series), 1809-1928; Register of Sasines (2nd Series) - Minute Books, 1820-1928; Burgh Rental Book, 1542-1599.

  The LDS have filmed the following records which may be consulted at LDS Family History Centres.
  LDS Library Film Numbers:

  298553

  Wigtown Burgh sasines

  Minute books, sasines registers, 1862-1863

  Original documents: National Records of Scotland - ?part of B72/3/1

  (Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Valuation Rolls, from 1855, are held in Edinburgh. Valuation Office field books and plans (for the Valuation Office survey of 1911-1915) are also held in Edinburgh. A few valuation rolls are held locally. Wigtown records:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• VR85
  Valuation Rolls: Wigtown Burgh
  1855-1930; the Roll from 1930 is included in the Valuation Roll for the County of Wigtown; the rolls for 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1920, 1925 and 1930 are online at the ScotlandsPeople website.

• VR123
  Valuation Rolls: County of Wigtown
  1855-1975; the rolls for 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1920, 1925 and 1930 are online at the ScotlandsPeople website.

• IRS87/84-88
  Valuation Office (Scotland): Field Book, 1910-1920: Wigtown Burgh
  Entries 1-456.

• IRS87/89
  Valuation Office (Scotland): Field Book, 1910-1920: Wigtown Parish
  Entries 1-78.

• IRS133
  Valuation Office (Scotland) maps to accompany the above field books, scale 1/2500, Ordnance Survey sheets for Wigtownshire.

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

• EW4
  Wigtownshire County Council: County Treasurer's Department
  Valuation rolls, 1891-1975; Assessment rolls, 1890-1897, 1950-1960.

At the Stranraer Museum:

• WN
  Wigtown Burgh (Access restricted)
  Town Clerk's Department:  'Collected documents' - including records of services of heirs, 1681-1934.
  Chamberlain's Department: Assessment rolls, 1930-1946, 1967-1973; Valuation rolls, 1961-1973 (incomplete).

Estate records:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

Some estate papers can be found by searching the National Records of Scotland catalogue for "Glasserton" and reference starts "GD". Collections particularly worth searching are:

• GD25
  Papers of the Kennedy Family, Earls of Cassillis (Ailsa Muniments)

• GD46
  Papers of the Mackenzie Family, Earls of Seaforth (Seaforth Papers)

• GD72
  Papers of the Hay family of Park

• GD135
  Papers of the Dalrymple Family, Earls of Stair

• GD138
  Papers of the Stewart family, Earls of Galloway (Galloway Charters)

• GD154
  Papers of the Agnew Family of Lochnaw, Wigtownshire

At the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• Acc.10539 and Ch.15531-16730
  Papers of the Fleming Family of Wigtown

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NX409568 (Lat/Lon: 54.880761, -4.481123), Wigtown which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

Sailors on board ships registered at Stranraer, Wigtown and Whithorn in 1851 are listed on CD: Scotland South-West, Highlands and Islands Seamen Crew Lists, 1851 available from Family History Indexes. The data is taken from TNA documents BT98/2735 (Stranraer), BT98/2794 (Wigtown) and BT98/2395 (Whitehorn [sic], wrongly included in Banff returns).

The Shipping Registers of Dumfries (1824 to 1904), Kirkcudbright (1824 to 1841), Stranraer (1824 to 1908) and Wigtown (1836 to 1920) have been indexed by the Friends of the Archives of Dumfries and Galloway. The register gives ownership details of ships registerd at these ports, together with ships' details and naming the Master. The database can be searched here.

The Roll of Honour website records the names on the Wigtown war memorial.

The Ordnance Survey Object Name Books are held by the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh. Wigtown records:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• RH4/23/233 and RH4/23/235
  Ordnance Survey Original Object Name Books for Scotland: Wigtownshire
  Wigtown and Penninghame (book 48); Kirkinner, Kirkcowan, Mochrum, Wigtown and Penninghame (book 49); Kirkinner, Wigtown and Penninghame (book 50); Wigtown and Penninghame (book 51); Kirkinner, Kirkmabreck and Wigtown (book 52); Kirkinner and Wigtown (book 64);.

The relief of paupers after 1845 was carried out by the Parochial Board and later by the Parish Council. Their records are at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh. See Public Records below.

There is a page with census statistics from 1755 to 1951 here.

See also A Vision of Britain and Histpop for population statistics.

Probate records are 'Confirmations' in Scotland.

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Wigtown may be found in either the Wigtown Commissariot (CC22) or the Edinburgh Commissariot (CC8) records. From 1824, commissary business has been conducted by the Sheriff Court of Wigtown (SC19).

Sources worth searching for deeds include Wigtown Sheriff Court.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• for Wigtown Commissary Court - see Wigtownshire Court Records (separate page)

Parochial Boards and their successors, Parish Councils, administered many local functions including poor relief.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• CO4/47
  Wigtown Parish Records
  Parochial Board Minute Books, 1815-1902; Parish Council Minute Books, 1895-1930; Parish Council Minute Book (Landward Committee), 1895-1929; Parochial Board General Register of the Poor, 1835-1901; Parish Council General Register of the Poor, 1902-1930; Parochial Board Register of poor Persons, 1850-1864.

