Have just returned to Australia from a trip to the UK to see relatives and made a flying visit to the Borders area to do some research. Thought the following might be of interest to the list. Had great fun looking around Berwickshire. We stayed in Berwick upon Tweed for three nights. One whole day was spent in the Records Office but I could have spent a week there. They only open on Thursday so we had to get there for the right day. We concentrated on the burial registers, knowing if someone died helps a lot to tie up the families. Wading through the St Catherine's index takes ages. It was my Rentons who moved to Berwick upon Tweed from Hutton Parish in Scotland that I was searching for. I haven't been able to access many of my Renton line in Berwick upon Tweed through the IGI but found many useful entries in odd little congregations which were set up by the Scottish people who moved over the border. ie St. Aidens Presbyterian Church, Berwick High St Meeting House, Golden Square Presbyterian, Shaws Lane Presbyterian Chapel etc. Having been kindly given a list of Burial Grounds in Berwickshire, and any Renton names appearing on MIs for the County, I was on the hunt for my ancestors who were buried in the Old Graveyard at Fishwick. According to the Burial List this graveyard was located in Hutton Parish near the old Church at Fishwick in field on Mr. Stobo's farm. We stopped at a farmhouse at Fishwick (which is really only farmhouses not a village). I knocked on the door of one of the farmworkers cottages & asked a lady did she know where the old church and graveyard was located. First she laughed and said if you're thinking of going there you'd better have some gumboots. After I'd explained about my Renton ancestors she was most helpful, turned out her husband had some Rentons somewhere in his background. He was working over at the main farm yard so she ran over to get him so he could show us the way. He came back in this huge tractor and told us to follow him down this narrow dirt track. We had a very small hire car and it had rained the night before. On reaching the end of the track we couldn't drive any further. He pointed across the fields to a hill in the far distance which had a small wood on the top and he said the church is there but it is derelict. I didn't really fancy walking all that distance over muddy ploughed fields so he told us to hop on the tractor and he would take us over. We could only get to the bottom of the hill as we came to a washed out stream and a barbwire fence. So here I am climbing over barbwire fences, wading through streams, climbing up a steep hill with grass & stinging nettles a foot high - great fun. It was worth it though as there were three of my ancestors headstones still readable. Luckily they were near the front of the church as most of the headstones are covered in brambles and have fallen over from trees pushing them up. The lovely little church is derelict, just the stone walls and the old oak beams are still there, the roof is gone and quite large trees are growing inside. I found William Renton late tenant in Dykethead 12/10/1782 55 yrs. George Renton tenant in Paxton 11/9/1773 73 yrs. Spouse Helen Lyll 12/4/1770 55 yrs. Helen daughter of John Pirie, wright and grandchild to George Renton late tenant in Paxton 2 Oct ....... (rest unreadable). The tombstones were still mostly readable but did not photograph well as a huge Conker Tree is covering this area. Might be why they are so well preserved as the weather can't get to them so much. I was hoping to find more on the 'stone set on two pillars to right of door to old church' but everything was covered and fallen over. I felt quite sad to think that these were my ancestors buried here and nothing is being preserved. I stood and looked around and envisaged them walking to this little church over 200 years ago. Living and raising their families and dying in this very area. We found Dykegatehead farm not far away. Today it is a big place and looks very prosperous. I try to imagine what it would have been like back in 1750 when William Renton was Tenant in Dykethead. His eldest son George was later shown as Tenant in Dykethead. I imagine this to mean that they ran the farm and paid rent to the owner. Would this be correct? I intend to write to the now owners and see if any old records exist. I really would like to thank those unknown persons who went to the trouble to record the Monumental Inscriptions. Without these people much of our background would be lost. In another 10-20 years there will be nothing readable in this old churchyard. All our history will be gone. Pam