OPR Word explained please

[Safficat]

Hello all

Could anyone tell me what the word 'indweller' means in many entries of Parish registers in Scotland. I thought at first it ment ' living in...' but if that was the case it would be included in all entries

eg 'Alexander Hosack indweller in Leith and Janet Couper his spouse had a son....'

many thanks
Safficat

[RJ_Paton]

I've only come across the term a couple of times and although I cannot yet be 100% certain I believe in my cases it meant that they were incomers to that parish i.e. living there but not of the parish it's possible that this is the case here.

[Safficat]

Thank you for your reply.
All their children were born in Leith so you're saying that they moved to this  area/parish from elsewhere...mm

regards
Safficat

[RJ_Paton]

Thank you for your reply.
All their children were born in Leith so you're saying that they moved to this  area/parish from elsewhere...mm

regards
Safficat

In my own case the term referred to one of the partners who then settled in that Parish and their children were born there ..... possibly this is the case with your ancestors ,unfortunately with the OPR's we are at the mercy of the Minister or church clerk who filled out the register - some were very good and others leave you tearing your hair out.

[Safficat]

Yes, thank you that makes a lot of sense

Safficat
,

[Little Nell]

Having looked in my trusty Scots dictionary, an indwelling is described as "a habitation or residence."  So by extension, it may just mean that he lived in Leith.  I can't say that I have come across it myself - usually the minister (or his minion) just wrote "of Leith" for example.

Sometimes the most obvious explanation may be the best. 

Nell

[stanmapstone]

Found on the web
Indweller : Inhabitant. Occupant.
Taken from A Scottish Historian's Glossary by Lawrence R. Burness
ISBN 0-874722-12-9
Published by Scottish Association of Family History Societies

Stan

[Safficat]

Aha !
There are about three or four on that page and the word has been used when no occupation has been recorded

Thank you all
Safficat