Rafford, Moray, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #140

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

= History =

The origin of the name of this parish is not known for certain. It has undergone so many alterations as to defy all attempts at fixing its etymology. In a charter, granted by Pope Innocent to the Bishop of Moray, in the thirteenth century, it is styled Ratheforde; and in another charter of the same period, Rathefd. In records of subsequent dates, it is designated Rathed, Rathat, Raffart, Raffort, Raffard, and Rafford; the last of which is its present orthography. If we were to hazard a conjecture amidst so much uncertainty, we would assign an origin to the name, derived from the situation of the parish, and which is in some measure sanctioned by the high authority of Chalmers. He says, “The hill forts in Ireland, which are called Raths in the Irish language, were the strengths of the ancient Irish; and those raths are similar in their site and structures to the hill forts of the ancient Britons. The raths were placed on the summits of hills.” If, therefore, we give a Celtic origin to the name, and take into consideration the eminences around this place, adapted for strengths or keeps, we may perhaps arrive at as reasonable a conjecture as may be formed on the subject.

It is bounded on the east, by the parishes of Alves and Elgin; on the north, by Kinloss and Forres; on the west, by the river Findhorn; and on the south, by Dallas and Edenkillie.

The parish of Rafford at one time, comprehended part of that of Kinloss, the latter being formed, partly from Rafford, partly from Alves. In 1661, Altyre, then a distinct parish belonging to the parsonage of Dallas, was by Act of Parliament annexed to Rafford. In the days of Episcopacy, Rafford was the seat of the subchapter of Moray.

There is no market town in the parish. The nearest is Forres, distant from the church about two and a half miles. The parish contains no villages of any size. Forres is also the nearest port-town.

Dr. Alexander Adam, for many years Rector of the High School of Edinburgh, and author of “Roman Antiquities,” “Classical Biography,” was a native of this parish, and received the first rudiments of his education at the parish school. Dr. Duncan Shaw, son of the well-known author of the History of the Province of Moray, was minister of the parish from 1753 to 1783. The land-owners are, Robert Tulloch, Esq. of Burgie; Sir William G.G. Cumming of Altyre and Gordonston, Bart.; the Earl of Moray; and the Earl of Fife.

The population in 1755 consisted of 1313 inhabitants, and by 1841 the count decreased to 987. The principle cause of this decrease has been the uniting of a number of small farms into one.

The church is nearly centrical, and is distant not more than four miles from any part of the parish. It was built in 1826, is a handsome and commodious structure, in the Gothic style, from a plan furnished by Gillespie Graham, Esq., and affords accommodations for 600 sitters. The sittings are all free. There are no chapels of Ease, Government churches, Missionaries, Catechists, Seceding or Dissenting chapels of any denomination within the parish. Eight families, or their heads, attend Dissenting chapels in the neighboring parishes for Forres; one family alone attends the Episcopal chapel there. The number of families, therefore, attending the Established Church may be about 600; the average number of communicants is 149.

The register of births commences in 1682, and is wanting from 1730 to 1738. It cannot be said that any disinclination is evinced to register the births, unless it be in a rare instance among the poorer classes, arising from a wish to evade the small fee. This account was written March 1842.

Source: The New Statistical Account of Scotland for Rafford, FHL book 941 B4sa, 2nd series, vol. 13

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 edina.($) Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish you are interested in. 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 scotlandspeople.($) 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—
Indexed: For an index to these records, see the Scottish Church Records Index available on computers at the Family History Library and family history centers. Some of these records may be indexed and searchable on familysearch.org.

Births: No entries for Jul 1683–Feb 1687, May 1688–Feb 1691, and Mar 1695–Sep 1703 (except one for 1700). The greater part of the page after April 1715 is destroyed. No entries for Dec 1715–Sep 1716 (except a page of irregular entries for 1726–48. No entries for Feb 1730–Sep 1738. Marriages: No entries for Dec 1725–Dec 1738 (Except one for 1730). There is only one entry for 1773, none for 1781, one for 1793 and two for 1803. No entries for Nov 1805–Nov 1806. Subsequent to 1740, most of the pages of both the birth and marriage records are signed by the session clerk. Deaths: The record is of burials. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b.

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: 

FHL Film Number Collections 1850–3 1482989 item 3 List of the heads of communicant families 1842 “ Note: Kirk session minutes from 1838 may still be in the possession of the minister.

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.

Rafford Free Church
History— The minister of the parish and a considerable number of the congregation “came out” and adhered to the Free Church in 1843. A church was built in 1843-4 and a new church was built in 1900. Membership: 1848, 422; 1900, 270. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843 1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. FHL Film #918572. More details are given in the source.

Records— Minutes 1843–4, 1855-1936 Deacons’ court minutes 1843–1935 List of members 1843 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1132.

= Civil Registration =

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 =

Rafford was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Moray until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Elgin. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at scotlandspeople.($) 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 Moray and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Moray.

The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Moray. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Moray and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records. Return to Moray parish list.