Sheriff Court

About Sheriff Court

Built c.1855, in a Jacobean style, is the imposing Sheriff Court. The roof with fish-scale slating is worth noting. Beside the entrance you can see a plaque which was presented in 1941 by Polish servicemen stationed in the County of Berwickshire. To the right is a modern e x t e n s i o n constructed in 1964 which houses the local office of Scottish Borders Council. To the left of the court is the police station, built in 1895 as the County Police Office.
Opposite the Sheriff Court is Boston House. This was the birthplace of the preacher Thomas Boston who lived from 1676 to 1732 and was the son of a Covenanting minister. His father had been imprisoned for his beliefs and these experiences influenced Thomas in his writing and preaching. These helped prepare the way for a split in the Church of Scotland in the mid-19th century and the formation of the Free Church, a period known as the ‘Disruption’. The Free Church in Duns and its school were named in his honour.