Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland Genealogy Genealogy

Scotland Kirkcudbrightshire



History
The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is a county in the south of Scotland, bounded on the north and north-east by the dounty of Dumfries, on the north and north-west by the county of Ayr, on the south and south-east by the Solvay Firth, and on the south-west by the county and bay of Wigtown. It is 48 miles in length, from east to west, and thirty miles in extreme breadth, comprising an acrea of about 882 square miles or 564,480 acres.

This district, which from its ancient tenure is called a stewartry, though for all purposes a county, occupies the eastern portion of the ancient province of Galloway. After the departure of the Romans, the area became the resort of numerous settlers from Ireland and the Isle of Man who, intermingling with the natives, formed a distinct people, subject to the government of a chieftain that excercised a kind of subordinate sovereignty under the kings of Northumbria or kings of Scotland. Later it was the property of the Baliols then the Douglas'. In the time of James II, it was divided among several proprietors.

The stewartry of Kirkcudbright was for some time included in the county of Dumfries and was under the jurisdiction of the same sheriff, but this ended prior to the time of Charles I, and since then it has formed a distinct and independent county, though still referred to as a stewartry. It contains 28 parishes. Kirkcudbright is the chief town and is a royal burgh, along with New Galloway. The county contains four other towns and some small hamlets.

About one-third of the land is arable and the remainder is principally mountain pasture, moorland, and waste. The surface if strikingly varied and towards the coast is diversified with numerous rocky hills. Other parts are mountainous, intersected with valleys of great fertility in a high state of cultivation. Oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, turnips, and other crops are raised. Cattle are pastured and sheep are fed on the moorlands. Great numbers of swine are also reared, and the horses are much esteemed.

The minerals are of no significance, and coal is scarce and brought from Cumberland. The manufacture of linen, cotton, and woolen goods is carried on to a considerable extent in the towns and villages. The principal trade is the export of cattle, sheep, and grain. Salmon-fisheries at the mouths of the various rivers are highly productive. Kirkcudbright harbour is easy of access and affords secure shelter from all winds.

The population in 1851 was 41,119.

(Source: Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, 2nd ed., 1851.  Family Hidtory Library book 941 E5L.)

Parishes
Here is a list of the historic parishes for the county of Kirkcudbright. Click on the parish name to see information about records.

Census Records
A census is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. In 1841, the British government began taking censuses of the population of Scotland every ten years, listing all persons by name. The census records must be 100 years old before they are released to the public, so the 1841 through 1901 are currently available. Read more about Scotland Census Records.

Many census records have been indexed by surname. Some indexes cover one parish (and will be listed in the Wiki on the parish page) and some indexes are for the county as a whole. The Family History Library has county-wide census indexes for Kirkcudbright for 1841 and 1881.

Civil Registration Records
Government or civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths (also called statutory records) began on January 1, 1855 in Scotland. Annual indexes are available for the whole country. See the article on Scotland Civil Registration for more information and to access the records.

Court Records
The county of Kircudbright was in the Sheriff's court of Kirkcudbright (SC16). The Registers of Deeds for Sheriffs' courts contain much valuable information for family history research such as marriage contracts and deeds of 'disposal and settlement' (or assignment) of property, which both give names and relationships. The records are deposited at the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh and are not indexed.

Maps
Click on the map at the right to see a larger version, and click again on the larger map. Next, click on the ‘Expand’ button when it appears in the lower right-hand corner of the map.

Click here to see an outline map of the parishes of Kirkcudbrightshire.

Military Records 1802 to 1808
There is a collection of ballot lists for 1802 and militia volunteer list for 1808 for most of the parishes in the County. They can be found at the National Archives of Scotland. The militia lists for the parish of Urr is online

Probate Records
Probate records are those which deal with the settlement of the estate of a deceased person. In Scotland, until 1868, a person could only pass movable property such as household furniture, farm equipment, livestock, money and clothes through a document known as a 'testament.' Immovable property such as land was passed to the eldest son or heir through a document known as a 'Service of Heir,' which is not a record of probate. Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Until 1823, the parishes of Kirkcudbrightshire were under the probate jurisdiction of either the Commissariot Court of Dumfries (CC5), the Commissariot Court of Kirkcudbright (CC13), or the Commissariot Court of Wigtown (CC22). For a break-down by parish, click on the parish links above. Since 1823, the county has been under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Court of Kirkcudbright (SC16).

Probate records for 1513-1901 (including inventories of goods) 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' of Kirkcudbright (county) and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the 'Testaments registers.'