Iverchaolain, Argyllshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #514

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

History
INVERCHAOLAIN, a parish, in the district of Cowal, county of Argyll, 7 miles (N.) from Rothesay. The name of this place is derived from the Chaolain, a small stream which, at this part, joins Loch Straven, or Striven, an arm of the sea intersecting the parish in a northern direction. The church, built in 1812, is situated on an eminence, and surrounded by a picturesque burial-ground; it contains 250 sittings, and forms that accommodate about forty more. A chapel, connected with the Establishment, and situated on the East Kyles of Bute, was opened in 1840.

Invercholain is the ancient and modern name of the Parish. Archibald Earl of Argyle is an important person in the parish. John Campbell Esq. of Southhall; Alexander Lamont, Esq. of Knockdown; Alexander Finlay, Esq. of Castletoward; Sir John Fife of Gortan; John Campbell, Esq. of Dunoon; and Mrs. Harkness of Garrachosen were the major land owners. The land was primarily used for, oak, blackfaced sheep, and cattle. The population in 1755 was 944, in 1811 it was 588, and in 1841 it was 699. The register began in 1737 but was kept imperfectly until 1771. Presbyterian and a Friendly Society are the churches in this parish.

This account was written in 1843. source: New Statistical Account of Scotland (FS Library book 941 B4sa, series 2 vol 7

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 Inverchaolain. 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 FS Library microfilm numbers for the as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

The 1901 and 1911 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, 1841-1911, are indexed on this website. It may be easier for you to pay to use the website rather than access 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 Records—
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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: Margins of early pages have deteriorated, and the dates in many instances are worn off. Marriages:The record contains proclamations and marriages. 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: 

There are no known records.

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.

There are no known nonconformist churches.

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
Inverchaolain was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Argyll until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Dunoon. 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 FamilySearch Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Argyll and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Argyll. catalog for the 'Place-names' of Argyll and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.