Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #204

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Inverurie. To learn more about how to use these records to search for your ancestors, go to the Scotland: Research Strategies.

History
INVERURY, a royal burgh, and a parish, in the district of Garioch, county of Aberdeen, 16 miles (N. W.) from Aberdeen, and 137 (N. N. E.) from Edinburgh. This place, which derives its name from its situation at the confluence of the river Ury with the Don, is of remote antiquity, and, as part of the lordship of Garioch, was granted by William the Lion to his brother, David, Earl of Huntingdon. The old church, built in 1775, contained only 400 sittings, a number very inadequate to the increased population; and, consequently, a new church, containing 1330 sittings, has been erected. The present structure is of beautiful granite, in the later English style of architecture. The burial-ground of the parish lies near the river Don. There are places of worship for members of the Free Church, Independents, and Wesleyans; and an episcopal chapel has been built. A Roman Catholic seminary, formerly at Aquthorties, in this parish, has been removed to Blairs, in the parish of Maryculter, county of Kincardine; and the ancient building, beautifully situated, is at present a farm house.

The New Statistical Account of Scotland (pub. 1834-45) offers uniquely rich and detailed parish reports for the whole of Scotland, covering a vast range of topics including history, agriculture, education, trades, religion and social customs. The reports, written by the parish ministers, are available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for your parish of interest. Also available at the

Census Records
A census is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. Read more about census records.

Here is a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the, as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. To use it, you must register and pay a small access fee. All available censuses, 1841-1901, are indexed on this website. It may be easier for you to pay to use the website rather than access the separate indexes through the library.

Church Records
The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about church records. Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish.

Condition of Original Registers—
Index: For an index to these records, see Scotland’s People website, a pay-for-view website. The Scottish Church Records Index is also still available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: There are no entries February 1619–November 1621. They are blank November 1651–January 1671, and March 1674–August 1716. There are no entries August 1771–May 1773and the records are irregular 1786–1800. There are three pages of irregular entries 1790–1819 recorded at May 1819. Mothers’ names are recorded November 1634–51, inclusive and after '''1795. Marriages:''' Prior to 1649, other matters are mixed up with the entries of marriages. They are blank January 1667–October 1716, no entries June 1751–March 1752 and they are blank May 1768–November 1783, and August 1786–December 1796. Deaths: Frequently an account of the effects of the deceased persons follows the entry of his/her death. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The session was made up of the minister and the land owners and business men of the parish, chosen to serve on the session. The Kirk session dealt with moral issues, minor criminal cases, matters of the poor and education, matters of discipline, and the general concerns of the parish. Kirk session records may also mention births, marriages, and deaths.

Here is a list of the surviving Kirk session records for this parish: 

Minutes 1649–1674, includes a list of communicants, 1716–1771, 1779–1876 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/196

Nonconformist Church Records
A nonconformist church is any church that is not the Established church. Read more about nonconformity in Scotland in the article on the Scotland Church Records Union List.

Inverurie Free Church
History—  This congregation was organized in June 1843, the first meeting being held in the Congregational church. Church, manse, school, and schoolhouse were soon erected. Later a mission hall was built; and a church hall and cottage were acquired by gift. Subsequently a new church and manse were built on other sites, the old building being sold. Membership: 1848, 470; 1900, 526. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film. More details are given in the source.

Records— Minutes 1843–1923 - some congregational meeting Baptisms 1843–1854 Cash Book 1844–1867 Communion Roll 1850–1855 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/556. A published History of this church is available at the Family History Library. Book.

Inverurie Congregational Church
History— A church was formed in 1822, it closed in 1992.] Source: A History of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott, pub. 1960. Family History Library Book, pages 254–7. Source includes further details on each congregation plus a list of ministers. See also book.

Records— The extent of Records is unknown. For information, write to: United Reformed Church Synod of Scotland 340 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 2BQ Scotland

Inverurie Methodist Church
History— A chapel was built in 1787 and a new chapel in 1867, but it was closed about 1916. Source: Methodism in Scotland, by Wesley F. Swift, pub. 1947. Family History Library Book.

Records— The extent of Records is unknown. For information, write to: Methodist Archives and Research Centre John Rylands University Library of Manchester 150 Deansgate Manchester M3 3EH England

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
History— The chapel was consecrated in 1842. Since 1963 the charges of the incumbent has been combined with Monymusk and Kempnay in 1963, Alford and Auchindoir in 1974 and in 1989 through 1996, Dufftown. No further History is available.

Records— Family History Library Call Number Christenings 1842–1875 item 5 941.25/I1 K29c X Marriages 1844–1873  item 5  Note: The X means the record has been extracted. Other: Burials 1842–1854 For more information write to: The Rectory Old Meldrum Inverurie AB51 0AD Scotland Transcribed Records— Some of the church records have been transcribed by Archibald Maxwell Strath and were self published as "Register of Baptisms, Marriages, Burials : St Mary's Episcopal, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, 1842-1929". Copies are held by the Aberdeen County Library, Meldrum Old Meg Way, Meadows Industrial Estate, Old Meldrum, AB51 OGN, Scotland Further copies at held at the Aberdeen &amp; North East Scotland Family History Society, 4 King St. Aberdeen, AB24 5BD Scotland. http://www.anesfhs.org.uk/

Inverurie Catholic Church
History— The church was consecrated to the Immaculate Conception in 1849. It succeeded an earlier mission at Fetternear, 1845–1850.

Records— Baptisms 1850–1920 Marriages 1853–1919 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record RH21/22. Confirmations from 1854 and burials from 1862 are in the hands of the parish priest of Fetternear.

Civil Registration Records
Government or civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths (also called statutory records) began on January 1, 1855 in Scotland. Each parish has a registrar's office and large cities have several. The records are created by the registrars and copies are sent to the General Register Office in Edinburgh. Annual indexes are then created for the records for the whole country. See the article on Scotland Civil Registration for more information and to access the records.

Probate Records
Inverurie was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Aberdeen until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Aberdeen. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. You must register on the website but use of the index to probate records, called 'Wills &amp; Testaments,' is free. You may then purchase a copy of the document or, if the document is before 1823, it will be on microfilm at the Family History Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Aberdeen and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Aberdeen. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Aberdeen. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Aberdeen and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.