School Board records and / or school logbooks are held at the Ewart Library, Dumfries. Wigtown records:

At the Ewart Library, Dumfries:

• EW5/62
  Wigtown Primary School
  Log books, 1874-1898, 1923-1976. (Access restricted)
  This was known originally as Wigtown Burgh and Parish Higher Grade Public School. By 1945 it had a roll of 240. It became a junior secondary in 1948 but was downgraded to primary school status in 1948 and the secondary department closed with the pupils being transferred to Douglas Ewart High in Newton Stewart and Whithorn Junior Secondary.

• EW5/67/2
  Wigtown: All Souls Roman Catholic Primary School
  Log book, 1943-1987.(Closed until 1 Jan. 2063)
  This was erected for the education of Catholic children on ground belonging to the Catholic Church and from their own funds. It was built in 1882 and opened in 1883.

The Ordnance Gazetteer for Scotland lists the following public schools in the parish (1893):

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• FS
  Friendly Society Records
  • FS1/27/1 Friendly Society of Wigtown, 1795
  • FS4/214 Portpatrick Railway Platelayers Sick, Superannuation and Insurance Society, Newton Stewart, No. 3 Wigtown, no date.
  • FS4/311 Independent Order of Oddfellows, (Manchester Unity), Friendly Society Wigtown, no date.

"Statistical accounts" giving fascinating insights into the local topography and history, social and economic conditions, and even the daily lives of people, were written by the parish ministers in the 1790s and the 1830s. For more information see the main GENUKI Wigtownshire page.

• The 'Old' StatisticalAccount is at The Statistical Accounts of Scotland and Google Books.
• The 'New' Statistical Account is also at The Statistical Accounts of Scotland and Google Books.

The parish and burgh listings of the farm horse tax, 1797-98, the female servants tax, 1785-92, and the Male Servants Tax, 1777-98, can be seen at ScotlandsPlaces.

For details of other early taxation records see the Early Taxation Records page.

Towns were usually referred to as Burghs in Scotland. Records of the Burgh of Wigtown are held by Stranraer Museum and the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the Stranraer Museum:

• WN
  Wigtown Burgh (Access restricted)
  Town Clerk's Department:  Minutes, 1679-1975; Police commissioners, minutes, 1894-1925; Burgh court book, 1872-1873; Miscellanea (including a record of persons imprisoned in the tolbooth, 1826-1838, voters' registers, 1832-1855, 1879-1882, a poll book of New Galloway, 1832, registers of applications to keep inns, 1849-1853, and of applications for liquor licences, 1858-1864, and poll books for elections of councillors, Wigtown, 1850-1855 and undated), 1826-1944. 'Collected documents', 1676-1920. This miscellaneous category includes a customs levy, undated, papers relating to parliamentary elections and the census, 1734-1910, petitions, mainly to the magistrates and council, 1780-1885, oaths of allegiance by officers and councillors, 19th cent., applications for excise licences, 1836-1837, a subscription list for perpetuating Abbotsford in the line of Sir Walter Scott's descendants, 1833, records of services of heirs, 1681-1934, writs, 1669-1856, letter books, 1872-1898, and papers relating to Wigtown Gas Co, 1846-1888, the railway, 1857-1872, water supply, 1884-1889, the Medical Officer of Health and Sanitary Inspector, 1848-1871, the parish church, 1766-1876, schools, 1769-1866, courts of law (including burgh court hearings, 1724-1838), 1724-1950, and the prison (including reports, minutes, etc.), 1791-1891.
  Chamberlain's Department: Accounts and abstracts (various formats), 1752-1969; Assessment rolls, 1930-1946, 1967-1973; Valuation rolls, 1961-1973 (incomplete); Cash books and ledgers, 1957-1971.
  Additional deposited records: (including court surveys, 1962, byelaws, 1893, 1896, 1930, a letter book of Wigtown Educational Trust, 1933-1946, a petition on the Reform Bill, 1832, inventories of documents, 1872, plans, 1874-1973 and undated), 1777-1973.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• B72
  Records of Wigtown Burgh
  Register of Sasines (1st Series), 1724-1809; Register of Sasines (2nd Series), 1809-1928; Register of Sasines (2nd Series) - Minute Books, 1820-1928; Register of Deeds, 1866; Court and Council Record, 1512-1535 (unfit for production); Burgh Rental Book, 1542-1599; Burgh Charters, 1457-1661.

Voters Rolls and electoral registers are held by Stranraer Museum and the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the Stranraer Museum:

• WN
  Wigtown Burgh (Access restricted)
  Town Clerk's Department: voters' registers, 1832-1855, 1879-1882, a poll book of New Galloway, 1832 and poll books for elections of councillors, Wigtown, 1850-1855 and undated.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• SC19/64
  Wigtown Sheriff Court
  Register of electors in the county of Wigtown, 1832 and 1832-1861; Poll book: Polling place Wigtown, 1835, 1837 and 1841.

• GD124/14/3
  Papers of the Erskine Family, Earls of Mar and Kellie
  Rolls of the freeholders of the shires etc of Scotland including Wigtown, 1708-1709.